Brainard Lake Recreation Area
Map of Brainard Lake Recreation Area
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Brainard Lake Recreation Area is located five miles west of the Town of Ward, along State Highway 72. Directly next to Brainard Lake, the United State Forest Service recently built (summer 2012) a parking lot of roughly 200 spaces that is open to visitors during the summer; the lot is primarily intended for day use visitors at Brainard Lake, and is located there to help shift some use away from the Indian Peaks Wilderness. (Map courtesy of Central Federal Lands Highway)
Brainard Lake Recreation Area (BLRA) is an approximately 3,143 acre land unit on the Boulder Ranger District of the ARNF, bordered by the town of Ward to the east and the Indian Peaks Wilderness (IPW) to the west. BLRA is located within a one to two hour drive from much of the Boulder-Denver Metropolitan area and northern Front Range cities, including Longmont, Loveland, Greeley, and Fort Collins. BLRA is the most heavily visited year-round recreation site in the Boulder Ranger District and one of the most popular recreation sites in the ARNF. While visitor use is highest during the summer, a significant amount of recreational use occurs in the winter. Popular summer activities in BLRA include hiking, picnicking, camping, fishing, mountain biking, viewing scenery, and connecting with nature; during the winter, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are the most popular activities.
As a key destination along the Peak-to-Peak Scenic Byway, BLRA was identified in a previous study as a potential site for further study for alternative transportation. Additionally, being one of the most heavily visited sites within the ARNF, parking and traffic congestion have become severe and are expected to worsen without additional management action. Further, USFS staff are concerned about crowding and resource impacts in the Wilderness, because the majority of BLRA visitors during the summer are destined for hiking trails in the IPW. Therefore, there are a number of transportation, recreation, and resource management-related issues at BLRA, which are described below.
Management Goals
The USFS developed a Revised Land and Resource Management Plan for ARNF in 1997 (Forest Plan), which identifies the following goals and objectives for BLRA. These goals and objectives will be used in this project to help evaluate potential alternative transportation strategies for BLRA.
| Maintain the undeveloped character of the portion of the BLRA away from roads and trails, and manage all trails for non-motorized use. |
| Provide for year-round recreational use in the BLRA while also taking actions to protect and enhance the values of the adjacent IPW. |
| Disperse existing recreational use into areas east of Brainard Lake and away from the IPW. |
| Improve non-motorized recreational opportunities by considering connecting and loop trails for four-season multiple use that direct users away from the Brainard Lake and the IPW. |
Transportation, Recreation, and Resource Management Issues
Transportation and visitor use data were collected at BLRA during winter 2011/2012 and summer 2013 as part of this project, and identified the following key issues.
| Peak-period parking shortages. |
| Traffic congestion at the Courtesy Station during peak periods. |
| Lack of advanced traveler information to help visitors plan their trip to avoid congested times and locations. |
| Intensive Wilderness use and crowding during peak periods. |
| Parking management staff required to prevent unendorsed parking. |
| Gateway Trailhead Lot is underutilized because of distance from IPW trailheads. |
| Small lots at IPW trailhead limit convenient access to IPW, but may help reduce crowding. |
| Confusion among visitors who park in the Day Use Lot about how to get to their destinations. |
| Lack of safe, enjoyable pedestrian connections from parking to IPW trailheads. |
Potential Alternative Transportation Strategies
The following is an initial list of ideas about potential alternative transportation strategies that could help improve transportation, recreation, and resource management under certain circumstances and in certain combinations at BLRA:
| Congestion pricing |
| Continued parking and traffic management staff |
| Convert former road into accessible pedestrian path |
| Develop trail connecting Brainard Lake area to Long Lake and Mitchell Lake Trailheads |
| Improved wayfinding and activity information (at gateway station) |
| Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) for congestion management |
| Internal shuttle service |
| Permit system for wilderness use |
| Manage vehicle entry at courtesy station |
Background Documents
To obtain a copy of any document listed below that is not available online, please email the project manager, Melissa Bordewin, at Melissa.Bordewin@dot.gov.
Traffic congestion at the entrance to Brainard Lake Recreation Area
Designated parking at trailheads accessing the Indian Peaks Wilderness and other parts of the Brainard Lake Recreation Area fill quickly during peak season. Staff members at the Courtesy Station tell visitors when lots are full; visitors then must wait to enter until others leave. (Photo courtesy of RSG)
- Brainard Lake Recreation Area Management Plan (USFS, 2005)
The BLRA Management Plan outlines the vision, goals, objectives, and a core plan for effectively managing the area. Recommendations on future decision-making as well as adaptive management techniques are included. - Federal Lands Alternative Transportation Systems Study: Summary of Forest Service ATS Needs (FHWA/FTA, 2004)
This study reports the alternative transportation needs in USFS lands and provide cost estimates between 2003 to 2022. Additionally, this report provides a description of the methodology used to identify ATS needs and strategies to address implementation issues. - Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest Field Report (FHWA/FTA, date unknown)
The Peak-to-Peak Highway is the primary north-south travel corridor through the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest connecting many recreational sites. This report examines the existing conditions and needs of a Peak-to-Peak Shuttle service. - 1997 Revision of the Land and Resource Management Plan: Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland, a.k.a. the Forest Plan (USFS, 1997)
The Forest Plan serves as the main guidance for all resource management activities on the Forest and provides direction for each Geographic Area on the Forest. - Boulder County Mountain Town Transit Feasibility Study Scope of Work (Boulder County Transportation, 2009)
Boulder County Transportation performed a feasibility study to analyze new and expanded transit service in the region. - Hessie Trailhead Shuttle Feasibility Study (Boulder County Transportation, 2009)
This studies analyzes the feasibility of a shuttle system serving the Hessie Trailhead. Identified as a site with high visitation and limited parking causing congestion and safety problems, a shuttle service may provide a reasonable solution. - Technical Memo 3.1. Summary of Data Findings – Brainard Lake Recreation Area, Winter 2011-2012 (RSG, 2012)
During winter 2011-2012, USFS conducted a field study at BLRA to collect transportation and visitor use data during the area's peak winter visitation period. This memo provides a summary of the data collection effort and analysis results. - Technical Memo 3.5. Summary of Data Findings – Brainard Lake Recreation Area, Alternative Trail Alignments Analysis (RSG/USU, 2013)
During summer 2012, USFS conducted a field study at BLRA to assess the recreational and environmental suitability of alternative trail alignments. This memo provides a summary of the field study and suitability analysis results. - Technical Memo 3.6. Summary of Data Findings – Brainard Lake Recreation Area, Summer 2013 (RSG, 2013)
During summer 2013, USFS conducted a field study at BLRA to collect transportation and visitor use data during the area's peak summer visitation period. This memo provides a summary of the data collection effort and analysis results. - Technical Memo 3.9. Summary of Methods and Results – Brainard Lake Recreation Area Visitor Surveys, Summer 2014 (RSG, 2015)
During the summer of 2014, the USFS conducted a series of visitor surveys at Brainard Lake Recreation Area to gauge visitor perception of congestion and crowding while in the Indian Peaks Wilderness during peak summer visitation and receptiveness to alternative transportation systems. This memo provides a summary of the survey methods and survey results.