Red Rocks Amphitheatre has five parking lots, four entrances, and zero fees — and picking the wrong one can add a half-mile uphill hike and 45 minutes of exit crawl to your night. This Red Rocks parking guide 2026 breaks down each lot individually, so you decide before you leave home rather than while circling in the dark behind three hundred other cars.
The Lot-by-Lot Breakdown
| Lot | Walk to venue | Stairs | Fills by | Exit speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top Circle Lot | Shortest — ~25 spaces | Minimal | Accessible & drop-off only | Fast |
| Upper North Lot | Short, enters near row 70 | Moderate, or ramp available | 60–90 min before showtime | Slow — first in, last out |
| Upper South Lot | Short, ADA ramp to ~row 24 | Fewest, ramp access | Early | Fastest — closest to Entrance 3 |
| Lower North Lot | ~0.2 mi along Trading Post Rd | Many — the “StairMaster” lot | Mid-evening | Moderate |
| Lower South Lots 1 & 2 | ~0.5 mi via Trading Post Trail | Fewer, but long walk | Last to fill | Moderate |
Upper South Lot: The Overall Winner
If one lot deserves the top ranking, it’s Upper South. It sits at the base of an ADA-accessible ramp that wraps around Ship Rock and delivers you to around row 24, and it’s closest to Entrance 3 — meaning the quickest escape from the park after the show. Fewest stairs going in, fastest exit going out. The catch is that it fills early.
Upper North Lot: Great Entry, Painful Exit
Upper North is the most coveted lot for a reason — the shortest walk and the most dramatic views, entering near Creation Rock at row 70 through a rock tunnel. But it’s genuinely “first in, last out,” which means a slow crawl to leave after a sold-out show. If you have lower-row seats, a ramp on the east side leads down to a row-one entrance.
Lower North Lot: Bring Your Legs
Lower North is the first lot you see arriving via Entrance One, and it’s easier to exit than Upper North. The trade-off is the walk: about 0.2 miles along Trading Post Road, then a serious flight of stairs. Locals call it the StairMaster lot. There’s no shame in taking breaks on the landings.
Lower South Lots: The Party Lots
Lower South Lot 1, known informally as Shakedown Street, is where the tailgating culture lives — and it’s roughly a half-mile hike to the venue from there. Lower South Lot 2 sits right beside it and is designated for oversized vehicles like RVs, buses, and party limos. Both are the last to fill, making them the realistic option if you arrive late.
The Timing Rule Nobody Follows
On concert days the park closes to general visitors at 2pm and reopens two hours before showtime. Arriving “an hour early” — which most people consider generous — often means the upper lots are already gone and you’re headed to overflow. For a sold-out headliner, the upper lots can fill 60 to 90 minutes before doors.
Where a Car Service Changes the Equation Entirely
Every trade-off in that table exists only if you’re parking your own vehicle. A red rocks car service is typically permitted at drop-off points closer to the gates than any general lot, which means no half-mile hike, no stair debate, and no 45-minute exit crawl. A denver to red rocks car service simply removes the entire lot-selection problem from your evening.
Vehicle Options If You’d Rather Skip Parking
| Vehicle | Photo | Guests | Round trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luxury SUV |  | 5 | $650 |
| Sprinter Passenger Van |  | 14 | $1,200 |
| Sprinter Limo |  | 10 | $1,400 |
Accessible Parking and Shuttle Access
Red Rocks runs accessible shuttles from the Upper South Lot, the Trading Post Lot, and the Top Circle Lot for guests with mobility needs. The Top Circle Lot itself is restricted to accessible parking and drop-off only — it isn’t a general parking option.
Flying In and Skipping the Rental Car?
Visitors who book denver airport to red rocks transportation avoid the parking question entirely, since a car service denver to red rocks arrangement handles both the airport leg and the venue drop-off without a rental car ever entering the picture.
Weather Affects the Walk More Than the Drive
Many routes to the amphitheatre are dirt paths, so check the National Weather Service forecast before choosing a far lot, and review current road conditions through CDOT for the drive in.
Parking Guide Summary
- Best overall: Upper South Lot — fewest stairs, fastest exit
- Best views, worst exit: Upper North Lot
- Most stairs: Lower North Lot
- Longest walk, last to fill: Lower South Lots
- See pricing and the FAQs page if you’d rather skip parking entirely
Book Your Ride to Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Or skip the entire table above. Book red rocks transportation with Red Rocks Voyager, your reliable red rocks transport service, and let someone else worry about which lot filled first.
Click -> Book
