Where to Park in Vail, Beaver Creek, Avon and Edwards: A Vail Valley Parking Guide
For a day in Vail, park in the Vail Village or Lionshead structures, or at free Donovan Park and ride the free bus. At Beaver Creek, use the village garages or the Elk and Bear lots with free shuttles. Avon's town center has free parking. For weeks or a whole season, a monthly permit in Edwards or Gypsum is simpler.
Facts on this page were last verified September 24, 2026. Town of Vail rates shown are from its most recently published winter program (October 22, 2025); the town, Beaver Creek, Avon and Core Transit revise rates and schedules each season.
Where should you park in Vail Village and Lionshead?
Most day visitors to Vail park in one of the two big town-owned structures along the South Frontage Road. The Vail Village Parking Structure at 241 South Frontage Road East is the closest public parking to Vail Village and houses the Vail Transportation Center, where regional buses and the free in-town shuttle stop. The Lionshead Parking Structure at 354 South Frontage Road West serves Lionshead Village and the Eagle Bahn Gondola side of the mountain, and it has its own transit center on site. Both structures are run by the Town of Vail, both use the same retail rate schedule, and both fill early on powder days and holiday weekends, when the town may open overflow parking on the Frontage Road. Vail prices these structures by length of stay and by whether the day is designated peak or non-peak on the town's parking calendar. A short stop is free, charges rise in hourly bands, and peak days carry a higher daily cap than non-peak days. The table below lists the bands from the town's most recent published winter program. The town also runs a long-standing Free After 3 rule: vehicles that enter the Vail Village or Lionshead structure after 3 p.m. park free until the early morning, which makes an afternoon lap, an evening dinner or a concert in the village inexpensive. A separate overnight charge applies to any vehicle still in the structure during the early-morning check window, so the structures are not a free place to leave a car overnight. If the two main structures are full or you want to save money, the Town of Vail runs three smaller paid areas. Red Sandstone Garage at 551 North Frontage Road West is a short walk to Lionshead and is served by the free bus; its lower levels are the town's designated option for paid overnight parking. The Ford Park lot at 720 South Frontage Road East and the Soccer lot at 646 Vail Valley Drive sit near Golden Peak, the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater; both use a lower rate schedule, both are regularly reserved for events, and neither allows overnight parking. Check the town's event parking calendar before planning around Ford Park, because concerts and games change what is available. Private garages also exist. The Town of Vail lists the Solaris garage at 141 East Meadow Drive, the Cascade garage in Cascade Village and the Evergreen Hotel garage on the South Frontage Road, along with several hotel valets. Private operators set their own rates and rules, and hotel parking is usually reserved for guests. If you are staying at a lodge, ask before you arrive whether a space is included, whether it is valet only, and whether there is a height limit for roof boxes and ski racks.
| Length of stay | Non-peak day | Peak day |
|---|---|---|
| Exit under 1 hour | Free | Free |
| 1 to 2 hours | $10 | $10 |
| 2 to 3 hours | $20 | $20 |
| 3 to 4 hours | $30 | $30 |
| 4 to 5 hours | $30 | $40 |
| 5 hours or more | $30 | $50 |
| Entry after 3 p.m. (until 4 a.m.) | Free | Free |
| Overnight (in structure 4 to 5 a.m.) | $60 | $60 |
Town of Vail retail rates for drive-up parkers, not Wins Parking prices. Peak and non-peak days follow the calendar at vail.gov/parking. The town publishes a new winter program each fall and runs a separate summer rate schedule; confirm the current season's rates before you go.
Is there free parking in Vail?
Yes, with conditions. Donovan Park, at 1600 South Frontage Road West, offers free day parking. You register your license plate by scanning the QR code on the signs in the lot, and the free Town of Vail bus runs from there into Vail Village and Lionshead. Donovan Park can be restricted on days when Donovan Pavilion hosts an event, and the town prohibits overnight parking there between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Registration also lets the town tell you the same day if the lot is closing for an event, so register even when the lot looks empty. Beyond Donovan Park, free parking in Vail is mostly about timing and passes. Short visits are free in the main structures, entries after 3 p.m. are free under the town's published program, and the Ford Park, Soccer and Red Sandstone areas allow a free short stay. Eagle County residents, Vail property owners and people who work in Vail can buy a town parking pass that discounts these rates, and certain employee passes make daytime parking at the outlying lots free. Those passes and their eligibility rules are covered in our ski-season parking guide for locals and seasonal workers. On heavy days the town uses the North Frontage Road in West Vail, across from the West Vail Mall and west of Fire Station 3, as signed overflow parking with free bus service into the villages. Frontage Road overflow is only legal where and when signs allow it. Vail has been reducing the number of overflow days, and the parking program's stated goals include limiting Frontage Road parking and encouraging use of the free bus system. Do not assume a shoulder is available because cars were parked there on a previous weekend.
