As a ski shop in the Denver metro area, we’re spoiled with some of the best access to some of the most famous ski areas in the world. In our little rectangle of a state, we can get to places like Aspen, Crested Butte, and Telluride. These are well-known locales by skiers across the globe, and they’re just a few hours away. Our staff are no strangers to late night drives for powder hunting missions. So, you could say we’re experts on the subject. We wanted to find out how they would rank the best ski resorts in Colorado, so we asked. Now, this is no definitive list, just the opinion some humble ski shop kids who love to get after it.
Each staffer ranked their top ten resorts out of a list of 24 resorts in the state. These are some of our favorites for their terrain, accessibility, and most importantly, vibes.
1. Arapahoe Basin
The Legend! None of us were surprised Arapahoe Basin topped our list of best ski resorts in Colorado. Lovingly referrerd to as A-Basin or A-Bay, the Basin has earned legend status for Coloardo locals and folks around the world. Known for its steeps and lack of beginner terrain, A-Basin provides an experience unlike any other. Big mountain terrain, steep chutes and ridges, gladed trees, and idylic Coloardo mountain views await.
Arapahoe Basin has long be dubbed a “locals” mountain. That’s thanks to the textbook Rockies terrain of chutes, gullies and bowls, the proximity to Summit County and the Front Range, and generally keeping big crowds away. It’s known for having generally the longest season, with lifts often spinning from October to May, or sometimes even June. Colorado resorts always try to beat A-Basin to the first opening day in the state, but A-Basin always finds a way to get there last minute.
“A-basin is a classic resort for people that don’t care about the glitz and glam. It has challenging terrain super fun trees and usually the longest season in CO. You start earlier and end later and have fun the whole time. If you can reserve a beach spot bring your friends and enjoy skiing and tailgating at its finest!”
— Levi
Advanced and expert skiers will want to check out the two-chair Pallavicini (a.k.a Pali) lift area. Black and double black bowls and tree lines abound. There are so many nooks and crannies to explore, with features and little bumps to jump off of (if that’s your thing). Adventurous souls can check out the Steep Gullies and the East Wall for some hike-to and hike-out terrain.
Intermediates can find an array of blue groomers (even from the top) and blue entry bump runs off the main Black Mountain Express, as well as in the Beavers zone. It won’t give you as much variety as some of the other mountains on this list, but for the vibes and the experience, it’s worth a trip. Be sure to enjoy a Bloody Mary at the base.
2. Steamboat
Steamboat is home to the champagne powder that folks love so much. It’s got a unique vibe compared to the majority of the big-name resorts in Colorado—thanks to being away from the I-70 corridor. Nestled in Northern Colorado, Steamboat requires a bit of a drive from the Denver area to get to. The town of Steamboat Springs appears as you drop in from Rabbit Ears Pass, looking quite picturesque in a big valley.
The mountain is large, with a little bit of every kind of terrain you can imagine. There’s tons to explore, and you always seem to find new nooks and crannies with cool features, gullies, and lines to choose from. Notoriously, Steamboat has some of the best aspen skiing in the state. The lower elevation lends itself to big aspen forests. On a powder day, you can be treated to primo treeskiing through perfectly spaced aspens.
My favorite mountain that I’ve been to so far! Was there for 2 days and still didn’t get around to exploring the whole mountain. All of the runs were a lot of fun and really wide so even if there’s a bunch of people on the mountain, there is a bunch of space on the runs. The views on every lift and every run were unreal, and the fact that they have some night riding puts them at the top of my list.
— Marco
The town adds to the whole experience. It’s a regional hub for the northwestern region of Colorado, and operates as a real community rather than just there for the resort. The cowboy culture is strong, with ranchers and farmers on the outskirts of town. Western nights, swing dancing in town, and the annual Winter Wondergrass bluegrass festival all adds to the atmosphere. It makes this a great desintation for someone looking for a big resort in terms of acreage and variety of terrain, while having a slightly different feel from the normal destinations.
3. Loveland
This is where you can see our locals’ bias, but Loveland is a deeply underrated mountain by most. Independent to the core, Loveland isn’t on a mega pass. You’ll need a season pass, Powder Alliance pass, or day ticket to ride there. No hotels or condos at the base, Loveland feels like a ski area, rather than a ski resort, if you know what we mean.
But, its lack of infrastructure isn’t for lack of amazing terrain. For beginners and intermediates, you get some variety. It’s often paired with incredible views and a spectacular setting. Loveland is split into two areas, the Basin and the Valley. The Valley is a stone’s throw down Highway 6 from the Basin that’s engineered for beginners. Green slopes, a magic carpet, and easy lift rides makes for great beginner terrain that feels safe and isolated from more aggressive or faster skiers.
