Parking at Red Rocks is free. So is admission to the park. That is the honest starting point for this page, and it is the reason most people never consider booking a car.
Here is the counter-argument, and it has nothing to do with parking fees. Vehicle entry to the park ends nightly at 8:30pm or earlier. The lots fill from the bottom up, so a late arrival parks a long way down and walks up. And when the show ends, several thousand people try to leave a canyon at once, on foot, in the dark, from lots they may not remember parking in.
Mile High Chauffeur runs Red Rocks as a private, pre-booked transfer: door to door from your address, dropped as close as the venue allows, and collected afterwards at the designated pickup point without you queueing for anything.
What it costs and how it is booked
Two ways to book a Red Rocks night.
Round trip transfer. Out to the venue and home again, quoted as a flat rate per vehicle. Best if your plans are simple: show, then home.
Pricing depends on the vehicle, the distance and the date. The rates page has the current figures, and we are happy to quote your specific trip.
Either way the price is per vehicle, not per person. Six people in one SUV pay one figure. Split across a group, a Red Rocks car is frequently cheaper than everyone rideshare-ing separately at post-show surge, and it is dramatically less trouble.
Where a car can actually drop you
This is the part worth knowing, because Red Rocks has specific rules and most people find them out on the night.
The venue is at 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. Standard passenger drop-off is at the Top Circle Lot, reached via Entrance 1, and at the Red Rocks Park Road and Trading Post Road intersection, which is Entrance 2.
Usefully for us: limousines and private cars may use Top Circle or the Upper North Lot at staff discretion. That is the closest a vehicle gets, and it is the difference between a short walk to the gates and a long climb.
If anyone in your party needs accessible services, the Upper South Lot via Entrance 3 is where the accessible shuttle drop-off operates. Tell us at booking and we will route there.
The pickup after the show, and why it catches everyone out
Post-show pickup for private vehicles, taxis and rideshare is not where you were dropped off. It is in the Jurassic Lot, just inside Entrance 2 off Highway 93.
People miss this constantly. They come out of the amphitheatre, open an app, and try to be collected where they arrived, which is not permitted at that hour. Then they wait.
Red Rocks does run complimentary shuttles, and on the way in they are genuinely useful for getting from the far lots up to the gates. Coming out, the venue’s own guidance is that return shuttle service is limited and walking is often faster than waiting for one.
With a pre-booked chauffeur, you agree the meeting point before the show starts, your driver is already positioned, and you walk to a car that is waiting rather than joining a queue for one that has not been assigned yet.
Getting there from Denver and from the airport
Red Rocks sits in Morrison, on the western edge of the metro, and the drive out from central Denver is short and straightforward in normal traffic. Concert nights are not normal traffic. On a sold-out show the last few miles are the slow part, and the 8:30pm vehicle entry cutoff is a hard stop rather than a guideline.
Our standing advice: leave earlier than the drive time suggests. If doors are at 6:30pm, plan to be inside the park well before 8pm, not at 8:25pm.
Coming straight from Denver International Airport, it is a cross-metro run, so allow properly for it and give us your flight number so the pickup tracks your arrival.
Who books this, and why
Groups. The single strongest case. One vehicle, one price, everybody arrives together and leaves together, and nobody is nominated as the sober driver.
Anyone who wants a drink. Red Rocks is a night out. The whole point of a chauffeur is that the drive home is not your problem.
Visitors and out-of-towners. If you have never been, the park layout, the entrances and the lot names are genuinely confusing in the dark. This is not a good place to be improvising.
Anyone with mobility considerations. The venue is built into a hillside and involves real elevation change and stairs. Getting dropped as close as the venue permits matters more here than almost anywhere.
Corporate and client entertaining. A show at Red Rocks is one of the best client nights in Colorado, and arriving in a vehicle rather than a rideshare convoy is part of it. See corporate and executive travel.
Vehicles
Luxury SUVs for up to six passengers. For a concert party, one vehicle is usually the right answer: everyone travels together, conversation carries on, and the per-head cost drops with every passenger. You can see the fleet here.
Note for anyone considering driving a larger vehicle themselves: Lower South Lot 2 is the designated lot for oversized vehicles, which is a long way from the gates. Another reason to be dropped rather than to park.
Red Rocks in daylight
The park is not only a concert venue. It is open for hiking, the Trading Post loop, the visitor center and the well-known morning fitness sessions on the steps, and it is one of the more spectacular places within reach of Denver.
We run daytime trips out there as easily as concert nights, often as part of an hourly booking that takes in Morrison, Golden or the foothills as well. If you are showing visitors around Colorado for a day, it is an obvious inclusion.
Frequently asked questions about Red Rocks transportation
Is parking at Red Rocks free?
Yes. Both admission to the park and parking are complimentary. The reasons to book a car are the 8:30pm vehicle entry cutoff, how far down the hill you park if you arrive late, the walk back in the dark, and not having to drive home after a night out.
What time does vehicle entry to Red Rocks close?
Vehicle entry ends nightly at 8:30pm or earlier. Plan your departure around that rather than around the drive time, because on a sold-out night the approach roads are slow.
Where do cars pick you up after a Red Rocks show?
In the Jurassic Lot, just inside Entrance 2 off Highway 93. Post-show pickup for private vehicles, taxis and rideshare all happens there rather than at the drop-off points. Agreeing the meeting spot with your chauffeur before the show saves a lot of confusion afterwards.
Where does a private car drop you off at Red Rocks?
Standard drop-off is the Top Circle Lot via Entrance 1, or the Red Rocks Park Road and Trading Post Road intersection at Entrance 2. Limousines and private cars may use Top Circle or the Upper North Lot at venue staff discretion, which is as close as vehicles get.
How much is a car service to Red Rocks?
Rates are on our rates page, and we will confirm the figure for your trip when you get in touch.
Is a private car cheaper than rideshare for Red Rocks?
For one or two people, usually not. For a group of four or more it very often is, because the price is per vehicle rather than per person, and because post-show rideshare from the Jurassic Lot is exactly when surge pricing and long waits happen at the same time.
Can you take a larger group?
Yes, in multiple vehicles for bigger parties. Give us as much notice as you can for popular shows, because concert nights book out across the whole metro fleet.
Can you help with accessible drop-off?
Yes. Accessible shuttle drop-off operates at the Upper South Lot via Entrance 3. Tell us at booking what is needed and we will route accordingly rather than working it out at the gate.
Do you go to Red Rocks in the daytime?
Yes, for hiking, the Trading Post, the visitor center, morning fitness sessions and sightseeing, often as part of an hourly booking that takes in Morrison and the foothills.
Booking a show? Request a Red Rocks quote or call (720) 601-2606. You may also want our guides to Red Rocks parking, getting there from Denver, how a concert night runs, and whether private transport is worth it.
We also cover concerts and events across Colorado, hourly service, and every destination we serve.
