Steamboat Announces Paid Parking in Major Lots Next Season

Starting in the 2026-27 ski season, Steamboat Resort, Colorado, is implementing a new parking program meant to reduce single occupancy vehicles and manage parking demand.

However, this new program also means more paid parking at the ski resort, which has some locals upset.

Steamboat will charge $15 per day on Fridays and weekends and during peak periods to park in the Meadows Lot, which is just down the road from the resort. Free shuttles will still transport skiers from Meadows to the resort.

In addition to Meadows Lot adding weekend fees, the Upper Knoll lot will increase pricing on Fridays, weekends, and peak periods to $25.

Mondays through Thursdays, the Meadows Lot will remain free and the Upper Knoll Lot will be $20. Both lots are free after 1 p.m. or with a carpool of three-plus people, but carpools must reserve in advance for the Upper Knoll lot spaces.

A limited number of seasonal parking passes will also be available for the Upper Knoll and Meadows lot for $600. Meadows Lot specific passes will also be available for $300 with access to lots on a first-come, first-serve basis. Both go on sale on April 9.

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“Rolling out a new parking program this winter is about encouraging shifts in how our guests and community arrive at the resort,” said Dave Hunter, president and chief operating officer for SSRC in a press release shared with Steamboat Radio. “We are optimistic that these changes will enhance the experience for the broader community by reducing traffic congestion on peak days, decreasing the number of single occupancy vehicles and minimizing the need for overflow lots.”

Previously, Steamboat Resort had added a prepaid spot guarantee program in the Upper Knoll lot, which rolled out for the 2025-26 season. Guests could pay $22 to ensure a spot and any remaining were still free. The Meadows Lot was entirely free as well.

While paid parking at ski resorts is hardly a new thing, Steamboat's convenient free parking in the Upper Knoll and Meadows lots stood out for locals as the resort has expanded significantly in other ways over the past few years.

Comments on Steamboat Radio's social media post about the new policy echo much of the local sentiment about the new policy, voicing the frustration that often follows the introduction of more paid parking at ski resorts.