Where to Park in Vail
There are 2 main parking garages in Vail that are available to the public. One garage is located in Lionshead Village and the other parking garage is in Vail Village. The first 2 hours of parking are free in both parking garages. After that parking can cost up to $25 for a full day in the garage. Summer season parking is free.
Parking at Lionshead Village
This garage is less than a 5 minute walk to the Eagle Bahn Gondola. This is the best place to park if you are walking to anywhere within Lionshead Village. To get to this garage; use exit 176 and head west (right when facing the mountain) from the main roundabout.
Parking at Vail Village
If you want to access the China Bowl, Blue Sky Basin, The Sun Down Bowl or the Mongolia Bowls, you should park in Vail Village. The cost for parking here is the same as the Lionshead parking garage; you’ll get 2 hours for free and then have to pay between $10 and $25. The entrance to this parking garage is pictured at the top of this page and in the photo below.
The Solaris plaza also has public parking. This building is located next to the parking structure in Vail Village. Prices for here will vary. Limited validation is available from the business inside of Solaris.
Vail Parking FAQ
Is there any free skier parking in Vail?
Free parking is extremely hard to find during the winter time in Vail. There are no established free parking lots in the villages. There is a few summer trail heads around the valley where you can leave your car, but most of these will require a short bus ride to the mountain. Skiers can also park on the road by the West Vail exit from I-70 and take the bus to the mountain.
How do I get to the Vail parking garages from the interstate?
The easiest way to do this is to use Exit 176 from I-70. Once you enter the main roundabout, you should exit moving parallel to the mountain, this will lead you to one of the parking garages (Vail Village to the East, Lionshead to the West).
How long does it take to walk from the Vail parking garages to the mountain?
The walk from the Lionshead garage to the gondola is about 5 minutes. The walk from the Vail Village parking garage to the Gondola One base area also takes about 5 minutes.