Popular Colorado Climbing Area May Limit Number of Visitors

Colorado’s popular Eldorado Canyon might only allow visitors into the park if they’ve registered for a permit starting this summer.

Over 540,000 people visited Eldorado Canyon last year, which has The Parks & Wildlife Commission considering to implement an online ticketing system on summer weekends. The timed-entry pilot would run weekends and holidays from July 1 to Sept. 15 this year and from May 15 to Sept. 15 next summer, with evaluation planned for the fall of 2023.

Reservations would be required for each vehicle entering the park from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on those high-volume days. There are 200 permitted parking spaces at Eldorado Canyon. Timed-entry passes, likely in two-hour windows, will be free, but users still have to buy the applicable parks use pass.

Each person is limited to four reservations a month, and those making the reservation have to be in the car and show ID, with no transferring, trading or sale of the permits allowed. Once in the parking lots on a permit, there will be no limit on time stayed.

Eldorado Canyon is home to some of the states most sought-after rock climbs, such as The Yellow Spur 5.9+ 6p and The Naked Edge 5.11b 6p.

The Naked Edge Records

May 2020: John Ebers, Ben Wilbur – 24:14
September 2015: Stefan Griebel, Jason Wells – 24:29
October 2014: Scott Bennett, Brad Gobright – 24:57
September 2014: Scott Bennett, Brad Gobright – 26:16
August 2014: Stefan Griebel, Jason Wells – 26:33
May 2014: Scott Bennett, Brad Gobright – 29:53
June 2014: Stefan Griebel, Jason Wells – 35:01
April 2014: Stefan Griebel, Jason Wells – 40:36
2013: Scott Bennett, Brad Gobright – 44:00
2012: Stefan Griebel, Jason Wells – 49:44
2010: Scott Bennett, Blake Harrington – 1:13
2006: Bob Rotert, Dave Vaughn – 1: 22 (car to car)
1990s: Michael Gilbert, Rob Slater – 1:30 (car to car)