From HWY 24 at a stoplight in the middle of Buena Vista: head west on the paved CR306 for 11 miles to the Collegiate Peaks Campground and continue for one more mile past there to a parking area on the north side of the paved road. This parking area is not very large and could become full on weekends, since it serves not only as the trailhead for Mt. Yale, but the popular Hartenstein Lake as well. Be careful to not confuse Denny Creek with Denny Gulch. The Gulch is located across from the campground and used to be the way many would climb Yale, but use of that route has been discouraged because of environmental impacts. If the parking for Denny Creek is full, you can drive another .8 mile west and find two parking lots on either side of the road. We're not sure why these are here, but you could possibly ditch a vehicle here and walk or hitchhike back to the TH.
If coming from Cottonwood Pass/Taylor Park Reservoir: Drive east on the well-graded and maintained, passenger car accessible Gunnison CR209 for over 10 miles to the summit of Cottonwood Pass. Continue east heading downhill on now paved road to the Denny Creek Trailhead parking described above about 6 miles down from the pass. Note that if you're using the San Isabel NF map or the old Mt. Yale USGS quad, there is not a switchback in the highway just west of Denny Creek any longer. Also, do not be confused by the two parking lots on either side of the road near the "Holywater Mine" and beaver ponds. From those parking lots, you still need to drive another .8 mile east to the Denny Creek TH.