Booth Lake Trailhead parking lot to close for new public restroom construction

The Town of Vail this week issued the following press release on the closing of the Booth Lake Trailhead parking lot for public restroom construction:

The Booth Lake Trailhead parking lot will undergo construction to install a new public restroom beginning Monday, April 25. The parking lot will be closed to parking and drop-off during construction, which is expected to last into early June.

The trail will be open to hikers during construction; however, trail users are asked to either take a bus or hotel shuttle, or to be dropped off at the bus stop located at the intersection of Booth Falls Road and North Frontage Road. No parking is available at Vail Mountain School.

Phase 1 will install the deep utilities and the restroom foundation during the spring. Phase 2 will occur during August when the restroom facility will be placed on the foundation. Portable restroom facilities will be placed at the trailhead during the summer. 

Once Phase 1 construction is complete in June, several operational changes will occur for access the Booth Lake Trail. They include:

• No parking at the Booth Lake Trailhead or Vail Mountain School during the summer and fall of 2022.
• The trailhead parking lot will be available to private vehicles for hiker drop-off or pick-up. Any unattended vehicle will be towed. Drivers are asked to be respectful of the speed limit in this residential neighborhood.
• Hikers are asked to “Bus It to Hike It.” This program provides free 30-minute bus service from the Vail Transportation Center. Dogs are not allowed on public buses. Hotel shuttles are required to use the bus stop near the North Frontage Road for hiker drop-off and pick-up. 
• Parking is allowed at other trailheads in Vail but is limited in many locations, so buses may be a good option to access the surrounding trails.