Skip the Trailhead Parking: Your Guide to Boulder County’s Hiking Shuttles
Colorado hikers still have several weeks to take advantage of seasonal hiking shuttles around Boulder County.
The shuttles serve some of the region’s busiest parks and trailheads, giving hikers a way to skip the headache of fighting for limited trailhead parking — and, in several cases, making the entire trip possible without a car.
For hikers coming from Denver without a car, the basic first move is the same: take the Flatiron Flyer from Union Station to Downtown Boulder Station, then connect to the appropriate local or mountain route from there.
Hessie Shuttle
I used the free Hessie Shuttle today to access the Hessie Trailhead outside Nederland.
The trip started with the BOLT from Longmont to Boulder at 10:32 a.m., arriving around 11:20.
I hung out on Pearl Street until about 1:10 after the NB2 trip I originally planned to take around 12:30 was skipped. The next NB2 carried me west through Boulder Canyon to Nederland High School, where I arrived around 2 p.m.
The NB2 itself is a scenic ride up Colorado 119 through Boulder Canyon, climbing from Boulder toward Nederland. Riders who want to make more of a day out of the trip can get off at the Nederland Park-n-Ride and spend some time checking out the town’s shops, restaurants and other attractions before continuing on.
I stayed on until Nederland High School, where I transferred to Boulder County’s free Hessie Shuttle for the final trip to the trailhead.
Hessie is one of the busiest gateways into the Indian Peaks Wilderness, and there are options ranging from a relatively manageable afternoon hike to an all-day backcountry effort.
I got a late start, which is why I kept the hike to Lost Lake, a roughly 4.2-mile round trip. It’s the shortest of the major lake hikes from Hessie and follows forest and creek terrain before climbing to the lake.
For hikers looking for considerably more mileage, Woodland Lake is about 9.6 miles round trip, Devils Thumb is about 11.6 miles, King Lake is about 12 miles and Diamond Lake is about 13 miles. Those longer routes push farther into the Indian Peaks and are better suited to an early start and a full day on the trail.
I returned to the shuttle stop around 5 p.m., and a shuttle arrived quickly. From Nederland High School, I caught the NB2 back through Boulder Canyon and was back in Boulder around 6.
The Hessie area reaches roughly 9,000 feet around the trailhead, and temperatures were around 70 degrees with cloud cover during my visit — a much-needed respite from the heat down in Longmont.
The entire trip cost me $5.50 for an RTD day pass. The Hessie Shuttle was free, and I brought lunch from home. I don’t really count the food toward the adventure cost because I would have eaten lunch at home anyway.
So for $5.50 out of pocket, I got a bus ride through Boulder Canyon, a trip to Nederland, a free shuttle into the mountains and an alpine lake hike.
The Hessie Shuttle operates Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays through Oct. 11. On weekends, riders connect at Nederland High School.
Hessie Trailhead and Shuttle Information
Chautauqua Park-to-Park Shuttle
The Park-to-Park Shuttle provides another free option for reaching one of Boulder’s most popular hiking areas without trying to find parking at Chautauqua.
The shuttle runs between stops around Boulder and Chautauqua Park every 30 minutes from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends and holidays through Labor Day, Sept. 7. Free satellite parking is available at participating downtown Boulder garages.
Once at Chautauqua, hikers have access to everything from shorter foothills walks to substantial climbs. The area serves as a jumping-off point for trails around the Flatirons, including routes toward the First and Second Flatiron, Royal Arch and Mesa Trail.
That makes Park-to-Park useful not only for tourists visiting Chautauqua, but for hikers who want a legitimate day on the trails without dealing with the crowded parking situation around Baseline Road.
From Denver, a car-free trip can start with the Flatiron Flyer from Union Station to Downtown Boulder Station, followed by a local connection or walk to one of the Park-to-Park pickup points.
Chautauqua Park-to-Park Shuttle
Eldo Shuttle
The Eldo Shuttle serves Eldorado Canyon State Park and several other popular trailheads south of Boulder.
The free service runs Saturdays, Sundays and holidays through Sept. 13, connecting Boulder and the US 36 & McCaslin Park-n-Ride with Eldorado Canyon State Park, Marshall Mesa, Doudy Draw and South Mesa. Service generally runs every 20 minutes from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Labor Day, then every 30 minutes during the final weekend.
The recreation options vary considerably depending on where you get off.
Marshall Mesa, Doudy Draw and South Mesa provide access to a large network of foothills trails with views toward the Flatirons. Inside Eldorado Canyon State Park, hikers can access trails including Fowler, Rattlesnake Gulch and Eldorado Canyon, while climbers can use the shuttle to reach one of Colorado’s best-known climbing areas.
The shuttle itself is free, but riders 16 and older entering Eldorado Canyon State Park need a valid Colorado State Parks pass. A timed-entry reservation, however, is not required for shuttle riders.
From Denver, riders can again start with the Flatiron Flyer from Union Station to Downtown Boulder Station, then connect with the Eldo Shuttle system from Boulder.
For anyone who has spent the summer circling packed trailhead lots — or anyone trying to explore Colorado without a car — these shuttles offer a few more weekends to trade parking headaches for a bus ride into the mountains.
