Nederland Park-n-Ride is the pick-up/drop-off location; shuttles run every 15-20 minutes

BOULDER COUNTY
Boulder County will again offer a free shuttle service on weekends and holidays this summer and fall to carry passengers from Nederland’s RTD Park-n-Ride at 1st and Jackson streets just off the Peak-to-Peak Highway (CO 72), to the Hessie Trailhead, a popular entry point for accessing the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area off of Fourth of July Road.

The Hessie Trailhead shuttle program began in the summer of 2012 to address the issue of increased parking and traffic congestion on the way to the trailhead. The first five years of the program have been successful, providing more than 5,000 rides in 2012, and more than 7,000 rides each year from 2013 to 2015. Ridership dipped slightly below 7,000 (6,918) in 2016, but this is likely attributed to the Big Springs Fire, which forced the shuttle to cancel operations for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. The shuttle schedule includes peak “leaf peeping” weekends in the fall. The shuttle schedule is listed below.

Take the Bus to the Shuttle!
Rather than driving directly to the trailhead, visitors are encouraged to take the RTD ‘N’ bus to Nederland from Boulder. The Town of Nederland wants to remind people that there’s a lot to do and see in town as well, so plan ahead and make a day of your trip into the mountains.

Parking near the trailhead and on nearby roads such as Fourth of July Road is extremely limited, and Boulder County Parks & Open Space rangers are responsible for enforcing strict parking regulations in the area. Illegal parking can result in monetary penalties and towed vehicles.

Shuttle Service
The shuttle service will begin Saturday, June 10 and will run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays until the weekend of Sept. 9. On Saturday, Sept. 9, the shuttle will shift to its fall 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. schedule on both days to account for shorter periods of daylight.

The shuttle will also run on summer holidays including Independence Day (Monday, July 3 and Tuesday, July 4) and Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 4). This year, the shuttle will be operational until Sunday, Oct. 8 to accommodate the peak autumn leaf season.

Details:

• Park and catch the free shuttle at Nederland’s RTD Park-n-Ride at the intersection of 1st and Jackson streets just off of the Peak-to-Peak Highway (CO 72) as you enter Nederland
• Take RTD’s ‘N’ route to Nederland from Boulder and save yourself the hassle of driving
• Shuttle arrives at the Park-n-Ride approximately every 15-20 minutes
• Leashed dogs are welcome on-board the shuttle
• Parking at the RTD lot is for day use only; overnight users should make other arrangements

If you would like more information, visit www.HessieTrailhead.com, or contact Andrew Barth at abarth@bouldercounty.org or 303-441-1032.