On a peak summer day, Pitkin County estimates that 60 to 80 vehicles fill the dirt lot at the end of Snowmass Creek Road and spill down the access road. Since Aug. 17, 2026, that same stretch has been a construction zone. Parking has dropped to "up to 25 spaces," in the county's words, and cars left on the access road or outside marked spaces can be ticketed or towed. The Aspen Times put the construction-period figure at 26 cars.
The part of this that outlasts the fall is the road itself. Carly O'Connell, senior planner and landscape architect with Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, told The Aspen Times that the entire roadway, apart from about eight spaces at the East Snowmass Creek trailhead, "will be closed to public parking through the construction process and in perpetuity." Once the marked spaces fill, overflow has to go to a different trailhead. That holds this fall, and it is built to hold after the new lot opens.
Two Descriptions of the Same Lot
Pitkin County Open Space and Trails is building the project with the White River National Forest. The county's release describes a lot with day, overnight, ADA and trailer spaces, a double-vault toilet, a new kiosk with separate entrances for hikers and equestrians, and reliable access for mountain rescue, law enforcement, outfitters and land managers.
The county and the newspaper describe capacity differently. The county release says, "While this project won't add parking capacity, it will organize what's already there so arrivals and departures are safer, and the wilderness experience is protected." The Aspen Times describes "increased parking capacity" moved from Forest Service land to the Snowmass Falls Ranch property. By its count, that means 74 spaces for overnight and day use, three ADA spaces, six more at the East Snowmass Trailhead and five trailer spaces for equestrians. Under either description, the planned total sits close to the 60 to 80 vehicles the county counts on peak days, and those cars move off the road and into a lot.
The Aspen Times reported that the finished surface will be natural road base with no asphalt, and that wheel stops will mark the spaces instead of striping. The project also includes revegetation with shrubs, perennials and evergreen trees.
The trails themselves are not part of the project. The county says the Maroon Snowmass Trail #1975, West Snowmass Creek #2187 and East Snowmass Creek #1977 are unaffected. "One vehicle parked in the wrong place can prevent construction and emergency vehicles from getting through," O'Connell said in the county's announcement. The release asks people to carpool, come midweek, or choose "other places to recreate when possible."
Three Trailheads Into the Same Wilderness
For Old Snowmass, those "other places" are the routes that start somewhere else and climb into the same drainages. Each has its own costs.
| Trailhead | How you get there | Where it leads | Main tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowmass Creek Trailhead | End of Snowmass Creek Road | Maroon Snowmass #1975, West and East Snowmass Creek trails | 25 to 26 spaces during construction, roadside parking enforced |
| Upper Divide lot, Snowmass Village | Day-use lot near the start of the Ditch Trail | About two miles to the start of the Maroon-Snowmass Trail; Ditch Trail connects to East Snowmass Creek Trail | Extra distance and extra climbing |
| Capitol Creek Trailhead | Snowmass Creek Road to the T intersection, then right onto about three miles of dirt road | Capitol Creek Trail to Capitol Lake; West Snowmass Trail junction about four miles in | Last mile requires 4WD; road is slick when wet |
The Aspen Daily News pointed to Snowmass Village's Upper Divide lot as extra day-use parking during construction, noting that it "adds some distance and vertical hiking." From Upper Divide, the start of the Maroon-Snowmass Trail is about a two-mile walk. The Ditch Trail offers a way over to East Snowmass Creek Trail. That puts about four extra miles on a round trip to the Maroon-Snowmass Trail and back.
Capitol Creek is the trailhead closest to home for most of Old Snowmass, and the hardest to drive to. The Forest Service directions follow Highway 82 to Old Snowmass, then Snowmass Creek Road. At the T intersection, stay right to the end of the pavement and continue about three miles on dirt. The final mile requires four-wheel drive. Drivers without 4WD are told to park at the BLM meadow about 2¼ miles below the trailhead, and the road is described as slick when wet. That page was last updated in 2025, so treat it as general guidance and check conditions after any October storm.
From the trailhead, Capitol Creek Trail drops steeply at first, then follows the creek toward Capitol Lake. It meets the West Snowmass Trail about four miles in. That junction links the Capitol Creek side to the same West Snowmass country you would otherwise reach from the construction zone. The Capitol Ditch Trail is another approach. It follows the ditch, then descends to Capitol Creek and joins the main Capitol Creek Trail.
For anyone planning an overnight, a Forest Service order exempts the Capitol and Haypark/Thomas Lakes trailheads from the general ban on camping within 300 feet of a trailhead.
Rifle Seasons Run Alongside the Construction
The construction window lines up with Colorado's big-game rifle seasons. Colorado Parks and Wildlife's 2025–2029 big-game season structure sets the 2026 regular rifle seasons as follows.
- Oct. 14–18: First regular rifle elk season, with optional deer. Under the rule, it opens the first Wednesday after Oct. 8, which is this Wednesday.
- Oct. 24–Nov. 1: Second combined deer and elk season. It opens on a Saturday and includes two full weekends.
- Nov. 7–15: Third combined deer and elk season.
- Nov. 18–22: Fourth combined deer and elk season.
The first season opens on a Wednesday, so this week's weekdays overlap with opening days. The second season covers two full weekends in a row.
The fourth rifle season ends Nov. 22, the same day the White River National Forest's summer travel season ends. That season runs May 21 through Nov. 22, and the Forest Service points visitors to its Motor Vehicle Use Map for seasonal restrictions. Construction is scheduled to wrap up around the same time. The county expects work to continue through November, and The Aspen Times reported it would last until November or until the snow falls. O'Connell told the paper the timing was also chosen as "what we believe is a time period that will result in the least amount of wildlife disruption."
What 2027 Looks Like
The county plans to open the new lot for the June 2027 season. It notes that "timelines remain flexible and subject to approval processes, contractor availability, and weather." The Aspen Times reported that a few small items will likely wait until next spring, and that the trailhead should be open and fully functional by spring 2027. For updates, check the county's Snowmass Creek Trailhead Improvements page.
Starting next season, cars will park on a natural road-base lot with wheel stops, a vault-toilet building and separate entrances for hikers and riders. Apart from about eight spaces at East Snowmass Creek, the access road will be closed to public parking. Acting Aspen-Sopris District Ranger Jennifer Schuller called it "a more efficient and safer parking area that meets our long-term goals for the area." When those spaces fill on a busy Saturday, the nearest options will be the Upper Divide lot and Capitol Creek, the same two routes that are taking the overflow this fall.
Easy access to Capitol Creek and the Snowmass Creek drainages is part of what makes Old Snowmass property distinctive. If you're wondering how that access figures into your own home's value, Corey Crocker can walk you through it privately and patiently. Get a Confidential Home Valuation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
