Brainard Lake Recreation Area Access provides timed-entry parking reservations (required mid-June through October) for vehicle access to this high-elevation gateway to Indian Peaks Wilderness, located at 10,500 feet in Boulder County.

The main Brainard Lake Picnic Site/Trailhead offers day-use parking ($16 for personal vehicles) and serves paddlers and anglers accessing the glacially-carved lake for non-motorized boating and fishing.

Year-round alternative access is available at the free Brainard Lake Gateway Trailhead (2 miles away, $10 day-use fee in winter), which features a warming hut, restrooms, and Wi-Fi service.