Parking at Powderhorn Mountain
Here is one place where Powderhorn has all of the big mountains beat: Plenty of parking that is all close to the hill, no shuttle needs. And it’s all FREE.
The Powderhorn Parking Skinny
There are essentially three parking lots, which I will call the Upper, Middle, and Lower. The above picture is from the upper, looking into the middle, and you can see the lower parking lot down by that long green building. When you enter Powderhorn, you will come in on the east side of the lower parking lot. Look to your right and you can see the whole valley floor laid out in front of you. It’s quite a site. You will drive around to the west side of the lot to access the middle and upper lots.
The parking lots are in a half moon shape, like an amphitheater, in steps down from the base lodge.
Upper Parking Lot
The upper lot is very small. It might fit 30-40 vehicles, and my sense is that it is mainly for Powderhorn staff. Not that you can’t park here, but that’s it tough to arrive before staff. If you manage to park here, then you are just a few steps from the base lodge, and skiing in literally 30 yards away.
Middle Parking Lot
The middle lot is much bigger than the upper. Maybe 20-30 times the size. There is only one staircase leading up to the upper lot, so no matter how full the lot is, you either want to be close to the middle or on either end. Otherwise, you have a long walk to access the next level.
Lower Parking Lot
There will be a few people who park right on the edge of the lower lot, even though they were here WAY before you. I think they just like the view before the drive home. You can do the same, it’s just a longer walk to the mountain. If you are parking in the lower lot, then A) you are SUPER late to the hill, and B) the mountain is going to be packed. You can fit a lot of cars in the top two lots, so if it gets to three, it’s going to be a big ole day.
They will feed this lot from the far west side back toward the front (where the green admin buildings are). Same as the middle lot, try to position yourself close to an access point to get up the hill, either on the sides or close to the center.