Copper Mountain Resort will continue to keep day parking free at the Alpine Lot for the upcoming 2023-24 ski season — though paid parking could still be in the area’s future. 

In February, Summit County commissioners, at the request of Copper officials, lifted a decades-old prohibition on paid parking in the Alpine Lot that was part of the site’s planned unit development guidelines. 

Representatives for Copper made the case that charging riders at the resort’s largest parking site could incentivize carpooling and alternate modes of transportation in a bid to reduce traffic congestion. 

“We’ve experienced quite a bit of growth these past two seasons at Copper, especially coming out of the pandemic,” said Director of Development Graeme Bilenduke, during a February meeting with commissioners. “That’s caused us to take a look at how we manage our operation, how we receive our guests coming into the resort, and how we encourage and incentivize people to go from single-occupancy vehicles to having a higher-occupancy car per visit.”

At the time, Bilenduke said paid parking at Alpine Lot, which can house roughly 1,700 vehicles, could happen as soon as the 2023-24 season. 

But the resort’s website states parking at both Alpine and Far East, which serves as its overflow lot, will remain free for daytime guests. Copper will charge $20 for overnight parking in Alpine between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. beginning Nov. 13. 

“This change aims to alleviate the number of lingering cars left for multiple days, so the resort can plow and park the lot more efficiently,” stated Copper spokesperson Loryn Roberson in an emailed response to questions from the Summit Daily News. 

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The Ten Mile, Chapel, Union Creek, Beeler and Wheeler lots will continue to charge varying rates. 

While Copper does allow overnight parking, it does not permit car camping in any of its lots, Roberson added. 

The decision to implement day parking at Alpine could still be in the resort’s future as policy changes are “based on a review of the previous season and the resort’s future needs,” Roberson stated. 

“Having the option to charge for parking in Alpine Lot is a necessary tool to better control the flow of traffic and encourage efficiency in and out of our resorts,” Roberson stated.

The proposal spurred mixed reactions earlier this year when it was discussed during the commissioners’ meeting. In written statements to county officials ahead of the meeting, some supported the idea while others opposed it, with one county resident, Tom Golej, writing: “Isn’t the cost of skiing high enough for the average skier without making it higher with paid parking?”

It did, however, win the approval of county leaders, with Commissioner Elisabeth Lawerence saying at the time, “This isn’t necessarily a perfect fix but something has got to change when it comes to parking, and I think this is a step in the right direction.”

Copper officials said if paid day parking were ever enacted in the Alpine Lot, it would be part of a broader strategy of easing congestion through incentivizing carpooling. Other such efforts to do so that are currently ongoing include promoting programs like Snowstang, a winter bus route from Denver that is operated by the Colorado Department of Transportation, stated Roberson.

More information on Copper’s parking for the 2023-24 ski season can be found online at http://www.CopperColorado.com/Plan-Your-Trip/Getting-Here/Parking.