The resort’s own pages disagree on some details. See what they say.
What does parking cost on your day?
The Meadows Lot costs $15 a day Friday to Sunday and in peak periods, and it’s free Monday to Thursday. Upper Knoll costs $20 a day Monday to Thursday and $25 Friday to Sunday. Lower Knoll costs $25 or $45, and the Steamboat Square Garage, closest to the base, costs $55 or $65. You pay through ParkMobile within 15 minutes of parking, or you get a $92 ticket. A season parking pass costs $300 for the Meadows Lot or $600 for Meadows plus Upper Knoll.
New for 2026–27. Paid days are Friday to Sunday plus the peak periods (Dec 26, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027, Feb 15 and Mar 4, 2027). Upper Knoll and the garages charge every day.
Upper Knoll reservations, paid and free carpool, open for the season on November 16. Book in ParkMobile by 10pm the night before, and your spot is held until 10am.
- Park free in the Meadows Lot Monday to Thursday, first come, first served, outside the peak periods. A free shuttle runs from the Meadows Lot to the gondola from 6am to 6:30pm.
- Parking in the Meadows Lot and Upper Knoll is free every day after 1pm.
- Bring 3 or more people, counting the driver and children, and the Meadows Lot is free with no reservation. Upper Knoll is free for a carpool too, but only with an advance carpool reservation.
- The city’s Steamboat Springs Transit buses are free and run between town and the resort. If you’re not on a bus line, you can park at the Stockbridge Transit Center and ride.
If the lots fill, Steamboat says any overflow lots it opens will be free. You can also take the free city bus, use your lodging’s shuttle, or have someone drop you at the Gondola Transit Center. Sign up for Steamboat’s parking text alerts or check the Ikon Pass app to see which lots are full before you leave.
- Carpool parking is free only in the Meadows Lot and Upper Knoll. The garages and Lower Knoll charge everyone.
- Dropping your friends at the base and then parking alone doesn’t count as a carpool. Everyone has to be in the car when you arrive at the lot.
- Winter parking is banned on city streets overnight, from 2am to 8am in most areas, to clear snow.
Release times
- Upper Knoll parking reservations open: Nov 16, 2026 (time not stated). Next: see the calendar
Where the official pages disagree
The Parking Basics page lists the holiday peak period as Dec. 26, 2026 to Jan. 3, 2027, while the FAQ says the Meadows Lot isn’t free from Dec. 25, 2026.
The FAQ prices an Upper Knoll reservation at $15 Monday to Thursday and $20 “Fri-Sat”, while Parking Basics charges Upper Knoll by Monday–Thursday and Friday–Sunday, so the reservation price for Sundays isn’t stated.
Where this comes from
- https://steamboatsprings.net/166/Transit, checked Nov 11, 2026
- https://steamboatsprings.net/1450/Winter-Main-Line, checked Nov 11, 2026
- https://steamboatsprings.net/311/Parking, checked Nov 11, 2026
- https://www.steamboat.com/winter-parking/parking-basics, checked Nov 11, 2026
- https://www.steamboat.com/winter-parking/faqs, checked Nov 11, 2026
- https://www.steamboat.com/winter-parking/parking-reservations, checked Nov 11, 2026
Rules change during the season. If the resort’s page says something different from ours, go by the resort.
Other resorts in Colorado
- Arapahoe BasinReservationReservation needed: weekends Jan 2–May 2 until 1pm · Colorado
- Aspen SnowmassPaidPaid: $27–63 · free Brush Creek and Buttermilk lots · Aspen, Colorado
- Beaver CreekPaidPaid: $13 before 1pm, free after · Avon, Colorado
- BreckenridgePaidPaid: $18–45 last season · free lots with bus · Breckenridge, Colorado
- Crested ButtePaidPaid: $20–30 Main Lot · free lots nearby · Mt. Crested Butte, Colorado
- EldoraPaidPaid for solo drivers on weekends · free with 2+ · Nederland, Colorado