Pre-Paid Access Cards Required to Hike Badger Mountain in May

Officials say existing streets and parking lots cannot handle the traffic of people hiking Canyon Trail up Badger Mountain. Anticipating total gridlock this summer, organizers have decided to restrict access to the trail, it was announced Tuesday.
Starting this week, crews will erect a fence on the edge of Trailhead Park with a turnstile at the start of Canyon Trail. $5 prepaid RFID cards will grant access 10 times. "We wanted it to be affordable," says trail director Stu Piddle. The cards will be available at multiple locations to be announced soon. They can be reloaded online on a new website.

Access to the playground at Trailhead Park is still free, but the money from the cards will fund a multi-level parking lot paved over the existing park in 2017. "We're out of options to accommodate parking needs," said organizing president, Dee Umb.

The turnstile will be unlocked in October when traffic to the mountain slows down and trail access will be free again until May 2016. The idea is to reduce traffic and generate funds for expanded parking, not make money off people or keep them away, Piddle emphasized.