Half day at Winter Park (parking there)?

[kornfein]

We are headed out to Colorado spending several days at Steamboat with our Max pass. Plan on spending the first night in Denver as our flight gets in late then skiing possibly skiing a half day or so at Winter Park getting used to altitude. This will be a weekday so crowds should not be a big factor. We have not been to Winter Park.

I was looking at the Winter Park web site to get a feel for the place. It was really hard to figure out the parking situation on the map it shows paid parking lots and free lots but non of them appear too close to lifts? The web site seems to indicate they have shuttles but just on weekends? Any suggestions? It also says there is a parking garage, not sure if that is for the village or near the lifts. BTW do we boot up at the car when we get there? Are there any lots you can just ski from since we have our passes already?

 

[Tony Crocker]

The parking lot at Mary Jane is quite large. If you're in the back of it you will have a moderate though flat walk to the lift. At the end of the day you can ski much closer to your car.

 

[EMSC]

Mary Jane

is the answer you are looking for.

When coming down Berthod Pass the first big possible turn (left turn) entrance to WP ski are is the Mary Jane side. It has both parking lots at the lodge, but also several other lots that touch the ski slopes that you can throw on your boots at the car then ski down to the lodge and buy a ticket (I assume it's not on Max pass?) if the main lot near the lodge is full (probably unlikely unless it is a powder day).

That will save you all the hassles of using the Winter Park side lots/gondola/shuttles/walking though the 'village', etc.. if you are only doing a half day. And no it has never made sense for decades that the ski area still likes to refer to itself as two separate entities (Winter park and Mary Jane ski areas as though they are somehow two different places). The 7 sector, multi-colored trail map can also be far more confusing than needed they way they present the ski slopes.

FYI Steamboat late last week (per someone who was there) was getting quite thin and skied off in a lot of areas from the Christmas hordes. Not sure the timing of your trip, but hope more natural snow can start falling, we need it.