The U.S. National Forest Service has announced the completion of trailhead and parking lot improvements at the Dry Lake recreation site in Routt National Forest just northeast of Steamboat Springs on Forest Road 60 accessing Buffalo Pass.

According to the Forest Service, the most significant change is construction of a one-way directional road moving traffic counterclockwise between two parking lots with improved parking design.

The upper lot was expanded to accommodate diagonally parked small trailers and vehicles, while the lower parking area was engineered for diagonally parked larger trucks and trailers.

“It may take up a little more space, but this is not a parking lot expansion, this is keeping basically the same capacity of vehicles because we are not trying to shove more people into Dry Lake,” said Michael Woodbridge, the district ranger for the Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District.

“Instead, this is about functionality, so now we have a one-way counterclockwise rotation of traffic. It’s just tougher in winter with snow management, and we have a lot of people who come up with trailers,” he added. “This makes it a lot easier to park with a trailer.”

The changes are part of a multi-year, multi-partner effort to address parking congestion and overcrowding issues at the well-used access point for the Buffalo Pass area.

A good example of additional efforts are the Know Before You Go pages on the Steamboat Chamber website, which were created to assist the public in assessing the situation at the Dry Lake parking lot/trailhead.

A live webcam, made possible by the Routt Recreation and Conservation Roundtable, is featured on that site for visitors to check how full the parking lot might look before they head to the area.

The Dry Lake parking lot has limited space, so visitors are urged consider shuttles and carpooling or find a different destination for the day. Options include, but are not limited to: Spring Creek, Emerald Mountain, Rabbit Ears Pass, Dunckley Pass, Seedhouse and Columbine. Users should verify in advance whether trailheads offer motorized or non-motorized access.

Buffalo Pass is a premier winter recreation destination for snowmobilers, skiers and recreationists. Public access and opportunities are managed locally by the Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District with the help of Routt Powder Riders, who groom a large network of snowmobile trails; Steamboat Powdercats, which creates and maintains a network of designated groomed motorized routes within the winter backcountry permit area; and Routt County, which provides plowing and search/rescue. 

These partners provide services and often maintain resources that may not otherwise be available to the public. The Rabbit Ears Pass/Buffalo Pass winter recreation map provides additional details.

Dry Lake visitors are reminded to yield the right-of-way to snowcats on trails and that camping overnight at the trailhead is prohibited, as it impedes Routt County’s ability to successfully plow the area. 

Area snowmobile information is available from the Colorado Snowmobile Association.

The Routt Recreation and Conservation Roundtable is hosting a Dry Lake/Buffalo Pass community meeting 6:30-8 pm Thursday at the Steamboat Springs Community Center, 1605 Lincoln Ave. Forest Service personnel will be in attendance to discuss the Dry Lake trailhead/parking lot.

For information on responsible and safe winter recreation in the Steamboat Springs area, as well as National Forest access, contact the HPBE Ranger District at 970-870-2299 or visit their website. Additional information is available on social media: @FS_MBRTB on X or @FSMBRTB on Facebook.