Denver Ski Vacation Guide

Denver, Colorado—the eastern gateway to the Rockies—is home to what many consider the very best skiing on the continent. Famous for its abundant powder-smooth snow, adopted son John Denver, and the "Rocky Mountain High," Colorado has the most ski resort resorts and acres of trails in the world and Denver International Airport assures you will be able to fly in to the ski capital from just about anywhere.

Make Denver your base camp and set about exploring those exquisite alpine destinations. Denver itself is still in the flats at 5,280 feet (thus the nickname, Mile High City) but less than a two-hour drive from the slopes and the finest champagne powder. One advantage of making Denver your base location is that you'll enjoy some serious deals and discounts on both equipment rentals and lift tickets. Buy and rent in advance (for a fraction of the cost) and the money you save may very well pay for your lodgings or lift tickets! You can pick up your gear (purchased or rented) from a local shop in the Denver area before heading to the slopes and save big bucks!

Day Skiing in Colorado

Sample the several outstanding ski resorts in the area, visiting a few at a time. Since each of Colorado's world-class resorts has its own style, charm, and advantages, visiting several is both an exciting and rewarding way to spend your ski vacation. Take a drive through some breathtaking scenery on your way to the world-class skiing at Winter Park or Sol Vista, near Granby, Colorado. The Frasier Valley is well known for the unpretentious vibe, yet the skiing at Winter Park is legendary.

The next day may find you soaring down the slopes in Summit County. Home to Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, and Keystone, Summit County's resorts offer the finest skiing on the eastern side of the state. Many skiers feel there's no need to go any farther west than Summit County. Arapahoe Basin's peaks rise to over 12,000 feet, providing unparalleled vertical drops. Indeed, there is no higher alpine skiing except Wolf Creek! Keystone (just five miles down the road) is a planned family resort community with a more luxuriously equipped environment. Just down the road from there you find Dillon and Frisco, and just past them, Breckenridge's excellent terrains, jumps, bumps, and back bowls. Beyond Breckenridge, you'll find Copper Mountain, another designer resort, which offers a multitude of exciting family events. All of these awesome experiences are yours within a couple hours or so of Denver!

Making Denver the base-camp for your ski vacation explorations can provide you with the a vastly diverse set of skiing opportunities, the chance to visit several ski resorts during your stay. Regardless of where you choose, skiing in the Colorado Rockies is always an awesome way to spend your ski vacation!

Weather Warning

Be aware that the weather you enjoy in Denver is nothing like what you'll encounter on the slopes. Both altitude and wind chill play a major part in the clothing and equipment you need. Pack light layers and be certain to bring or buy a breathable, waterproof outer shell, a hat to covers your ears, a neck gator, (and ankle gators), goggles, and a ski mask. Trust us, pack some sun screen too!

Denver Snowboard Vacation Guide


Denver is the capital of Colorado and the most populous city in the entire state. If you are looking to have a great ski vacation in the state of Colorado, Denver is one of the obvious places to go. Every year thousands and thousands of people pass through Denver on their way to the various ski resorts. Colorado is one of the most popular states to go skiing and snowboarding—and Denver is the gateway to the Rockies.

If you base your next winter vacation around the city of Denver you will have the advantage of being close to your resort destination while enjoying the city life. Resorts that you can visit from Denver include Loveland Ski Resort, Winter Park Ski Resort, and the Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort.

Winter Park

The Winter Park Ski Resort right next to Denver offers roughly 150 trails for you to snowboard down, as well as five park & pipe locations, where you can try out different kinds of terrain, rails, boxes, ridges, etc. The awesome pipes will help you get the best air with your snowboard and develop your snowboard jumping style.

Twenty-five lifts services the trails of the Winter Park Ski Resort, and the areas of the resort include Winter Park Mountain, the Vasquez Ridge, Vasquez Cirque, Parsenn Bowl, and Mary Jane Mountain. Many of the trails are in the easy and intermediate skill range, but there are also several double black diamond courses, which will give even experienced snowboarders an excellent challenge and a chance to make their skills that much better.

Arapahoe Basin

The Arapahoe Ski Area is a popular ski / snowboard park that has just become almost twice as big with the addition of the new Montezuma Bowl area. The mountain at A-Basin is also one of the biggest in the area with a height of just over 13,000 feet and seven chairlifts, which give you access to over 100 trails.

When you finish a long day of snowboarding at either of these local winter resorts you have the ability to take a quick shuttle or drive back to Denver, where there is all kinds of local nightlife and après ski action. As the biggest city in the state there is nothing you can’t find in Denver!

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