The nation's highest, and one of Colorado's oldest ski areas also remains one of its most down-to-earth. Lift ticket prices for the original rope tow in 1946 cost $1.25 per day. Even now, ticket prices remain reasonable.
Hugging the Continental Divide at 13,050 feet, this winter playground is a place where you can park for free right at the base and be on a lift in minutes. Ski directly up to the famous base lodge, a former NASA rocket-tester hub transported from Colorado Springs to the mountain in 1965, for some tasty hamburgers. This mountain has a reputation for extreme terrain and short lift lines.
A-Basin's altitude allows it to stay open well into summer, and in springtime, the sun-and-fun atmosphere has caused the base area to be coined the Beach. A-Basin hosts the hilarious, annual Cardboard Derby, where entrants slide gigantic cardboard structures towards a bumpy finish line. For the less intrepid, just bring a lawn chair and portable barbeque. There's no lodging here and there won't be anytime soon; for a bed, head just down the pass to Keystone Resort.
Community Resources
Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort
28194 US Hwy. 6
Arapahoe Basin, CO 80435
Phone: 888-ARAPAHOE
Toll Free: 888-ARAPAHOE
www.arapahoebasin.com