Eagle County parking regulationsVail Valley event parkingWhere do you park for Beaver Creek?
Beaver Creek Resort sits above Avon, and there are two main ways to park for it. The first is the covered garages in Beaver Creek Village: Ford Hall garage is steps from the Centennial Express lift, and the heated Villa Montane garage next to the Vilar Performing Arts Center is the resort's designated garage for ADA-accessible parking. Garage parking puts you in the village next to shops, restaurants and lifts, but Beaver Creek states that no overnight parking is permitted at any of its garages. Garage rates are posted at the entrances and change by time of day, so check the signs when you pull in. The second option is the resort's surface lots at the base of the mountain road. The Elk lot on US-6 and the Bear lot on Prater Road offer day parking with complimentary shuttles up to the Covered Bridge in Beaver Creek Village. Beaver Creek publishes the winter lot pricing: a per-vehicle charge for entries before 1 p.m., free entry after 1 p.m., and free lot parking outside the winter operating season. The parking-lot shuttles run early morning to after midnight daily, and you can follow them live in the Village Connect app. Like the garages, the Elk and Bear lots do not allow overnight parking in winter or summer. Once you are in the village, Beaver Creek's on-demand Village Connect service links Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch and Arrowhead at no charge. If you are coming from Vail or elsewhere in the valley, Core Transit's seasonal Vail/Beaver Creek Express and the fare-free Avon/Beaver Creek Connector, operated by Avon Transit, avoid the parking question entirely. Many locals who ski Beaver Creek regularly park in Avon and ride up rather than compete for village garage space on weekends.
Parking in EdwardsEdwards Stone Yard lotWhat are the parking rules in Avon?
Avon, at the bottom of Beaver Creek and along the Eagle River, has the most generous public parking in the Vail Valley. The Town of Avon advertises more than 200 free parking spaces spread across the town center, with on-street bays, surface lots and structured parking, all within walking distance of the free Avon buses and the free Riverfront Express Gondola, which connects Avon to Beaver Creek during the winter season. Look for the town's blue circle P signs, which mark public spaces and their time limits. Rules change by season. From April 1 through November 30, parking on town-owned streets such as East and West Benchmark Road, Lake Street and West Beaver Creek Boulevard is free during the day. From December 1 through March 31, vehicles must be registered for all on-street parking in Avon using the text-to-park number on each area's signs, with a free window and then an hourly charge during regulated daytime hours, as shown in the comparison table below. Separate rules apply at the Avon Recreation Center, Town Hall, Public Library and the Lot 16 lot north of Nottingham Park, which are managed for their patrons. Overnight parking is not allowed on Avon's streets or in its town lots. Avon's parking regulations bar on-street parking in the early-morning hours year-round so that plows and street crews can work, and the town center lots post no parking from midnight to 6 a.m. That makes Avon a strong choice for a day at Beaver Creek or a dinner in town, but not a place to leave a car for a week while you stay somewhere else.
Vail parking managementAvon parking managementWhere can you park in Edwards?
Edwards is an unincorporated community in Eagle County between Avon and Wolcott, strung along US-6 and the Eagle River. It has no town-run parking system like Vail or Avon. Most parking in Edwards belongs to shopping centers, offices, medical buildings and residential associations, and it is intended for their customers, tenants and residents. Posted time limits, customer-only signs and towing warnings are common, and using a retail lot as a ski-day park-and-ride is a quick way to be towed. What Edwards does have is transit. Core Transit's Highway 6 route runs between Edwards and Vail with stops in Avon and Eagle-Vail, and the Valley route connects Edwards to Avon, Vail, Eagle and Gypsum. Both are fare-free within this part of the valley. For people who live or work in Edwards, that makes a car-free commute to Vail or Beaver Creek realistic, and it makes Edwards a practical base for anyone who needs somewhere legal and secure to keep a vehicle while they get around the resorts by bus. Wins Parking operates a permitted monthly parking lot at the Edwards Stone Yard (33885 US-6, Edwards, CO 81632). It is not a daily pay lot; it serves people who need a reserved, legal place to keep a vehicle for months at a time. A Standard permit is $210 per month for one to five vehicles, billed monthly with a 3-month minimum term that renews in 3-month blocks unless canceled, and the same terms apply at the second Wins lot near Eagle County Airport (60 Spring Creek Rd, Gypsum, CO 81637).
