CLEAR CREEK COUNTY — As warming temperatures bring climbers out of hibernation and into Clear Creek County, the sheriff's office is ramping up parking enforcement along Highway 6 to address safety concerns.
Finding a place to park along the highway between Tunnels 5 and 6, a popular climbing area, can be difficult for visitors. Without designated spots, people often park on the shoulder, face the wrong direction, or leave their vehicles in "no parking" areas.
Jenny Fulton with the Clear Creek County sheriff's office said the parking situation is not safe.
"We've been issuing tickets over the last couple of weekends just to make sure that people are parking properly," Fulton said.
To clarify the rules, the Colorado Department of Transportation is installing more "no parking" signage along the highway.
"We don't want to over-enforce. We just want to maintain a safe area for visitors to come and recreate. But as well, we need to maintain that the highway is safe too," Fulton said.
Climber Margot Allscheid said she enjoys the area because the climbing is free and open to the public, but she noted the parking challenges.
"It's a really great climbing location. And so having a designated spot to park would be ideal," Allscheid said.
Some visitors are questioning the timing of the citations.
"I personally don't really see why they would just start enforcing, you know, stricter regulations on that now, start ticketing people after we've been coming here for, like, years, really, without incident," climber Armand De Asis said.
Fulton told Denver7 the sheriff's office has been working on enforcement for about a year, and efforts are ramping up again as the nice weather arrives. She outlined exactly what deputies are looking for before issuing citations.
"If you park in a no parking zone where it's marked no parking, you will get a citation. If you park your vehicle where a portion of the vehicle, even if it's just the side mirror, is on the roadway or in the roadway, you will get a citation," Fulton said. "If you park on the wrong side where your vehicle is facing opposing traffic, then that's also a citation."
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