Skiing in Colorado

Skiing in Colorado: Resorts, Lift Passes and Getting There

Updated September 2026 for the 2026/27 season

Colorado has more than 30 ski areas, ranging from world-famous names like Aspen, Vail and Breckenridge to small, family-run hills where a day ticket still costs less than lunch in the big resorts. Add famously light, dry snow, high-altitude bowls, some of the best tree skiing in the world and a clutch of historic mining and ranching towns, and it is easy to see why so many British skiers who try it once keep coming back.

This guide covers the essentials: which resort suits you, which lift pass to buy, how to ski Colorado for less and how to get there from the UK. For the latest news, see our feature on why Colorado should be on your ski list this winter.

What’s New for 2026/27

• Two 80th birthdays: Aspen Snowmass and Arapahoe Basin both turn 80, with $80 lift ticket days and a season of celebrations.
• New lifts: the Nell Bell high-speed quad on Aspen Mountain, Powderhorn’s Wild West Express and Purgatory’s Colorado Couloir chair.
• Better Ikon value: the Ikon Base Pass now includes unlimited skiing at A-Basin and five days at Snowmass.
• More skiing time: Winter Park opens its lifts at 8am every weekend from December to April.

Colorado’s Ski Resorts at a Glance

Our resort guides go into detail on each. In short:

• Breckenridge: five peaks above a lively Victorian gold-rush town, and a great first Colorado trip.
• Vail: more than 5,000 acres, the famous Back Bowls and a car-free Alpine-style village.
• Beaver Creek: quiet, polished and family-friendly, with the Birds of Prey downhill for experts.
• Keystone: family favourite with Colorado’s biggest night skiing and one of the earliest openings.
• Aspen Snowmass: four mountains on one ticket, from gentle Buttermilk to the steeps of Highland Bowl, with a proper town at the bottom.
• Arapahoe Basin: high, steep and gloriously old-school, with one of the longest seasons in North America.
• Steamboat: Champagne Powder®, superb tree skiing and a real Western ranching town.
• Winter Park: huge variety, Mary Jane’s famous bumps, and a ski train from Denver.
• Copper Mountain: terrain that sorts itself from easy to hard, west to east, which makes it ideal for mixed-ability groups.
• Telluride: a spectacular box canyon, a Victorian mining town and a free gondola to the slopes.
• Crested Butte: a colourful old mining town with some of the most extreme lift-served terrain in North America.
• Purgatory: relaxed, family-friendly and great value, near Durango.
• Powderhorn: glades, short queues and big views from the edge of the Grand Mesa.
• Monarch Mountain: all natural snow on the Continental Divide, with the new No Name Basin terrain.
• Ski Cooper: small, friendly and cheap, with a remarkable 10th Mountain Division history.

Epic or Ikon?

Most of Colorado’s big resorts are on one of the two big multi-resort passes, so it pays to decide which suits your trip before you book anything else. Breckenridge, Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone and Crested Butte are on the Epic Pass, with Telluride a partner resort. Aspen Snowmass, Steamboat, Winter Park, Copper Mountain, Eldora and Arapahoe Basin are on the Ikon Pass.

Both passes also cover major resorts in the Alps, so one pass can pay for a Colorado trip and a week closer to home in the same winter. Prices rise through the autumn, so buy early. Our guides to the Ikon Pass for 2026/27 and choosing the right lift pass explain the options.

Skiing Colorado for Less

Colorado has a reputation for being expensive, and walk-up lift tickets at the big resorts certainly are. But with a little planning it need not cost a fortune.

• Book early. Lift tickets, lessons, rental and lodging are almost always cheaper booked in advance, and many resorts sell bundles that combine them.
• Buy a pass if you are skiing more than a few days. An Epic or Ikon pass, or a resort’s own multi-day product such as Aspen Snowmass’s Flex Pass, usually works out far cheaper per day than daily tickets.
• Look beyond the big names. Independent ski areas like Ski Cooper, Monarch and Powderhorn charge a fraction of big-resort prices. Powderhorn’s Mission Affordable 4-Pack gives you four shareable tickets for any day of the season.
• Take advantage of deals for children. Purgatory’s Power Kids programme has offered free skiing for under-13s, and the Colorado Ski Country USA Ski Passport (see below) is one of the best bargains in skiing.
• Ski midweek. Prices and queues are both lower outside weekends and the holiday peaks.