Gypsum parking managementSki resort shuttle parkingHow do the buses and park-and-ride options connect the valley?
The Town of Vail describes its bus service as one of the largest free transportation systems in the country, and with Core Transit and Avon Transit layered on top, the Vail Valley is well covered by free buses. That is why the smartest parking plan is often to park once and ride. The Town of Vail runs free year-round buses throughout Vail, including the in-town shuttle between Vail Village and Lionshead and outlying neighborhood routes to and from Vail Mountain. Every Town of Vail parking area in this guide, including Donovan Park, Red Sandstone and the Frontage Road overflow, has free bus service into the villages. For trips between towns, the regional operator is Core Transit, which took over the routes previously run by ECO Transit when the Eagle Valley Transportation Authority and ECO Transit combined operations. Core Transit keeps the familiar routes: the Valley route along I-70 from Dotsero and Gypsum through Eagle, Edwards and Avon to Vail; the Highway 6 route between Edwards and Vail; the Minturn and Leadville routes; and a seasonal Vail/Beaver Creek Express. Most Core Transit routes are fare-free. A fare applies only to trips to or from Gypsum, Eagle County Regional Airport or Leadville, and it is paid through the Core Transit mobile tickets app, since no cash is accepted on board. In Avon, the Town of Avon's free buses loop through town and stop at Beaver Creek's Elk lot, and the fare-free Avon/Beaver Creek Connector runs between Avon and Beaver Creek Village with transfers to Core Transit's regional routes. Beaver Creek's own complimentary shuttles cover the trip from the Elk and Bear lots to the Covered Bridge. Put together, a driver can leave a vehicle in one legal place, whether a free day lot, a paid structure or a monthly permit space, and reach both mountains without moving the car. Schedules change twice a year. Core Transit publishes separate summer and winter timetables, and winter service is when the Vail/Beaver Creek Express and the most frequent departures run. Check the current schedule and live bus tracking before relying on a specific connection, especially for early starts and late returns.
| Service | What it connects | Fare | Useful for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Vail buses | Vail Village, Lionshead, Vail neighborhoods, Donovan Park and outlying town lots | Free, year-round | Parking once anywhere in Vail and riding to the lifts |
| Core Transit Valley route | Dotsero, Gypsum and EGE, Eagle, Edwards, Avon, Vail | Free, except trips to or from Gypsum or EGE ($3 single ride; $63 for 30 days) | Commuting from down-valley lots, including Gypsum |
| Core Transit Highway 6 route | Edwards, Avon, Eagle-Vail, Vail along US-6 | Free | Edwards-based parkers heading to Avon or Vail |
| Core Transit Vail/Beaver Creek Express | Vail Transportation Center and Beaver Creek | Free | Skiing both mountains without moving a car (winter) |
| Avon/Beaver Creek Connector and Avon buses | Avon town center, Elk lot, Beaver Creek Village | Free | Parking in Avon for a Beaver Creek day |
| Beaver Creek lot shuttles and Village Connect | Elk and Bear lots to the Covered Bridge; Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch, Arrowhead | Complimentary | Getting from the base lots into the village |
Fares and seasonal service are set by each operator and can change; the $3 and $63 figures are Core Transit's published Gypsum fares. Riders 18 and under ride Core Transit free through the end of the winter 2026-2027 season, per Core Transit.
What are the winter overnight parking and snow-removal rules?
