Colorado is the ultimate winter playground, with more than half of the state covered by the Rocky Mountains. This has given way to more than 30 resorts offering not just skiing, but off-piste and apres ski activities too, from backcountry trips to horse-drawn sleigh rides. Most are in close proximity to Denver, where a vast international airport and characterful city centre provide the perfect entry point for your winter break. Spend a couple of days in the capital watching sports, shopping for cowboy togs and sampling local beers before hitting the slopes. From epic off-piste playgrounds to accessible all-rounders, here are six of the state’s coolest ski towns.
Colorado’s resorts are known for their pristine powder snow conditions, which can be enjoyed both on and off-piste.
Photograph by Colorado Tourism Office
Best for cool cowboy heritage: Steamboat
Renowned for its trademarked ‘Champagne Powder’ snow and its roster of resident winter Olympians, Steamboat’s offerings include night skiing, snow tubing and North America’s largest ski jumping complex. A recent three-year redevelopment project welcomed a new base area on Steamboat Square, which includes new social spaces, a concert stage and a food hall. From the square, visitors can now ride the Wild Blue Gondola (the longest in North America) to the top of Sunshine Peak.
What sets this historic ranching community apart, however, is its distinctive Western charm. Restaurants range from ranch-to-plate favourite E3 Chophouse to the family-friendly Ore House at The Pine Grove, which serves hearty, seasonal cuisine. Nearby, Western apparel stores such as F.M. Light & Sons and Steamboat Hatter sell handmade leather boots and custom-made cowboy hats. There’s also the Cowboy Downhill Ski Rodeo event, held every January, where professional cowboys and cowgirls swap their saddles for skis and compete for prizes.
Best for off-piste adventures: Crested Butte
With 561 acres of double-black-diamond terrain that accounts for nearly two-thirds of the mountain’s overall acreage, Crested Butte is the go-to destination for seasoned skiers and snowboarders. Its remote location means fewer crowds and its terrain is rugged and varied, with steep chutes, open glades and expansive bowls.
Mount Axtell has a range of routes, including the steep and narrow Pencil and Quill couloirs. For less experienced skiers, a variety of local operators, such as Irwin Guides, offer avalanche courses, private skiing lessons and off-piste hut trips across the Elk Mountains.
Charming and laid back, the town is home to masses of winter activities besides skiing, such as dog sledding and fat biking. Visitors can also enjoy simply wandering around this picture-perfect town, which brims with charm and 1800s mining history. There’s also a range of low key restaurants, including Kochevar’s Saloon, which dates to 1886.
Best for top-of-the-world views: Breckenridge
Breckenridge is one of the US’s highest ski resorts, made up of five peaks reaching more than 12,000ft, allowing for quality snow and long runs for skiers and snowboarders of varying abilities. Those looking for a challenge should ski the extreme double-black-diamond Lake Chutes. Alternatively, hop on board the Imperial Express SuperChair, North America’s highest chairlift, to reach the top of Peak 8.
Back at the base of the slopes, the historic gold mining town — known as ‘Breck’ by locals and regulars — is home to colourful storefronts and weathered saloons. Here, visitors can end a ski day relaxing with a hot toddy, making the most of the award-winning offerings from the vibrant local distillery scene. The town also hosts the International Snow Sculpture Championships each January, where teams spend five days creating an outdoor art gallery — without the use of power tools.
One of the highest ski resorts in the US, Breckenridge’s peaks lend themselves to long runs and sweeping views.
Photograph by Colorado Tourism Office
Visitors to Breckenridge can end a ski day by relaxing in one of the illuminated saloons in the historic gold mining town ‘Beck’.
Photograph by Aaron Dodds, Colorado Tourism Office
Best for family fun: Winter Park
Located just 66 miles from Denver — skiers can now catch the Winter Park Express train from Denver Union Station — Winter Park is one of the state’s most family-friendly resorts. Beginners should head to the gentle, spacious Gemini and Bill Wilson’s Way. There’s also snow tubing and ski biking for over-14s, as well as snowcat tours, such as the excursion with the Winter Park Resort guide team to Vasquez Ridge. With tree-lined slopes and open meadows, this spot at the top of the Mary Jane Mountain is perfect for families who want a pause to enjoy s’mores while watching the sun set over Fraser Valley.
There’s plenty to get involved with off the slopes, too, notably the family-friendly apres scene. The Sunspot Mountaintop Lodge is a particularly popular spot, with live music, hot chocolate and cookies for children and a free gondola ride there and down.
Best all-rounder: Aspen
With four distinct mountains, Aspen has gentle, undulating slopes at Buttermilk, double-black-diamond terrain at the Highland Bowl and world-class heli-skiing in the nearby San Juan Mountains. Then there’s Snowmass, which is larger than the other three mountains combined.
Beyond the slopes, Aspen’s legendary apres scene caters for all, whether you prefer a cosy fireside hot chocolate at The Little Nell, Aspen’s five-star, five-diamond hotel, or a cocktail in a rooftop hot tub at W Aspen’s WET deck. Meanwhile, for families, the newly upgraded Snowmass Base Village features a social hub complete with restaurants, ice rink, games lounge, yoga studio and five-storey climbing wall.
Aspen also has a variety of winter festivals and events, including the annual three-day Wintersköl, featuring live snow sculpture carvings and a craft beer festival. There’s also Aspen Gay Ski Week, held in January, where the line-up involves guided mountain hikes, a downhill costume competition, apres ski events and a Drag Queen Bingo Brunch.
This is paid content for Colorado Tourism Office. It does not necessarily reflect the views of National Geographic, National Geographic Traveller (UK) or their editorial staffs.
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