Colorado Skiing

Best Skiing in the USA

The Colorado Rocky Mountain ski resorts are generally considered to have some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the USA. They are famous for their spectacular mountain scenery; excellent ski slopes, fantastic snow conditions and great accommodations. The nightlife and entertainment are pretty good as well.

Located Two to Four Hours from Denver

The ski resorts are located in the Rocky Mountains west of Denver and Colorado Springs. Most of them lie within a two to four hours drive from Denver. Skiers normally fly to Denver and take a shuttle bus or commuter flight to the resorts, or drive a rented car.

High Altitude Skiing

The Colorado resorts are all located above 7,000 feet (2.100 meters). This provides excellent snow and great ski conditions. The slopes usually receive between 300 and 400 inches (750 to 1000 cm) of snowfall each season. Skiers coming from low altitudes may experience some altitude sickness their first few days at the higher elevations. This can include difficulty breathing, dizziness, and mild headaches.

The Most Popular Ski Resorts

Vail and Aspen are the best known and most popular ski resorts in Colorado. They offer many excellent ski slopes with great accommodations and a variety of entertainment and shopping opportunities. You might even see a movie star in the local bar as many rich and famous people own winter chalets nearby. Many veteran skiers claim that these resorts offer some of the best skiing in North America, but others complain that popularity has brought crowds of tourists and high prices.

The Major Colorado Ski Resorts
Resort	Elevation Feet (meters)	Vertical Feet (meters)	Number of Lifts	Number Hotel Beds
Vail	8,120 (2.475)	3,330 (1.015)	31	12,000
Aspen	7,945 (2.422)	3635 (1.108)	23	2,125
Steamboat	6,900 (2.103)	3,668 (1.118)	22	7,550
Beaver Creek	7,400 (2.255)	4,040 (1.231)	14	4,700
Snowmass	8,104 (2.470)	4,406(1.343)	23	5,500
Winter Park	9,000 (2.743)	3,060 (932)	23	1,250
Copper Mountain	9,700 (2.957)	2,601 (793)	20	2,800
Keystone	9,300 (2.835)	2,900 (884)	20	1,625
Breckenridge	9,600 (2.926)	3,398 (1.036)	21	700
Crested Butte	9,375 (2.858)	2,775 (846)	14	5,100
Telluride	8,725 (2.659)	3,165 (965)	12	4,300
Arapahoe Basin	10,800 (3.292)	2,250 (685)	5	0