Colorado Ski Country USA Passes

Colorado Ski Country USA, the trade association for 20 of the state’s ski areas, sells multi-mountain passes that are open to visitors as well as locals. These were last season’s prices, so check coloradoski.com for 2026/27 details before you book.

• Ski Passport (kindergarten to 6th grade): four days each at 19 Colorado resorts, 76 days in all, for $67 (kindergarten to 2nd grade) or $72 (3rd to 6th grade), with two free junior rentals from Christy Sports.
• Gems Teen Pass (ages 12 to 17): two days each at the 10 smaller Gems resorts, 20 days for $207.
• Gems Discount Card: two discounted adult lift tickets at each of the 10 Gems resorts, for $49.99.
• Gold Pass: a fully transferable membership with no blackout dates at 20 Colorado resorts, for $4,600. Membership is by application.

More Colorado Ski Areas Worth Knowing

Some of Colorado’s most enjoyable skiing is at its smaller, independent ski areas, where prices are lower and the queues are short.

• Loveland, right on the Continental Divide off I-70, is high, snowy and great value, with a free snowcat along the Divide.
• Eldora, near Boulder, is on the Ikon Pass and has family-friendly Alpine Pass options.
• Sunlight Mountain Resort, near Glenwood Springs, has new Primo and Segundo chairlifts and hot springs down the road.
• Silverton Mountain is strictly for advanced and expert skiers, with guided lift-served terrain and heli-skiing.
• Echo Mountain, just 36 miles from Denver, offers night skiing, tubing and one of the cheapest season passes in the state.
• Granby Ranch, near Winter Park, is quiet and family-friendly, with a $2 shuttle from the Amtrak station.
• Howelsen Hill, in downtown Steamboat Springs, is the oldest continuously operating ski area in North America.
• Hesperus, near Durango, is a friendly local hill with night skiing and free skiing for young children.

When Does the Colorado Ski Season Start?

The first lifts usually turn in late October or early November at high, snowmaking-rich areas such as Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Winter Park. Most of the big resorts open between mid and late November, and the season runs until early or mid April. A-Basin often keeps going into June. For 2026/27, Breckenridge and Copper Mountain are due to open on 6 November, Steamboat on 21 November, and Aspen Mountain, Snowmass and Telluride on 26 November, all depending on conditions.

Getting to Colorado from the UK

Denver International Airport is the main gateway, with direct flights from London Heathrow. Most of the big resorts along the I-70 corridor, including Copper, Breckenridge, Keystone, A-Basin and Winter Park, are between one and a half and three hours’ drive away, depending on traffic. Aspen, Steamboat, Telluride (via Montrose) and Durango have their own airports, with connecting flights from Denver and other US hubs. For car-free skiing, the Winter Park Express train runs from Denver Union Station to the base of Winter Park.

Colorado Skiing: Your Questions Answered

Which Colorado ski resort is best for beginners and families?

Winter Park, Copper Mountain and Steamboat are all excellent choices, with dedicated learning areas and plenty of gentle cruising. At Aspen Snowmass, Buttermilk is one of the best beginner mountains in North America. For value, Purgatory and Powderhorn are relaxed, family-friendly and much cheaper than the big names.

Which Colorado ski resorts are best for expert skiers?

Arapahoe Basin, Telluride and Aspen Highlands, with its hike-to Highland Bowl, are the classic choices. Silverton Mountain is the most extreme of all, offering guided, advanced-only skiing on steep high-alpine terrain.

Is the Epic Pass or Ikon Pass better for Colorado?

It depends where you want to ski. The Epic Pass covers Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte, with Telluride as a partner. The Ikon Pass covers Aspen Snowmass, Steamboat, Winter Park, Copper Mountain, Eldora and Arapahoe Basin. Choose the pass that includes the resorts on your list.

How do you get to Colorado’s ski resorts from the UK?

Fly direct from London Heathrow to Denver, then drive, take a shuttle or catch the Winter Park Express train. Most I-70 resorts are two to three hours from Denver airport. For Aspen, Steamboat, Telluride and Purgatory, you can connect to a closer regional airport.

When is the best time to ski in Colorado?

January to early March usually brings the most reliable snow and the best powder days. Early December and April are quieter and often cheaper, and high resorts like A-Basin can have excellent spring skiing well into May.

How can I ski in Colorado on a budget?

Book lift tickets and lodging early, buy a multi-resort or multi-day pass, ski midweek, and look at independent ski areas such as Ski Cooper, Monarch, Powderhorn and Echo Mountain, where prices are far lower than at the big resorts.

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