SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. — In an effort to ease the strained parking situation on weekends, Arapahoe Basin will start charging people who are not carpooling to park in one of its lots.
Beginning on Dec. 31, the Early Riser lot will remain free for cars carrying three or more people on weekends and holidays between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. Any drivers coming in either alone or with one other person will need to pay a $20 fee to park, according to Alan Henceroth, Arapahoe Basin's chief operating officer.
The Early Riser lot is right next to the Black Mountain Express Lift and Winter Sports Building.
EV drivers will not be charged the $20 fee. Arapahoe Basin has five dual-port electric vehicle charging stations at the front of the Early Riser lot.
Arapahoe Basin's High Noon, Last Chance and Upper Last Chance parking lots will stay free of cost.
In a blog post, Henceroth wrote that people have stopped carpooling and riding the Summit Stage, which is free, during and in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has created a strain in the parking lots.
"In a perfect world, every vehicle in Early Riser has carpoolers," he wrote. "This is not an effort to make money. It is an effort to let all A-Basin skiers and riders have a place to park, ride and have fun."
He added that this will also help reduce emissions and combat climate change.
"We did institute something similar in the pre-COVID years," the blog reads. "I know this feels like a big change, but in the spirit of keeping the guest experience high and addressing our sustainability objectives, we think this is very important."
Looking for other parking options? The bus service Snowstang takes riders round trip between Denver and Arapahoe Basin for $25. Skiers and snowboarders can also use TreadShare, a Colorado-based carpooling app, that helps to link up drivers and passengers.