The state continually gets some of the best snow in the country and has a rich tradition of supporting innovation and development in skiing and snowboarding. Home to 28 resorts, Colorado offers some of the most epic trails and thrilling rides you’ll be able to find.
1. The Colorado Ski Season is Longer
Most years, Colorado resorts open earlier and stay open later in the season than anywhere else in the country. Arapahoe Basin and Loveland Ski Area usually compete to become the first North American resorts open each year, sometimes cranking up the lifts as early as Oct. 15.
How do they do it? High altitude plays a huge part in the early season advantage. Base elevation for both resorts is at about 11,000 feet above sea level. Also, a passion for making the ski season last as long as possible helps motivate crews to prepare ski runs and get the snow machines cranked up. When the rest of North America’s resorts have closed for the season, Arapahoe Basin is still going strong, with great conditions through late May and rideable snow as late as early July in some cases.
2. We Have Some of the Largest Resorts in the Country
If you’re having visions of thousands of uninterrupted acres blanketed in snow, you’ll love Colorado’s mega resort ski areas. Vail is by far the largest ski area in the state, measuring an incredible 8.3 square miles wide with 275 trails stretched over 5,317 acres and offering 31 different ski lifts. Next up is Snowmass with 3,342 skiable acres, 21 chairlifts and 299 inches of annual snowfall. Keystone covers three mountains and checks in at 3,148 acres with 20 ski lifts and 235 inches of annual snowfall.
Other large resorts in Colorado include Winter Park (3,081 acres, which you can reach during winter from Denver via Amtrak's Winter Park Express train), Steamboat (2,965 acres), Breckenridge Ski Resort (2,908 acres) and Copper Mountain (2,433 acres). Plan a day of skiing at one of Colorado’s large ski areas and you’ll be getting as close to a pristine backcountry skiing experience as is possible without actually hiking into the wilderness. In fact, some days at these resorts will find more acres than skiers, giving everyone plenty of room to roam.
3. Smaller Resorts: We Treasure the Hidden Hotspots
Sometimes big isn’t better, which is why Colorado locals still love the small resorts just as much as the large ones. These parks offer great snow and plenty of space to perfect your skills.
Roomy slopes, manageable parking lots and lift lines, and a great variety of runs — including beginner-level slopes that won’t intimidate the budding skier and rider in your family — are part of what make these ski areas special. You’re only paying for what really matters: access to great snow.
Ski jumpers and beginning riders will love the historic Howelson Hill Ski Area with its Olympic-caliber ski jumps and manageable 17 trails. Granby Ranch is also on the small side, but it has four chairlifts, a magic carpet and 406 acres of terrain, making it the perfect place for family ski adventures with little ones. Wolf Creek Ski Area, with only 10 lifts, is known for consistently having some of the best snow in Colorado, topping snowfall records year after year with an average of 336 inches annually. Find more when you check out Colorado Skiing & Snowboarding: Hidden Hotspot Ski Areas.