Up at the Basin, you’ll find some great terrain for all levels. Moderate pitches, wide open bowls, with ungroomed terrain makes up most of the north side of the mountain. The shady south side under Chet’s Dream offers steeps that rival Aspen, Crested Butte, and A-Basin. All right underneath Chet’s which is a high-speed quad. It takes two and half minutes to get to the top, meaning you can really bang out some vert on this lift.
And then, there’s Lift 9. It runs up to the Continental Divide, where you can ski off pretty much everywhere on the ridge. On days with nice weather, Loveland will run the Ridge Cat, a free cat ride to take you farther down the ridge. It’s pretty special terrain.
The old school vibe lives on. Easy to get to, laid back.
— Chris C.
4. Crested Butte
Another resort that lives well off the I-70 corridor and takes some work to get to, Crested Butte always delivers the goods. It’s steep, technical, with some of the best views you’ll find in the state. A core ski town through and through, Crested Butte blends the amenities and resources of a big resort with the authenticity of a ski town with locals that get after it and love their community.
Even though it’s known for its steep terrain, CB has plenty of wide open groomers and more mellow terrain to explore. The views are incredible, and the trails flow incredibly well. We love blues off of Paradise Lift, which does feel like paradise on a sunny day.
In the steeps, the terrain is pretty spectacular for folks who like technical skiing. It can be a fairly rocky mountain. That means your skis might deal with a little damage in a low tide year, but it also means there’s tons of features to explore. From chutes, to little drops, to proper cliffs, there’s plenty for a freeride skier to get into.
The town of Crested Butte lives a couple miles down the hill, with the town of Mt. Crested Butte right at the base. Mt. Crested Butte hosts tons of condos and other lodging, and the town offers free shuttles between the two communities. It’s incredibly easy to get around. It lets you maximize town exploration, while staying in a convienent location to get as much skiing in as possible.
I love that you can’t just roll up to CB and ski it all in a day. And I don’t mean that it’s huge. I mean that there are so many nooks and krannies and hidden gems that you’ve got to follow a local or seriously get ambitious with your exploring. It’s one-of-one in the state for adventure runs and hidden gnar. Can’t get enough.
— Matt
5. Winter Park
Winter Park is the deifnition of classic. Located not far from Denver, Winter Park is easily accessed for folks living in the Front Range or staying down the hill. It has some of the most legendary bump terrain at Mary Jane. Panorama lift has some great powder stashes and tree skiing. The “Park” side has great variety, while Eagle Wind and Vasquez give you a chance to get away from the crowds.
A little known secret about Winter Park — they seem to get some of the best snow in and around the Front Range. Something about the way the mountain is situated in the mountains attracts just a few extra inches every storm we get. For us, that means extra snow leftover in stashes for longer.
Mary Jane has probably seen the majority of my days in Colorado. The trees at Winter Park are stellar terrain to explore. There always seem to be little powder stashes days after the last storm to pop. Not to mention the 50 some huts to be found and take a little break with friends away from the crowds.
— Sam F.
Compared to some of the other mountains on this list, Winter Park has a solid park scene. Once the season is in full form, there’s plenty of features and proper jumps to hit on the park side.
Overall, Winter Park feels like it has something for everyone. With plenty of mid-mountain restaurants and lodges, with a little big of every kind of terrain you could ask for off of every lift, this is the kind of mountain that will make everyone happy.
6. Aspen Highlands
You might think it’s cheating to put three out of four resorts of the Aspen Snowmass congolomorate together, but they all have such unique feels. Highlands feels more like an Araphaoe Basin or Crested Butte. It’s home to the legendary Highlands Bowl. It’s a huge bowl with steep pitches all around. The gorgeous 45 minute to an hour hike is well worth the experience if you’re an expert rider (even if you don’t love to hike).
Aside from the bowl, there are some incredible steeps in the trees in Temerity. And something you may not expect, they have some of the best groomers in the state. They’re long, flowy, and perfect pitches. If you love to carve, bring the skinny skis here for a day and catch early morning cordoroy. It makes for the perfect spring destination. Hike the bowl while the weather is good and energy is high, and then ski sunny groomers to the base.
And I would be remiss to not mention Cloud 9. Quintessential Aspen, Cloud 9 is a fully unique apres experience. You’ll need a reservation in advance, and you’ll likely see champagne flying around the patio on a particularly fun day.
Great groomers, and a really unique steep skiing experience with Highlands Bowl!
— Jonathan
7. Copper Mountain
To be honest, this humble skier is a little surprised that Copper didn’t score higher. It has a lot going for it. It has some of the most varied terrain, but rather than a little bit of everything on every chair, there’s specific zones. The East Village has some steeper bump lines and more black terrain, the Center Village has plenty of wide open blue groomers, and West Village hosts lots greens and the park. Despite having three (!) base areas, the mountain feels easy to navigate. Once you get to the backside, there’s tons of black and double black terrain to explore. It makes it great for folks to feel like they can get to different trails easily, without having to get lost on a trail that they may not want to go down.