Winter is when parking rules in the Vail Valley are enforced most strictly, because plows need clear streets. Each fall the Town of Vail moves to winter snow-removal operations, and in recent seasons that has meant no on-street parking anywhere in town from mid-November until late April. The town does not allow on-street or shoulder parking during snow operations, including for construction vehicles, and vehicles left on town streets or shoulders may be ticketed or towed. After a storm, roads serving the hospital, schools, commercial areas and the ski area are plowed first, with residential streets following. Overnight options in Vail are limited and deliberate. The Vail Village and Lionshead structures charge an overnight fee to any vehicle present during the early-morning window, the lower levels of Red Sandstone Garage are the town's designated paid overnight option, and Ford Park, the Soccer lot and Donovan Park do not allow overnight parking at all. Oversized vehicles such as RVs and trailers may park overnight only in the roped area west of Vail Fire Station 3 on the North Frontage Road. Beaver Creek allows no overnight parking in its garages or in the Elk and Bear lots, and Avon prohibits overnight parking on its streets and in its town lots. The practical result is that there is no free, legal place in the resort towns to leave a car for several nights in a row. Visitors staying in a lodge should use the lodging's own parking. Anyone else, such as a second-home owner who flies in and out, a seasonal worker living without an assigned space, or a long-stay visitor staying with friends, needs an off-street arrangement: a private garage, a lodging space, or a monthly permit at a lot that allows vehicles to stay. Winter rules also reach the highway. Colorado's Traction Law is in effect every year from September 1 through May 31 on the I-70 Mountain Corridor between Dotsero and Morrison, which includes the entire Vail Valley stretch of I-70. Under the updated law, vehicles need tires with at least 3/16-inch tread that are winter, all-weather or mud-and-snow rated, or chains or an approved traction device, and the rule applies to four-wheel and all-wheel drive vehicles as well.
Long-term car storage in the Vail ValleyReserve a monthly spaceWhen does a monthly permit in Edwards or Gypsum make more sense?
For a single ski day, a weekend or a week at a lodge with parking, the resort structures, Beaver Creek lots and free options above are the right choice, and a monthly permit is not. A Wins Parking permit is built for a different situation: a vehicle that needs to stay put, legally and securely, for a month or more. That covers seasonal workers who live without a reliable space, second-home owners who keep a car in the valley between visits, long-stay visitors, and anyone whose employer, landlord or HOA does not provide winter parking. The terms are simple. A Standard permit for a car, SUV or pickup is $210 per month for one to five vehicles, with lower per-vehicle rates for six or more, and a 3-month minimum term that lines up with a ski season. You are billed monthly, and the term renews in 3-month blocks unless you cancel before it ends. There are no hourly, daily or weekly charges, and no taxes or fees are added. Both lots offer around-the-clock access, lighting and snow removal, and you reserve and pay online. The Edwards lot sits on US-6 on the Highway 6 and Valley bus corridors; the Gypsum lot is near Eagle County Regional Airport on the Valley route. The trade-off is location. Neither lot is in Vail Village or Beaver Creek, so you ride the bus or drive the last stretch. What you gain is a fixed monthly cost instead of paying resort structure rates day after day, no risk of a snow-removal tow, no need to move the car between free lots, and a known place to leave a vehicle while you travel. If your plan involves leaving a car for weeks, compare the resort daily caps in the tables on this page with a single monthly permit, and read our ski-season parking guide for a fuller comparison of season-long options.
| Area and where to park | How pricing works | Overnight and winter rules | Bus connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vail Village and Lionshead structures (Town of Vail) | Free under 1 hour; hourly bands to a $30 non-peak or $50 peak daily cap; free entry after 3 p.m. | $60 overnight charge if parked 4 to 5 a.m. | Transit centers on site; free in-town bus |
| Red Sandstone, Ford Park and Soccer lots (Town of Vail) | Free under 2 hours; $10 non-peak or $20 peak for 2+ hours | Overnight only at Red Sandstone levels 1 to 3 ($35); Ford Park and Soccer none | Free Town of Vail bus |
| Donovan Park (Town of Vail) | Free day parking with plate registration | No overnight 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.; event-day closures | Free Town of Vail bus |
| Beaver Creek Village garages (Ford Hall, Villa Montane) | Rates posted at garage entrances | No overnight parking at any garage | In the village; Village Connect shuttle |
| Beaver Creek Elk and Bear lots | Winter: $13 per vehicle before 1 p.m., free after 1 p.m.; free outside winter season | No overnight parking winter or summer | Complimentary shuttles to Covered Bridge |
| Avon town center (Town of Avon) | Free daytime on-street April 1 to November 30; December 1 to March 31 registration required, 3 free hours then $1 per hour, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. | No overnight parking on streets or town lots | Free Avon buses; free Riverfront Express Gondola in winter |
| Edwards and Gypsum (Wins Parking monthly permit) | $210 per month Standard (1 to 5 vehicles); 3-month minimum term; renews in 3-month blocks unless canceled | Vehicles may stay; 24/7 access; snow removal | Core Transit Highway 6 and Valley routes |
Town and resort figures are the published rates of those operators, not Wins Parking prices, and each operator revises them seasonally. Wins Parking figures come from the current Wins price list. Avon's winter hourly rule is from the Town of Avon Mobility page.
