FYI Lafayette Place parking south bound side

The state has posted much of the Lafayette place parking on the west side of the parkway (south bound) along the access road and at the south lot where aty the Lonesome Lake trailhead as no parking, this leaves the only legal spots as the 18 (+/-)spaces near the tunnel. I expect on most good days, these spaces will be full quickly. I would suggest that parking on the east side (northbound)and taking the tunnel to access the Cannon and Kinsmans trails.

Thanks for the heads up!

peakbagger said:

The state has posted much of the Lafayette place parking on the west side of the parkway (south bound) along the access road and at the south lot where aty the Lonesome Lake trailhead as no parking,

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Is that new? I thought it was always that way and generally ignored, but it gives the state the option to tow vehicles during plowing or if the vehicle extends too far out.

On Saturday I parked at a lot across from a town police station, waiting for somebody to leave before I pulled in, but many vehicles were parked on the road shoulder. Once again it looks like this is just CYA if somebody complains about being towed during a storm.

Isn't that stretch through the westside parking area part of snowmobile Corridor 11? Or am I hallucinating?

Yes,the snowmachine corridor runs right through this area and its groomed quite wide. I seem to remember that in the past the state still plowed out part of the south lot near the trailhead and left a strip unplowed for sleds but as of this weekend that was blocked off with signage.

JCarter said:

Isn't that stretch through the westside parking area part of snowmobile Corridor 11? Or am I hallucinating?

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Funny you say that. A few years ago, while riding my snowmobile north, we saw two cars stuck in the unplowed lot. The second car looked like it was trying to help the first when it became stuck as well.

peakbagger said:

The state has posted much of the Lafayette place parking on the west side of the parkway (south bound) along the access road and at the south lot where aty the Lonesome Lake trailhead as no parking, this leaves the only legal spots as the 18 (+/-)spaces near the tunnel.

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This was the case the one time I used that lot last year in Feb. Main lot was unplowed (such as would have been needed last year) and marked as prohibiting parking. Same signs along the access road. Guess I assumed this was the norm.

I parked here on Saturday morning for my hike. Although I didn't see any no-parking signs on my way in, I knew before-hand to go right and park near the tunnel via one of the Facebook groups (or else I would end up like one of the cars described by IQuest). It wasn't a great weather day and I was there before the sun, but there was plenty of room near the tunnel when I arrived and upon my return around 3ish. When I did come down, I saw some cars parked along the entry road in front of the hiker information building, which meant perhaps the lot did fill up during the day. As I was getting ready to leave, I also saw hikers come through the tunnel from the other side returning to their car after hiking on the Lafayette side.

I wonder if the new signs are winter only. During the summer, I've often looked down and seen cars parked up and down the highway. on peak summer weekends, I suspect the State could fill a parking lot twice the size.

The south lot and access road have been no parking for quite a few winters now. I think people are just getting stupider and bigger signs needed to keep people from driving on the groomer-packed snowmobile route along the driveway, turning into a "parking space," and sinking into 4' of snow.

MichaelJ said:

The south lot and access road have been no parking for quite a few winters now. I think people are just getting stupider and bigger signs needed to keep people from driving on the groomer-packed snowmobile route along the driveway, turning into a "parking space," and sinking into 4' of snow.

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What makes you think they can read?

It was interesting to note that while I was parked, I saw at least two cars drive over the snowmachine trail past the signs to the south lot and then turn around and drive over to the official spaces, plus during the day there was at least on car parking on the road with a no parking sign on either end of the vehicle. I expect if it was towed there might be an angry posting about coming out of the woods and finidng their car gone.

Was at Lafayette Campground today and there was a line of signs "No Parking - Bike Path" on the W side of the entry road extending into the summer parking lot, unless they install posts that are already rusty and bent they have been there awhile.

The on-ramp and main road don't have any No Parking signs, but the ramp is posted No Pedestrians so if you park there you aren't allowed to walk back to the trail

And I have some sympathy for the clueless folks who turn into the summer parking lot as the most obvious sign coming in says Lonesome Lake Trail Parking with an arrow pointing that way. As the ramps are often drifted it would be easy to see the sign and just turn in - by the time you hit the orange temporary signs it may be too late. Ideally in winter the arrow could be made to point the other way, or the whole sign covered over.

My impression is that they did a hurry-up job of plowing after the storm and never came back, with some touch-up with a pickup there could be a few more spaces in the lot