Copper balances being a big resort with also a locals vibe. There’s tons of events throughout the month, from rail jams to music at the base area. They also offer $99 lift tickets on Thursdays, which is one of the best deals in the Colorado.
You can’t talk about Copper without mentioning the park scene. Woodward is partnered with Copper, where they build some of the biggest and best parks around. There’s a variety of rails, hits, and jumps. Everything from a nice progression park for new riders and younger folks, with some legit professional features. The base area hosts the massive Super Pipe. It makes for great people watching at the base during apres.
The best mountain off I-70. Top tier park and terrain, amazing vibes, the shuttle service isn’t my favorite though. Bubble lift.
— Garrett
8. Aspen Mountain
Aspen Mountain is unique in that it takes off right in the middle of town. The old mining town was first on the scene early on in the ski scene, founded back in the 40s. You board the Silver Queen Gondola right in town, and take the ride all the way up to the top. From there, you can choose several blue groomers, black bump runs, or explore further on the sides for some short steep pitches. There’s no beginner terrain on Aspen, which keeps heavy crowds away.
Compared to a big resort like Snowmass or Copper, Aspen is a narrow mountain with various ridge lines that you can explore. You can choose from skiing top to bottom and taking long gondola laps, or staying on some of the shorter lifts like Ajax or Ruthies to lap the terrain underneath. In this skier’s humble opinion, taking long gondola laps to ski some of the glades off of Gentleman’s Ridge, or some of the steeps under International Road.
I may be biased since my winter working here was an incredible snow year, but I love Ajax. You can create tons of new link-ups all over the mountain, and it’s fun to create unique lines and see what you can put together. The glades feel perfectly spaced, and on a powder day, there’s pretty much no where else I’d rather ski.
— Alex
Even though staying in Aspen is probably prohibitive to most, the city runs an incredible public transit service. From the Intercept Lot off the highway, you can take a free bus into town, or to any of the four mountains. Find cheaper lodging down valley in Glenwood and Carbondale, and spend a few bucks on a bus line. Save gas, save money, and stress of finding parking in town.
9. Wolf Creek
Nestled down in the Southern Colorado area, Wolf Creek is home to some of the highest snowfall in Colorado. This indie resort keeps things simple. With no hotels or big condos at the base area, and situated hours from any airport and major cities, you don’t see a lot of crowds down here. Even with the big storms that come through, there’s not mega lift lines that keep you from maximizing the amount of laps you can get in.
Wolf Creek hosts a variety of terrain too. The mountain has plenty of long, low angle runs that turn in to playful creek beds and drainages. It’s the definition of choose your own adventure. There’s short steep pitches that can shoot off of more mellow drainages. Freeride skiers will find plenty of cliffs to choose from if finding features on a soft snow day is your jam.
For folks who just like to cruise, there’s so much to enjoy. This makes it a great ski trip for folks with a variety of skill levels, but want to stay away from the big resorts. Powder7 staffers have loved rallying down to Wolf Creek for group ski trips just for that reason. While it may not host the gnarliest terrain in the state, the vibes, variety, and snow give it a solid spot on the best ski resorts in Colorado list.
Pro tip: Stay on the east side of the pass to avoid any road closures when a big storm rolls through.
Vibe is HIGH. Terrain is fun. Gotta have great snow to make it worth the trip…but that’s not all that hard considering its best-in-state snowfall average.
— Matt
10. Snowmass
Last, but certainly not least, Snowmass is the third Aspen Snowmass resort on this list. If you purchase a lift ticket or package for the four mountain resorts, you’ll be able to redeem those days at any mountain. Snowmass differs from its steep and narrow sibilings up valley. This mountain is postively huge, with a big footprint and seemingly countless lifts. There are wide open bowls, smooth and meandering groomers, mellow bump pitches. For advanced skiers, the Cirque and the Headwall zone deliver proper steeps and a big-mountain feel. The Hanging Valley is a killer zone, with steep glades and cool gully features.
For a group heading to the Roaring Fork Valley, Snowmass offers the best variety for all skills and styles. Snowmass has a great base area too, that feels more like a traditional resort. You’ll find more moderately priced foods and snacks down here compared to Aspen Mountain that drops you into town. Like Copper, they host plenty of events and live music, with an ice rink for bonus points. Non-skiers will enjoy the mid-mountain alpine coaster, which just requires a scenic gondola ride up. It’s great for folks to get to experience the mountain without actually needing to ski.
Such a huge selection of terrain that there’s something for everyone, and it’s really easy to ski a variety of things.
— Matt
