Washington — Stevens Pass has become the latest ski resort to require parking reservations on weekends and holidays. Compared to other mountains though, it’s not the stingiest policy.
Last Friday, Stevens Pass announced that guests will now need to reserve a spot on weekends and holidays during the 2025-26 season.
Here are the official rules regarding this new reservation system:
- “If parking in any alpine lot at Stevens Pass on a weekend or peak period before 10am, guests must secure a reservation in advance via www.parkstevenspass.com (regardless of how many people are in the vehicle). Paid reservations for those not carpooling 4+ are $20/vehicle.
- Parking reservations on weekends and peak dates are free when carpooling with 4+ people, a single adult with two kids aged 12 and under, or guests utilizing ADA parking.
- In addition, guests who book a lesson will need to make a parking reservation to park during weekends and peak periods; however, the reservation will be free. Our Ski and Ride School will provide more information about parking reservations prior to the scheduled lesson.
- Free parking without a reservation is available after 10am on weekends and peak periods if space allows. We encourage guests looking for free parking on weekends to arrive after 1pm, when additional spots are expected to be available.
- Guests also have the option to visit on non-peak weekdays, when reservations are not required and all alpine lots are free on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Proceeds from parking reservations are being reinvested into upgrades to parking and amenities. This year, the resort is partnering with the US Forest Service to pursue the installation of additional vault toilets in the parking lots, pending US Forest Service approval. The resort will also begin a multi-year project to upgrade the lots for improved accessibility and convenience.”
For the 2024-25 season, Lots G, A, B, and E have been converted to reserved paid parking, costing $20 during weekends and holidays. However, the majority of lots remain free on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Obviously, paying for parking sucks, as does having to reserve your day on the slopes. But Seattle is a growing ski market, and they aren’t the first to require reservations in Seattle’s ski industry.
My takeaway is that this was a reasonable decision. A shocking take, I know. Here’s what I like about it: For one, only charging for one period of the day (before 10am) allows for more people to come during different timeframes, easing the congestion of traffic during the early morning.
Lots of ski resorts that have paid parking reservations are really stingy, charging for paid parking even if you arrive after noon. Should I really be paying for parking if I arrive at 12:30 p.m.? The answer is no, but that’s not what the experience has been at popular western ski resorts. I think a lot of my skiing experiences in Utah have become bogged down by ski resorts that have parking reservations until the afternoon during weekends.
Stevens Pass also won’t be doing this on every day of the season, as it’ll only be on peak days. Lastly, I appreciate them telling people where the proceeds are going, which isn’t usually the case when ski resorts do a parking plan like this.
In comparison with other Seattle area Washington ski resorts, it’s pricer, but less stingy on the reservation front. The Summit at Snoqualmie requires reservations every day of the season. Still, they’re free for pass holders and $5 for an Ikon pass members permit. The reservation system goes from 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
Crystal Mountain requires reservations only on weekends and holidays. They offer a $10 to reserve a date from afar, but it’s free if you reserve it in a rolling 7-day window that’s closer to the date of your arrival. Crystal also has a few shuttle options if you park from far away, one that’s free and another that’s kinda costly. Crystal Mountain system goes until noon. However, these are the policies from this season, and we don’t know yet whether adjustments will be made.
This is something Stevens Pass isn’t doing yet, as the Washington ski resort stated that they aren’t offering anything from the relatively nearby city of Monroe. So, overall, Stevens Pass is the most expensive reservation of the bunch, but it’s also for a limited timeframe during weekends and holidays.
This additional cost for season passholders appears to be one of the main frustrations among guests because these other mountains offering free reservations. I think that’s a solid viewpoint, but at the same time, you can still park for free if you get four or more people in your car or truck. In response, a petition was created to advocate for Epic passholders to receive free parking reservations.
While paid parking isn’t great, this is one of the better implementation plans I’ve seen. Stevens Pass also has one of the better management-customer feedback relationships in the Vail Resorts portfolio, so I could see adjustments being made.
If you have any questions regarding this new parking program, you can read Steven Pass’s FAQ page here.
Image Credits: Stevens Pass
