Quandary Peak & McCullough Gulch – Visitors Required to Reserve Parking Online or Use the Shuttle from Breckenridge

MTN Town Magazine Breckenridge Activities, Treks & Travels 0

Due to severe overcrowding and illegal parking on county roads, Summit County implemented a pilot program for Summer 2021 requiring visitors to reserve parking online or use a new free shuttle from Breckenridge to access the Quandary Peak and McCullough Gulch Trailheads. This system has been updated and information from Summit County Government follows below:

2024 Information

Visitors wanting to hike Quandary Peak or McCullough Gulch between June 15 and September 15, 2024 will be required to reserve a parking spot at the Quandary Peak Trailhead OR take a Shuttle from Breckenridge to access the Quandary Peak and McCullough Gulch trailheads.

Shuttle

For visitors wanting to ride the shuttle between June 15 – September 15, 2024, tickets can be reserved at hikequandary.com. Visitors must choose a date to ride the shuttle, but do not need to reserve a time as boarding is first-come, first-serve, with proof of payment. The shuttle runs seven days a week, 5am-5pm, between the Breckenridge South Gondola Parking Structure and Quandary Peak.

Visitors going to McCullough Gulch will take the same shuttle as hikers going to Quandary Peak, and then board a second on-site shuttle at the Quandary Peak Trailhead to go to McCullough Gulch. Visitors will not need to purchase a second shuttle ticket for this on-site shuttle (it is included with a round-trip shuttle ticket or parking reservation).

Shuttle tickets can be purchased two weeks in advance of your intended hiking date beginning June 1, 2024. Fare costs are:

$0 for residents (round trip) – proof of residence can be submitted at hikequandary.com
$7 for visitors (round trip)

Visitors are required to show proof of payment to board the shuttle. Dogs are allowed on the shuttle, however, we strongly encourage you to make a parking reservation if you plan to hike with your dog.

How to Make a Parking Reservation

A parking reservation is required to park at the Quandary Peak Trailhead from June 15 – September 15, 2024. To make a parking reservation, please visit hikequandary.com.

Full-Day Reservation (5am-3pm) – recommended for Quandary Peak is $30 Monday – Thursday (excluding holidays)
- $55 Friday – Sunday (plus holidays)
Short-term (4-Hour) Reservation – recommended for McCullough Gulch
- $10 Monday – Thursday (excluding holidays)
- $20 Friday – Sunday (plus holidays)

Parking is free and first-come, first-serve after 3pm. Visitors hiking Quandary Peak are STRONGLY encouraged to start their hikes early in the morning to avoid dangerous afternoon thunderstorms. The average time to hike Quandary is 6 hours. The average time to hike McCullough Gulch is 2 hours.

To reserve and find out more information head to

https://www.summitcountyco.gov/services/community_development/open_space_trails/quandary_peak_mccullough_gulch/index.php#:~:text=Parking%20at%20the%20Quandary%20Peak,Illegal%20parking%20is%20enforced.

To learn more about Hiking 14’ers: https://thenextsummit.org/14er-route-guides/hiking-quandary-peak/

~MTMP

Feature Photo: The Next Summit: A Mountain Blog

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