Back to the Horsetooth Mountain Ride map.
The Horsetooth Mountain Park parking area is a fee area. If you cycle into the park (not drive) then you can use the park for free. If you park a vehicle here you must have an annual Larimer County Parks pass ($35) or a day pass ($4). The lot is patrolled often. If you skip the pass you will be ticketed. There is not a place to park on the road directly outside of the lot (as there unfortunately is at Lory State Park) so you shouldn't expect to be able to find a place to park for free. If you are too cheap or poor to pay the fee to park, save yourself some additional cash by not burning the fossil fuel to drive up there in the first place.