According to the Town of Vail, the trailhead parking lot for Booth Lake Trailhead will be closed through the fall in an effort to reduce crowding on the popular East Vail route. As noted by the town, there’s no parking allowed in the surrounding neighborhood, Booth Creek Park, or the nearby Vail Mountain School, with violators of these parking restrictions set to be towed.

Hiker drop-off and pick-up at the Booth Lake Trailhead will still be allowed and there will still be restroom facilities at the trailhead. It’s also worth noting that another way to access the trailhead is via the East Vail route on the free Town of Vail bus system. While the more limited spring schedule is currently underway, the summer schedule for the bus system will start on June 8 and will operate from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. The town also encouraged people to use bikes to access the trailhead, with a Shift Bike e-bike share program station located in the area.

One group of people that will be significantly impacted by the change is hikers with dogs. Only service dogs are allowed on town buses, thus those wanting to walk their dog on the trail will need to find another means of getting there. Overnight parking in Vail is available at three garages – Vail Village, Lionshead, and Red Sandstone. Find more information on parking in Vail here.

According to AllTrails, Booth Lake Trail is 4.8 miles long with 3,000 feet of elevation gain. It travels through a forest and is known for passing Booth Falls, a 60-foot waterfall in Eagle County.

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