Stevens Pass Makes Changes To Parking System

Last week, Stevens Pass, Washington, announced that during this upcoming ski season, lots A and G will be reserved for vehicles with 4+ occupants on weekends, holidays, and midweek powder days until 1 PM or full -- whichever comes first.

The resort provided further details in a November 9th Facebook post.

Excerpt from the post's caption:

"Here is the headline: Lots A&G will be reserved for vehicles with 4+ occupants on weekends, holidays, and weekday powder days until they fill up or 1pm, whichever comes first. There are 3 exceptions: ADA access, EV charger access, and family parking for vehicles with 1 driver and 2 children ages 12 and younger.

We understand that not everyone can fit 4+ people and equipment in their vehicle, but if guests with vehicles that can accommodate an additional 1-2 people do so, there will be more space in our other lots. Lots A&G are less than 15% of our total parking capacity, so over 85% of our lots are not impacted by this plan."

As Stevens notes, lots A and G are fractions of its available parking space. These lots are two of the nearest lots to the resort's base area.

Here's a map of the resort's parking options.

In the Facebook comments section, skiers expressed mixed views on the decision.

Some expressed support for the plan, suggesting that it could be a step towards alleviating congestion on Stevens' busiest days:

"Ok, this is a great way to test a solution. More people carpooling = more parking spots available for EVERYONE. I've definitely had my struggles with Steven's the past few seasons, but I'm all for solutions. Sorry this is getting such a negative response."

"Thank you so much for making it accessible to single parents/people with non-skiing partners!"

Others felt that it would overcomplicate the parking experience at Stevens, with a few skiers pointing towards excess day ticket sales as the resort's key issue:

"This is a misdirected effort to say the least. The actual parking problem is that too many people want to come up sometimes. The hill is only so big! Stevens can only make so much money in a day, which has to be accepted and logistics designed around that. Limit day ticket use to meet the parking that you have. Pass holders excluded from this obviously!!! First come first serve is the only fair way to run parking."

"The mountain is already overloaded with people and more carpooling and parking just means longer lift lines and more crowded slopes. Put a limit on the number of Epic passes sold and continue with limiting the day tickets. This will solve the parking issue. Oh, and open up new terrain before adding more parking."

In response to those with questions and concerns about the new system, a representative from Stevens explained that the system is subject to continuing evolution based on the success of its implementation:

"We are constantly analyzing what works and what doesn't here at our resort. As Ellen stated in the post, we know the plan won't be perfect, but we we're working hard to make arrivals at Stevens Pass a better experience for everyone."

Don't miss another headline from POWDER! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of skiing.

We're always looking for amusing, interesting, and engaging ski-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional skier or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on POWDER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality ski videos.