Sources
Vail announces parking rates and pass offerings (winter program) — Town of Vail, October 22, 2025. Parking information: town structures, lots, Donovan Park and overflow — Town of Vail, Accessed September 24, 2026. Winter snow removal operations and on-street parking — Town of Vail, November 14, 2024. Free Town of Vail bus information — Town of Vail, Accessed September 24, 2026. Getting here and parking: garages, Elk and Bear lots, shuttles — Beaver Creek Resort, Accessed September 24, 2026. Public parking: seasonal on-street rules and overnight ban — Town of Avon, Accessed September 24, 2026. Park: free town-center spaces and Riverfront Express Gondola — Town of Avon, Accessed September 24, 2026. Routes and schedules — Core Transit, Accessed September 24, 2026. Fares — Core Transit, Accessed September 24, 2026. Core Transit is the Vail Valley's new transportation authority as EVTA and ECO Transit combine — Vail Daily, July 15, 2024. New Traction Law requirements — Colorado Department of Transportation, November 2025.
Town of Vail: Vail announces parking rates and pass offerings (winter program)Town of Vail: Parking information: town structures, lots, Donovan Park and overflowTown of Vail: Winter snow removal operations and on-street parkingTown of Vail: Free Town of Vail bus informationBeaver Creek Resort: Getting here and parking: garages, Elk and Bear lots, shuttlesTown of Avon: Public parking: seasonal on-street rules and overnight banTown of Avon: Park: free town-center spaces and Riverfront Express GondolaCore Transit: Routes and schedulesCore Transit: FaresVail Daily: Core Transit is the Vail Valley's new transportation authority as EVTA and ECO Transit combineColorado Department of Transportation: New Traction Law requirementsWhere is the best place to park in Vail for skiing?
The Vail Village and Lionshead parking structures on the South Frontage Road are closest to the lifts and share one Town of Vail rate schedule that varies by peak and non-peak day. If they are full or you want to save, park free at Donovan Park or in signed Frontage Road overflow and take the free Town of Vail bus into the villages.
Is parking free in Vail after 3 p.m.?
Under the Town of Vail's published winter program, vehicles entering the Vail Village or Lionshead parking structures after 3 p.m. park free until early morning. A separate overnight charge applies to vehicles still parked during the early-morning check window, so Free After 3 is for evenings, not overnight stays. Confirm the current season's rules on vail.gov.
Can you park overnight in Vail?
Only in specific places. The Vail Village and Lionshead structures charge an overnight fee, Red Sandstone Garage's lower levels are the town's paid overnight option, and oversized vehicles may use a roped area in West Vail. Ford Park, the Soccer lot and Donovan Park do not allow overnight parking, and on-street parking is banned during winter snow operations.
Is there free parking in Avon?
Yes. Avon advertises more than 200 free public spaces in its town center, near free buses and the free Riverfront Express Gondola to Beaver Creek. From December through March you must register for on-street parking and time limits apply, while daytime street parking is free from April through November. Overnight parking is not allowed on Avon streets or in town lots.
Is ECO Transit still running in the Vail Valley?
ECO Transit's routes now run under Core Transit, formed when ECO Transit and the Eagle Valley Transportation Authority combined operations. Core Transit keeps the Valley, Highway 6, Minturn, Leadville and Vail/Beaver Creek Express routes. Most routes are fare-free; fares apply only to trips to or from Gypsum, Eagle County Regional Airport or Leadville.
Where can I leave my car for several weeks near Vail?
Not in the resort towns' public lots, which prohibit or charge for overnight parking and ban winter street parking. Use lodging parking, a private garage, or a monthly permit. Wins Parking's Edwards and Gypsum lots offer Standard permits at $210 per month for one to five vehicles with a 3-month minimum, near Core Transit bus routes.
Do I need snow tires to drive to Vail in winter?
Colorado's Traction Law applies every year from September 1 through May 31 on I-70 between Dotsero and Morrison, covering the Vail Valley. Vehicles need tires with at least 3/16-inch tread rated winter, all-weather or mud-and-snow, or chains or an approved traction device. The rule applies to four-wheel and all-wheel drive vehicles too. Check COtrip.org before driving.