Colorado Parks & Wildlife and City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks will provide free shuttle services on weekends and holidays this summer and fall seasons, starting on May 28.
The service will transport passengers from Superior, Boulder, and Marshall to Eldorado Canyon State Park, popular hiking, sightseeing, and climbing destination. It will also bring them to Marshall Mesa, Doudy Draw, and South Mesa trailheads., according to a news release.
The Eldo Shuttle will help mitigate increased automobile parking and car traffic congestion-related impacts in Eldorado Springs, inside the state park, and the CO 170.
Free Shuttle Service
Starting on May 28, Saturday, the shuttle will run on weekends and holidays until Sept. 5, Monday. Holidays with shuttle services include May 30, Monday, which is Memorial Day, July 4, Monday, which is Independence Day, and September 5, Monday, which is Labor Day.
Shuttles operate from 8 AM to 7 PM each day of service, running approximately every 20 minutes. Passengers from Boulder County will have to transfer buses at CO 93 and CO 170 to reach the state park or Doudy Draw and South Mesa trailheads. The waiting time for the transfer is less than five minutes each way.
The shuttle route includes the following stops:
- US 36 & McCaslin RTD Park-n-Ride in Superior
- Shuttle stops at the Superior FlexRide stop in the parking lot next to the pedestrian bridge
- Regent Drive & Broadway
- Shuttle stop and parking in the CU Regent Lot #306, just east of Broadway
- Broadway & Baseline
- Shuttle stops on Broadway
- Broadway & 27th Way
- Shuttle stops on Broadway; parking is available in the RTD Park-n-Ride.
- Broadway & Rayleigh Rd
- Shuttle stops on Broadway
- Broadway & Dartmouth Avenue
- Shuttle stops on Broadway; parking is available in the RTD Park-n-Ride.
- Broadway & Table Mesa Drive
- Shuttle stops at the RTD stop on Broadway.
- CO 93 & CO 170- Marshall Mesa Trailhead
- Shuttle parking is available in the dirt lot on the east side of CO 93.
- No shuttle parking is available in the Marshall Mesa Trailhead parking lot.
- Shuttle stops in front of the gas station (no shuttle parking available in the gas station lot).
- Doudy Draw Trailhead
- Shuttle stops in the trailhead parking lot
- To access to South Mesa Trailhead, visitors will need to cross CO 170
- For westbound shuttles, the Doudy Draw stop is drop-off only
- Eldorado Canyon State Park entrance station
- Access to the Streamside Trail.
- Eldorado Canyon State Park Visitor Center
- Access to Fowler, Rattlesnake, or Eldorado Canyon trails and the picnic area.
- Boulder County Walker Ranch Open Space access via Eldorado Canyon Trail (no bikes on Eldorado Canyon Trail).
State Parks Pass
The passenger aged 16 and older will need a valid state park pass to enter the state park. Shuttle riders can use an annual pass, purchase a day pass online at www.cpwshop.com, or pay $4 cash per adult to ride the shuttle.
They can pay via credit card but will need to get off and buy a day pass at the Visitor Center. Passengers headed to Marshall Mesa, Doudy Draw, or South Mesa trailheads do not need any pass or fare.
All shuttles and stops are ADA accessible and provide access to Fowler Trail, a wheelchair-accessible trail. Each shuttle has a bike rack, holding up to three bikes. Dogs must be leashed and well-behaved. Masks and other facial coverings are not required to ride the shuttle, but passengers can still use one.
Take the bus to the shuttle
People who plan to ride the shuttle can take the RTD route SKIP, DASH, Flatiron Flyer, or other bus routes that stop on Broadway in Boulder or at US 36 & McCaslin instead of driving to the trailhead or one of the shuttle parking lots.
Eldorado Canyon State Park and Doudy Draw, and South Mesa trailheads have extremely limited parking. When parking is full, guests in automobiles cannot enter the area without public parking nearby.
Timed entry reservations not required to ride the free shuttle
Colorado Parks & Wildlife recently approved a pilot timed-entry reservation system for visitors driving to Eldorado Canyon State Park. This program will begin later this summer and require visitors accessing the park via private vehicle to make a reservation for access between 5:30 AM and 5:30 PM. Reservations are not necessary for shuttle parking or for riding the shuttle.
For more information, visit www.EldoShuttle.com or contact Alex Hyde-Wright at [email protected] or 303-441-4910.
For information about all recreation shuttles operating in Boulder County in 2022, visit www.boco.org/shuttles.