Mountain Transfer
DIA to Winter Park.
Berthoud Pass, conquered.
The shortest mountain transfer we run, over the one pass on the Front Range with no tunnel under it.
The Drive
Berthoud Pass is the whole story
The route runs I-70 west to Empire, then US 40 north over Berthoud Pass at 11,307 feet and down into the Fraser Valley. It is the shortest mountain transfer on our board and the only one where the hard part is a single stretch of road rather than a general traffic problem.
Berthoud has no tunnel. It is a set of switchbacks climbing above treeline through avalanche paths, and CDOT closes it several times a winter for control work. When it closes there is no short way around: the detour runs back down to I-70 and around through Kremmling, which turns a two-hour run into four or more. That is why this is the route where we watch the CDOT feed most closely, and why we would rather move your pickup an hour earlier than start the climb behind a closure.
How much time to add. Clear conditions, about two hours. Active storm, three. If the pass is under control work, we will tell you before you leave the airport rather than halfway up the hill.
The ski train is a real alternative. The Winter Park Express runs on winter weekends from Union Station and carried more than 41,000 riders in 2025. Plenty of our work on this route is one leg by train and one by car, usually because a flight lands after the train has gone. We are happy to quote it that way.
DEN to Winter Park — Vehicles, Capacity & Luggage
Rates below are one-way DEN–Winter Park base rates.* 9.3% sales tax, 4% credit-card processing and, where applicable, a 12% fuel surcharge (waived on all-electric Luxury Sedan trips) are added at booking. Gratuity is never automatically added or assumed; 20% is customary. Your quoted rate is normally at or below the figure shown — a free quote confirms it in minutes.
Why Arion
Why clients choose Arion.
Berthoud Pass Specialists
Steep, winding, avalanche-prone in winter. Our chauffeurs are ice-driving trained and know every switchback.
AWD/4WD Standard
Our SUVs and Sprinters handle Berthoud Pass in any season. Winter tires and chains available on demand.
Resort Door-to-Door
Winter Park Resort, the Village, Mary Jane base, or any Fraser Valley address. No transfer lots.
12-Month Service
Ski season, mountain biking, Trestle Bike Park, summer hiking — we serve Winter Park year-round.
The Destination, By The People Who Drive It
The closest real mountain to Denver, and the city actually owns it
Winter Park is the shortest mountain transfer we run and the only Colorado resort owned by a city — Denver has held the land since the ski area opened in January 1940 with two rope tows and ten trails. Today it is 3,081 acres across seven territories, a 9,000-foot base and a 12,060-foot summit, with an average of about 360 inches of snow a season. It is also the only major resort on this list you reach without touching the Eisenhower Tunnel.
The front side: groomed, wide, and where ski school and families live.
Bumps. Steep, long, unapologetic mogul runs under the lifts, and the reason the local sticker reads “No pain, no Jane.”
Quieter trees on one side, hike-to alpine terrain on the other. The Cirque is a real mountaineering-adjacent zone, not a trail.
Winter Park and Fraser are separate towns four miles apart, with lodging strung along US 40 between them. Tell dispatch which one.
We run to the resort base, the town of Winter Park, Fraser, Tabernash and Granby, and on to Grand Lake in season. It is the one mountain transfer that regularly works as a same-day round trip.
If we got one run, it would be Cranmer
George Cranmer was Denver's parks manager in the 1930s, and Winter Park exists because he pushed the city to build a ski area at the west portal of the Moffat Tunnel. It opened in January 1940 and the City of Denver still owns it. Cranmer, the run, is his namesake and one of the longest cruisers on the hill.
It is a consistent intermediate pitch with enough room that a family can spread out, and it is long enough to feel like an outing rather than a lap. Follow it down Village Way and you finish at the base by the gondola, which is where the day should end — boots off, hot chocolate, and the train home if you came up on the Winter Park Express.
Christal’s pick, revised each season. Ask your chauffeur what the mountain is actually doing that morning.
The cold, told straight
The Fraser valley has spent decades trading the nickname “Icebox of the Nation” with a town in Minnesota, and it earns it. Cold air pools on the valley floor overnight, so a 20-below morning in Fraser can sit under a perfectly pleasant afternoon on the mountain. Pack for the base area, not the summit, and expect the coldest temperature of your trip to happen while you are waiting for a car.
