Weekend and major holiday visitors to Arapahoe Basin will no longer be able to park in the ski area’s ‘Early Riser’ parking lot without either having 3+ people in the car or paying a $20 fee. The decision, according to Summit Daily, is not intended to increase the mountain’s revenue. Instead, the hope is that it will allow more people to ski on weekends and holidays while keeping the area on track with sustainability goals.
The changes go into affect on Saturday, Dec. 31. The ‘High Noon’ and ‘Last Chance’ lots will remain free to everyone, no matter how many people are in a vehicle, and electric-vehicle drivers parked at one of the five dual-port EV chargers in the ‘Early Riser’ lot will continue to be given access for free.
Personally, I think this is an awesome decision. There’s been a fair amount of controversy surrounding paid parking at ski resorts throughout the past few months, and usually I would argue it’s not a positive thing. In my own experience, the paid lots are… boring. It makes it a lot more difficult to go back to your car for lunch if you can’t park near the trail for free, which seems to kill a lot of the party vibes that make ski lots so fun. In this case, though, I think it’ll just encourage more fun by allowing more people into the lot. Plus, it contributes to a more sustainable future for the mountain, so I’m all for it. I say good call Arapahoe Basin!
Featured Image Credit: Arapahoe Basin Ski Area via Instagram