Two new shuttles from Denver to Red Rocks launch Memorial Day Weekend

Getting to Red Rocks just got easier. Two new shuttle services from Denver to Red Rocks are launching this Memorial Day Weekend — one free and one not.

And the services arrive just in time for “Deep Time Detour,” a new immersive prehistoric exhibit at Dinosaur Ridge opening Saturday, May 23, that takes visitors through 300 million years of Colorado’s prehistoric history through re-creations, immersive environments, dramatic murals and scientifically accurate artistic models.

Westracks, the free service, allows riders to take the W Line to the Jefferson County Government Center/RTD Golden Station and connect to the shuttle, which will stop at Red Rocks and a number of other cultural stops, like Matthews/Winters Open Space Park and downtown Morrison. Meanwhile, Discover Denver Tours’ new Red Rocks shuttle is a two-hour round-trip from Union Station to Red Rocks, geared more toward tourists and couples who just want a quick trip to see Red Rocks before returning to the city.

At the moment, both shuttles are for daytime use only. So those without a car looking to get to a Red Rocks show will still have to use services like Uber, Lyft or other (more expensive) shuttle options like BusPartyCo.

Here are the details:

Westracks

• Price: Free
• Schedule: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day, with stops every 15 minutes. Riders can take the W Line to the Jefferson County Government Center/RTD Golden Station and connect to the shuttle from there.
• Destinations: Matthews/Winters Open Space Park, Dinosaur Ridge Discover Center, Red Rocks Trading Post, Downtown Morrison, Morrison Natural History Museum
• Website: ridewestracks.com
• Launch event: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 23. Entertainment, activities, giveaways, food and swag throughout the day at stops along the route.

Westracks, a free service for riders looking to access Red Rocks, Morrison, parks, hiking, shopping, museums and more, has been in the works for over a decade.

“I never even went to Red Rocks until I was 18 years old and I went to a concert,” says Ean Thomas Tafoya, vice president of state programs for GreenLatinos national and state director for GreenLatinos Colorado. “I grew up in the inner city, and these places weren’t accessible. You need a car to get there. And you have to be a little athletic, too,” he adds, referencing the hundreds of stairs visitors must climb to get into Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

Tafoya worked in various sectors of Denver government and even ran for Denver City Council and Mayor, with accessible transportation to Red Rocks as the basis of both campaigns. Although he didn’t win those races, he garnered support from Denver City Councilmember Darrell Watson and Jefferson County Commissioner Andy Kerr along the way.

“There would be these cycles where I’d have ten volunteers, we’d have a petition, people would testify, and then it would be stalled and stalled,” Tafoya recalls.

Finally, after a lot of negotiations, calls to the governor’s office, meetings with RTD and more, Jefferson County, Aramark, CDOT, Denver Mountain Parks Foundation, the Town of Morrison, Dinosaur Ridge and Green Latinos Colorado are launching Westracks this weekend.

The service is funded with an $840,000 RTD grant and $210,000 from Jefferson County, according to Matt Robbins, Jeffco Parks & Open Space community connection division director. This money will keep the service running for three years, but Tafoya is confident that it will continue, and even hopes it will eventually expand the hours and days it runs. “It’s our goal to have this phase into more than just weekends and serve people for concerts as well,” he says.

Westracks will give more families in the Denver metro the opportunity to explore outdoor spaces that have previously been inaccessible without a car or the funds to get there via pricey rideshare services, he notes.

“Don’t give up on your dreams,” Tafoya concludes. “This has been a long policy fight that so many people have supported, but it takes persistence to get it done. … Once we figure this out, I fully believe that this shuttle will exist into perpetuity, because it’s such a valuable asset to the community.”

Discover Denver Tours

• Price: $39 for adults, $32 for children ages 5-17; 14 guests maximum
• Schedule: May through October: Fridays through Mondays; November through April: weekends only. Leaves at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Roundtrip from Union Station. Guests spend 45-50 minutes at Red Rocks before heading back to Union Station.
• Destination: Red Rocks Amphitheater
• Website: bustoursdenver.com/redrocksexpresstoursfromdenver

Discover Denver Tours, which gives tourists and locals alike the option to explore the city in many different ways, from Twisted History Walking Tours to a Murals Tour, has now added a Red Rocks Express Tour, which will take riders on a two-hour round trip from Union Station to Red Rocks and back. The Red Rocks tour was added due to demand from customers, says Jill Collins, founder of Discover Denver Tours.

While not as expensive as other rides to Red Rocks, tickets are still nearly $40 a pop due to high gas prices and the fact that the service is entirely funded by Discover Denver Tours, Collins says. “We applied for grants, but did not get selected,” she says. “We look forward to future grant opportunities, as we aim to be as green a business as possible, but e-shuttles are still in the $250,000 to $300,000 range, which is our entire revenue for a year.”

The target rider for this service is mostly solo travelers, tourists and couples in the downtown area without a vehicle, and Collins says that the bookings that have come in since the service was announced reflect that.

“Our team also gives guests what we’re known for: fun, light-hearted stories on the way there and back and some opportunities to take in the sights to and from Red Rocks without adding to the travel time,” she adds.

While the tour is starting out with limited capacity, Collins says that she hopes to eventually expand the service to more hours.