Snow is not the problem on this route — the pass is. US 40 crosses the Continental Divide at Berthoud Pass, 11,307 feet, with no tunnel and a set of switchbacks that close for avalanche control several times a winter. When Berthoud closes, the detour is long: back down to I-70 and around through Kremmling. We watch the CDOT feed on this route more closely than on any other.
Why Denver owns a ski area
The Moffat Tunnel opened under the Divide in 1928, and its west portal came out exactly where Winter Park now sits. Denver skiers rode the train up, built a clubhouse near the portal in 1933, and cut runs on the sheep trails above it. The city took the land as a park, renamed the place from West Portal to Winter Park in December 1939, and opened it a month later.
The train never really went away. The ski train ran for decades, stopped in 2009, and came back as the Winter Park Express in 2017; it carried more than 41,000 riders in 2025. It is a good option and it runs on weekends, which is precisely why the road matters on the days it does not.
Questions & Answers
How long from DIA to Winter Park?
1 hour 45 minutes to 2.5 hours. Berthoud Pass in winter can slow travel. Weekend I-70 ski traffic to Empire adds time on Fridays and Sundays.
Is Berthoud Pass dangerous in winter?
It requires experienced mountain driving. Steep grades, sharp curves, avalanche zones. Our chauffeurs complete annual ice driving training and drive this road regularly.
Do you serve Fraser and Granby?
Yes. Winter Park, Fraser, Tabernash, Granby, and Grand Lake.
Can you handle ski equipment?
Yes. Our SUVs and Sprinters accommodate skis, snowboards, and gear bags. Note your equipment when booking.
Where does my chauffeur meet me at Denver International Airport?
For commercial arrivals your chauffeur meets you curbside on Level 5 — Island 2, near door 506 on the west side or door 511 on the east, depending on your baggage claim — and texts you the exact spot before you land. An inside meet-and-greet with a name sign is available for an additional $75, arranged at booking. Private-aviation clients are met planeside or in the FBO lobby.
What happens if my flight into DEN is delayed?
We track every flight in real time and shift your pickup automatically — no phone calls, no rebooking, and no delay charge. Airport arrivals include a 30-minute complimentary wait window from actual landing time.
How early should my departure pickup be for a flight out of DEN?
As a rule: 3 hours before departure for international, 2.5 hours for domestic during peak morning and Sunday-afternoon security waves, and 2 hours off-peak — plus your drive time. Dispatch builds the pickup time backward from your flight and the current DEN wait times.
Can Arion handle late-night or red-eye airport pickups?
Yes. Arion dispatches 24/7, including post-midnight arrivals and 3 a.m. departures. Late-night trips are pre-assigned to a specific chauffeur, so there is no scramble for a driver when you land.
Do you serve Centennial, Rocky Mountain Metro, and private FBOs?
Yes. Arion regularly covers Centennial (APA), Rocky Mountain Metropolitan (BJC), Eagle County (EGE), Aspen/Pitkin (ASE), and Colorado Springs (COS), and meets private-aviation passengers planeside where the FBO permits.
Is it safe to drive into the mountains in winter?
With the right vehicle and a trained chauffeur, yes. Colorado's Traction Law (Code 15) on I-70 requires AWD/4WD or snow-rated tires with adequate tread; Arion vehicles meet or exceed it, carry chains, and our chauffeurs are ice-driving trained and monitor CDOT conditions before and during every mountain run.
What happens if I-70 closes or chain law is in effect?
Dispatch monitors CDOT closures and traction/chain restrictions in real time and will reroute (US-285, US-40, I-70 timing changes) or reschedule your pickup window. We tell you early rather than leaving you guessing at the airport.
How much extra time should I plan for ski-day traffic?
Plan an extra 60–90 minutes for Friday and Saturday westbound mornings and Sunday afternoon eastbound returns, and more around holiday weekends and storm cycles. We shift departure times to travel ahead of the peak rather than sitting in it.
How much luggage fits?
An Executive SUV holds 8 standard bags or 4 ski sets, and a Luxury SUV holds 5 bags because the captain's chairs take up cargo room. Our vans hold 14 bags or 6 ski sets, and a Luxury Sedan holds 3 bags. If you are travelling with skis, boards, golf clubs or oversized gear, tell us at booking and we will size the vehicle to the pile, not the headcount.
Book your Winter Park transfer in minutes.
Because You Matter. And your ride should prove it.
Last reviewed: September 13, 2026 by Arion dispatch. Rates, policies and Colorado Department of Transportation rules are subject to change; call (970) 703-4995 for current details.