New pay parking at Sea to Sky Gondola starts this spring

Parking lot at the base terminal of the Sea to Sky Gondola. (Sea to Sky Gondola)

Depending on how you get there, a visit to the Sea to Sky Gondola could cost more starting later this spring, as free parking at the attraction is now ending.

Visitors parking their vehicles at the parking lot next to the Sea to Sky Gondola’s base terminal will have to pay for parking.

The attraction announced this week that it is implementing the new scheme during the peak season months when parking is limited due to higher visitation.

You might also like:

Currently, with free parking, many vehicles parked at their lot use it to access trails to Shannon Falls and the Stawamus Chief Provincial Parks. Instead, they now want to give visitors who ride and visit the gondola attraction priority access to the prime and limited parking spaces. The parking lot next to the base terminal has approximately 300 vehicle parking stalls, which can get filled up quickly during busier days.

Pay parking will be implemented on a seasonal basis, starting on May 1 and ending on October 1, 2024. Parking will cost $8 for a half day and $10 for a full day, with the parking lot open between 7 am and 4 pm on Mondays to Thursdays, and 7 am to 7 pm on Fridays to Sundays. Parking can be paid through the Pay by Phone app.

Annual passholders of the Sea to Sky Gondola will continue to have access to free parking by visiting guest services at the base terminal to pick up a parking pass. Parking passes are valid for the duration of the membership.

Parking lot at the base terminal of the Sea to Sky Gondola. (Sea to Sky Gondola)

“By supporting the Sea to Sky Gondola through paid parking, you’re helping to ensure that this amazing destination remains accessible and enjoyable for years to come,” reads a bulletin by the attraction, which previously faced an existential crisis due to acts of vandalism that cut the gondola line over two separate occasions, requiring prolonged closures for extensive repairs and the installation of new replacement aerial cars, and the ongoing cost of higher security measures.

According to a pre-pandemic tourism study by the District of Squamish, the Sea to Sky Gondola sees an average of about 330,000 visitors annually. It first opened in May 2014.

Historically, Sea to Sky Gondola provided free parking at its parking lot, which was open daily from 8 am until one hour after the closing of the gondola.

As an alternative to their base terminal’s parking lot, there is also an overflow parking lot nearby to the south just across from the entrance into Shannon Falls’ main parking lot.

Other ways to get to the Sea to Sky Gondola include the restart of BC Transit’s seasonal No. 5 South Squamish Parks bus route, which resumes on June 15, 2024, and provides Sea to Sky Gondola’s annual passholders with free rides. Another option is the Squamish Connector shuttle bus service between downtown Vancouver and the base terminal.

Similarly, all parking lots at the base terminal of Grouse Mountain are also paid parking.

Views from the top of the Sea to Sky Gondola. (Tara O’Grady/Sea to Sky Gondola)

You might also like: