COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Pikes Peak is launching a new reservation system for visitors who want to drive to the summit of the 14,115-foot mountain and park at the top, the city of Colorado Springs said.
The city said timed-entry reservations will be required from May 27 to Sept. 30.
The reservation website will launch May 1, the city said. Reservations can be made up to a month in advance at drivepikespeak.com.
"The timed-entry reservation system, which will allow a two-hour window for guests to arrive at the gateway, will ensure visitors have a parking space on the summit," the city said. "The new system comes a year after the opening of the new Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center. With more for visitors to see and do on the summit, guests are spending more time on the top than in the past. The mountain is also continuing to see a growing number of visitors each year, and the physical space to add parking on top is limited."
Visitors who don’t make a reservation can still drive as far as Devils Playground, which is at mile 16 of the 19-mile highway. A free shuttle bus from Devils Playground will be offered in June and July, the heaviest visitation months. Visitors can use that shuttle without a reservation.
Same-day reservations will be allowed if space is available.
Many popular Colorado attractions, including the Manitou Incline, Maroon Bells and Rocky Mountain National Park, already require reservations either year-round or during their busy seasons. Reservations are required to park at the Quandary Peak trailhead during the summer. Hanging Lake, which is currently closed due to extensive trail damage from 2021 mudslides, started requiring reservations in 2019.
Mount Evans, the only other Colorado fourteener with a paved road to the summit, started requiring reservations for vehicles in 2021.
Eldorado Canyon State Park in Boulder County proposed a weekend reservation system earlier this month. If the proposal receives approval at the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission's next meeting on May 4 and 5, a pilot program could begin as early as August.
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