Red Rocks Amphitheatre is one of the most beautiful concert venues in the world, and one of the trickiest to get in and out of. It sits in the foothills about 17 miles west of downtown Denver, the lots are spread across a hillside, and when 9,500 people leave at once, the narrow park roads become the slowest part of the night.

Here is every way to get to Red Rocks and back, based on the venue's own rules for parking, drop-off and pickup, with tips for each option.

Your Options at a Glance

Drive and park. Getting there: The venue's lots, often a hike, and an early arrival. Getting home: Slow exit with everyone else. Best for: Groups with a sober driver.
Uber or Lyft. Getting there: Drop-off near the venue. Getting home: Pickup at the Jurassic Lot, often with a long wait. Best for: Small groups on a budget.
Concert bus or shuttle. Getting there: Fixed departure point and time. Getting home: Leaves on its schedule. Best for: Fans who do not mind a set timetable.
Private car service. Getting there: Drop-off at the Top Circle Lot. Getting home: Chauffeur waiting, plan agreed in advance. Best for: Date nights, groups, VIP evenings.

Driving and Parking

On show nights the lots open two hours before doors, and Traffic Control directs you to a space. The closer upper lots fill early, so the later you arrive, the farther down you park and the longer the uphill walk. Wear comfortable shoes: depending on your lot, the hike to your seat can be steep.

The real cost of driving is the end of the night. After the encore, every car leaves the park on the same roads at the same moment, and it can take a long time to reach C-470. Someone in your group also has to stay sober to drive home.

Rideshare: Uber and Lyft

Drop-off by rideshare is easy. Pickup is not. At the end of an event, all pickups, private cars, taxis, Uber and Lyft, happen at the Jurassic Lot, just inside Entrance 2 off Highway 93.

The venue recommends walking downhill to meet your ride, via the Will Call Trail across from the Trading Post and down Red Rocks Park Road. There are limited free shuttles from the Top Circle Lot and the Trading Post to the Jurassic Lot after shows, but the venue warns to expect delays. Combine thousands of people requesting rides at once with app surge pricing, and the trip home can cost more and take longer than you expect.

Concert Buses and Shuttles

Several private companies run round-trip buses to Red Rocks from Denver, Boulder and other cities on show nights. You buy a seat, board at a set location and time, and ride back after the show. It removes the driving and parking problem, at the cost of a fixed schedule and a shared ride. Inside the park, free Red Rocks shuttles help people from the farther lots up to the gates before the show.

Private Car Service

A private chauffeur is the most comfortable way to do a Red Rocks night. Your car picks you up at home, your hotel or dinner, and drops you as close to the gates as the venue allows: limousines and shuttles drop off at the Top Circle Lot, and limousines can also use the Upper North Lot at Traffic Control's discretion.

Three venue rules shape the plan, which is why it matters that your driver knows the park:

Vehicle entry ends nightly at 8:30 p.m. or earlier, and after that, all passenger pickups take place in the Jurassic Lot.
"Idling or circulating through parking lots and park roads during the performance is not permitted."
Limousines that stay during the event park in any available lot, first come, first served, if they fit in a standard space.

Your chauffeur agrees the pickup point and plan with you before the show, and you text when you are on your way out. With Luxury Rides Denver, Red Rocks is booked as one package: the Red Rocks Concert Package, $500 per SUV for up to 6 passengers, round trip from anywhere in the Denver metro or Boulder. Your chauffeur stays at Red Rocks for the whole concert, and a personalized welcome sign plus water and soft drinks are included. There is no surge pricing on sold-out nights. See the Red Rocks Concert Package for details.

Tips for a Smooth Red Rocks Night

Arrive early. Lots open two hours before doors, and getting in early means a shorter walk.
Dress in layers. The amphitheatre sits at about 6,450 feet, and evenings cool quickly, even in summer.
Drink water. The altitude affects visitors more than they expect, especially with a drink or two.
Plan the ride home before the show. Phone signal can be weak when the whole crowd leaves at once, so agree on where and when to meet.
Leave a margin. Getting out of the park after a sellout is slow no matter how you travel.

Red Rocks and Beyond

Red Rocks is not the only big venue around Denver. For shows at Ball Arena, Fiddler's Green, Mission Ballroom or Empower Field, see our concert transportation page. Planning a celebration? Red Rocks is a favorite stop for bachelorette and birthday nights.

A Sample Red Rocks Evening with a Chauffeur

For a 7:30 p.m. show, a night with the Red Rocks Concert Package looks like this:

5:30 p.m. Pickup at your home, your hotel or the restaurant where you had dinner, anywhere in the Denver metro or Boulder.
6:30 p.m. Drop-off at the Top Circle Lot, a short walk to the gates, well ahead of the 8:30 p.m. vehicle entry cut-off.
During the show. Your chauffeur stays at Red Rocks, parked where Traffic Control directs.
After the encore. Walk to the pickup point agreed with your chauffeur, often the Jurassic Lot after a sellout, and ride home.

Adjust the pickup around your show time, about two hours before it starts. Encores and exit traffic both run long, so leave a margin for the ride home.

Groups Larger Than Six

Our SUVs seat up to 6 passengers. For a bigger group, we run more than one vehicle on the same schedule. Very large groups often use a charter bus instead; the venue requires oversized vehicles, including buses and party bus limos, to drop off and pick up at Lower South Lot 2, and vehicles carrying 24 or more passengers that are at least 85% full can request a reservation for the Upper North Lot at least 48 hours in advance.

Visiting Red Rocks on a Non-Show Day

Red Rocks Park is open to visitors from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset, and admission and parking are free. The Visitor Center and Trading Post are worth a stop, and the trails around the park are popular in the mornings. On event days, the amphitheatre itself usually closes to visitors around 2 p.m. A private car with a chauffeur also works for a daytime visit combined with Golden or a drive into the foothills.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far is Red Rocks from downtown Denver? About 17 miles west, roughly 30 minutes without traffic. On show nights, the roads into the park are much slower.

Where do Ubers pick up at Red Rocks? At the end of events, at the Jurassic Lot, just inside Entrance 2 off Highway 93.

Is parking free at Red Rocks? On non-show days, the venue says admission and parking are free. On show nights the lots open two hours before door time; check your ticket for parking details for your event.

Where do limos drop off at Red Rocks? At the Top Circle Lot, or the Upper North Lot at the discretion of Traffic Control.

Can a car service wait for us during the concert? Yes. With our Red Rocks Concert Package your chauffeur stays at Red Rocks for the whole concert, parked as the venue directs, since vehicles cannot idle or circle during the show and entry ends at 8:30 p.m. You meet at the pickup point agreed before the show.

Can we drink in the car on the way to Red Rocks? Open alcohol containers are not allowed in our vehicles. Enjoy the venue, and let the chauffeur get everyone home safely.

Book Your Red Rocks Ride

Book the $500 Red Rocks Concert Package for your show night, or call (720) 388-3100, 24/7.

Sources

Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, Getting Here: parking, drop-off, pickup, limousine and large-vehicle rules, and park hours.

Checked against the venue's published rules in November 2026. Rules can change; check the Getting Here page before your show.

Red Rocks Transportation Guide: Parking, Uber Pickup, Shuttles and Car Service