Solitude Cancels Some Paid Parking Days In Response To Slow Season

In a move that may seem unlikely as parking programs become the norm at many ski resorts across North America, Solitude Mountain Resort, Utah, is heading in the other direction.

The resort recently announced that, for the rest of the season, parking will be free and reservations will not be required on Fridays. 

Paid parking and reservations remain in place on Saturdays and Sundays. On those weekend days—and holidays—you’ll still pay to park.

For vehicles carrying one to three passengers, the cost is $35. Carpoolers with four or more passengers can park for free. For skiers and snowboarders who have already made Friday reservations, Solitude plans to send cancellation emails and issue refunds.

See below for the full announcement.

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Among skiers, parking reservations and paid parking have, unsurprisingly, proven controversial at times. While it has been touted as an effective solution to overcrowded parking lots, some miss the days when they arrive at the mountain without paying or planning in advance. 

Those systems, though, seem like they’re here to stay, particularly at mountains near major metropolitan centers. Arapahoe Basin, outside Denver, has one. Other resorts, like Solitude, that are close to Salt Lake City, also have them. 

Around Salt Lake City, the traffic mitigation efforts led by resorts are joined by those led by UDOT, which has plans to curtail busy roads with buses and other initiatives.

Still, Solitude’s roll-back, which comes amid a notably barren Utah ski season, shows that parking reservations can be flexible. With lower-than-average snow, the resort is most likely rolling back Friday reservations to encourage more skiers and snowboarders to visit.

It’s worth noting, too, that as demand declines in the spring, resorts tend to drop parking reservations. For instance, at Solitude, parking reservations end after April 11 this season. Last winter, the ski resort kept the lifts spinning into May.

While the thin snowpack may make it hard to stay open that late this season, hope, for skiers, is on the horizon as a storm system moves in.

Solitude may get a foot or more of snow through February 12. Other mountains, from California to Colorado, could also benefit.

Related: “To Victory!” Six Days Backcountry Skiing in Georgia’s Caucasus Mountains