Hessie Trailhead

The free Hessie Shuttle runs Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays through Oct. 9 View Schedule
Fridays: Parking and pick up at the Nederland RTD Park-n-Ride.
Weekends & Holidays: Parking and pick up at Nederland High School.

The Hessie Trailhead is a busy access point to US Forest Service lands and popular trails. Boulder County provides access to the trailhead, but does not manage the trails.

Hessie Trailhead

The Hessie Trailhead is operated by the US Forest Services (USFS) and is a popular access point to USFS lands including:

Indian Peaks Wilderness
Devils Thumb
Lost Lake
King Lake
Woodland Lake
Diamond Lake trails

Visit USFS Hessie Trailhead or call 970-295-6600 for more information about recreating at these locations.

Limited Parking Along Road

Limited, designated parking is available along the Fourth of July Road (CR 111). Parking is only allowed between signs. Violators will be fined $50 or towed.

Please consider using the free shuttle service.

Tweets by HessieRanger

Free Shuttle Service

The free shuttle service runs Memorial Day weekend through Oct. 9.

Shuttle Schedule

Fridays Shuttle parking at Nederland RTD Park-n-Ride	6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturdays & Sundays Shuttle parking at Nederland Middle-Senior High School	6 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Shuttle Notes

Leashed dogs are welcome on the shuttle.
Shuttle arrives every 15 minutes.
Travel time is approximately 10 minutes.

No Car Needed

Combine the Hessie Shuttle with RTD’s NB Route and leave your car at home. The NB provides a car-free alternative between Boulder and Nederland, and is free to ride on days the Hessie Shuttle is operating in 2022. The NB provides service from Downtown Boulder Station (1800 14th St. Boulder) and the Boulder County Justice Center (1777 6th St., Boulder) to Nederland Middle-High School and Nederland RTD Park-n-Ride. Free parking is available weekends and holidays at both the Downtown Boulder Station and Boulder County Justice Center.

Overnight Parking for Backpackers

There is no overnight parking in the Nederland High School parking lot, but you may park overnight on CR 130. For overnight parking, please park on CR 130 in front of the baseball field or in front of the football/ soccer field, not in front of the high school parking lot. If you are starting your backpacking trip on a Friday, please check in with shuttle staff at the high school for directions on catching the shuttle (if you park at the RTD Park-n-Ride on Friday, the Hessie Shuttle will not bring you back to your car on Saturday or Sunday).

Feedback Requested

Have you visited the Hessie or 4th of July area recently? Boulder County would like your feedback on potential strategies to improve the visitor experience in 2023. Please take a short survey to aid our work.

Take Short Survey