Parking is always an issue no matter what trail you’re on, and the CTR is no different. You do have some options but it’s ultimately up to you whether you feel safe leaving your car unattended for the duration of your race/tour. Hopefully the options below will help make the process a little easier so you can worry about the rock in front of your wheel and not your car.
DENVER – There is parking at Waterton Canyon Trailhead but you must alert Denver Water before doing so. More information can be found on Colorado Trail Foundations site. They also have info of using local RV dealers as a parking option. There are however multiple Park-n-Rides parking lots around the city. The two closest are:
Ken Caryl & Shaffer Pkwy Park-n-Ride – address: 7450 Shaffer Pkwy., Littleton
South Santa Fe & Mineral – address: 3203 West Mineral Avenue, Littleton
The first 24 hours are free then it’s $2.00 a day after that. There is also a 30 day limit. These are just public lots without security and should be used at your own risk.
DURANGO – There is no rule against parking on the street in Durango but there is an “Abandon Vehicle” law. From the time someone calls and complains about your car, you have 10 days before it’s towed. Depending on how long it takes someone to call, if at all, you might have enough time to get back to your car in time.
Your other possible option is to call the Durango Transit Center (970) 375-4960. Depending on the timing, availability and circumstances they may be able to sell you a 1-2 week pass to park in their day use lot. There is NO GUARANTEE, as this isn’t an offical program they usually offer.
The most reliable option is to use one of the shuttle services listed above or get a friend or family member to help. But keep in mind that and they will have no true idea of when you’ll be finishing, making logistics hard.
The last option is to just ride to or from the trailhead. Both trailheads are relatively close to the airport, compared to the race itself.