My wife and I want to take a Colorado ski trip. I’ve been to Snow Bird, Utah and Zermatt, Switzerland. Zermatt was a dream.

I ski while wifey relaxes. I enjoy intermediate level runs. She likes coffee shops and brunch. We both appreciate lodging close to the bottom of the runs within walking distance to coffee shops, nice restaurants, and shopping. The budget is not much of a concern. I wouldn’t mind spending up to $400/night. It looks like you can get a nice place for much less than that on Air BnB in all locations.

We have been looking into Breckenridge and Vail. Someone recommended Steamboat. Airfare from Atlanta to Denver is cheap so I was thinking of staying within driving distance from Denver. What do you guys recommend?

I don’t know, they all have their charms; I’d be inclined to say Vail. I wouldn’t overlook JHMR in Jackson, WY though

Back in the mid 1980s I had a two-year contract near Denver.

My wife and I had "Ski The Summit" tickets, that were good for any of the four ski areas in Summit County -- closer to Denver, if you are driving.

In alphabetical order, Arapahoe Basin, Breckinridge, Copper Mountain, and Keystone.

My thoughts on these:

• Arapahoe Basin seemed to be suited for the hard-core, talented skiers. It was also good when there was not much snow, as it is a higher elevation than the others and tended to have more natural snow.
  
  
• Breckenridge was nice, the village at the base of the mountain had some nice bed-and-breakfast places (we often stayed at a large home owned by a urologist and his wife), and some good eating.
  
  
• Copper Mountain was the most enjoyable for us for skiing. A really nice bowl at the top, excellent for beginner and intermediate skiers, like we were. We sometimes stayed in one of the condos, especially if there were a few couples and we brought groceries with us. Restaurant choices were good quality, but limited.
  
  
• Keystone seemed to be the most "touristy." OK, but not our favorite.

All of that was thirty-some years ago, so things might very well have changed.

For skiing, and relaxation, restaurants and shopping, I would recommend Breckenridge. It's got the town at the base, good lodging and a wide variety of shops and restaurants. It's in a close tie with Vail. Vail is pricier.

Check before you book. Colorado is currently in a covid shutdown. No indoor dining.

I only went once, around 1981. That was to Tamarron, at Durango. I enjoyed it.

flashguy

Born and raised in CO. Ski instructor for several years.

Breckenridge is a nice option. Enough skiing to keep everybody busy. Close enough to Silverthorn for those that want to shop the outlets. Lots of restaurants/breweries. Easy access to I70, not too far from Denver (2 hours).

Vail is further from Denver, and there is really nothing but Vail. If you've got the budget, Vail is awesome. Some of the best skiing anywhere.

If I want to *ski* I go to Copper Mt. or Keystone. If I'm entertaining families/friends from out of town, Breck. If they fly in on a Lear jet I direct them to Vail.

If you want an affordable family ski experience, Monarch.

Steamboat also a lot of fun, but it's more of a chore to get there.

Can't really go wrong with any of them. Each has its own charms.

Vail, Aspen, and Telluride are the primo rich people ski areas.

Next down the list are places like Winter Park, Copper Mountain, Keystone, Breckenridge, Steamboat Springs, and Arapaho Basin.

If you want to get a little more out of the way and smaller, Crested Butte or Wolf Creek might be your cup of tea.

At the low end you have Eldora new Boulder (which isn't a resort just a ski area), or Ski Cooper near Leadville. I've been to both of those and they're the low end of what you'll find in CO.

I don't know know the details of any of them well, because although I grew up in CO, I never was a skier.

Oh, and, just so you know, Vail is filled with left wing assholes and you'll be giving your money to them.

I like Telluride. Although most of my time there was before it was discovered by the jet set. Beautiful mountain and town.

Copper

Pro tip: If you pick Wolf Creek, fly into New Mexico and drive north. Shorter and less chance of bad roads due to snow. I have friends from here who went there for 3 weeks every winter for years and that was their trick.

I like Breckenridge. Four O Clock run will take you right into downtown.

Breckenridge. Reasonable drive from Denver, plenty of rental condos, great skiing.

The real attraction is that it's Summit County and there are some other great ski resorts there - Copper Mountain, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin. I've skied everywhere except A-basin.

The other great attraction is that you can buy multiresort packages that get you in all already listed resorts with options for Vail. My boss is currently doing this right now.

Breckenridge or Vail are somewhat convenient to Denver and still offer your wife a full ski village with shops and restaurants.
Steamboat is great too, but a decent amount further.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Breckenridge. Reasonable drive from Denver, plenty of rental condos, great skiing.

The real attraction is that it's Summit County and there are some other great ski resorts there - Copper Mountain, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin. I've skied everywhere except A-basin.

The other great attraction is that you can buy multiresort packages that get you in all already listed resorts with options for Vail. My boss is currently doing this right now.

Vail Resorts owns several Ski Areas in Colorado.

Edit:

If it was me, I'd go to Southern Colorado to Wolf Creek, Telluride, or Crested Butte. The crowds will be a lot less. Telluride and Purgatory are full fledged resorts. Others are just a hill and a ski lift.

Breckinridge is where I'd send you. You can drive from there to Keystone or Arapahoe easily. Copper Mountain isn't much farther away. Tons of places to stay in the Dillon and Frisco area nearby. Vail is Vail. Snooty and more expensive. Beaver Creek not bad either. You can fly into EGE (dummies) call it the Vail airport. It's not. Lots to choose from. Be safe.

This Winter season is very different depending on the state/county you plan to visit. I deal mainly with Alterra for work, however Vail Resorts is the other heavy hitter and you need to check on lift pass availability before booking anything. I know if you hold an Ikon pass or, have reservations to stay on property, you will be able to play, however if you're expecting to purchase a 3-day pass or, rental/pass package, you may be out of luck or, limited to middle of the week dates. Weekends will be hell, as day-passes and rentals will be severely limited if not outright not available, gov regs and compliance is every-changing and a source of major headaches for the operators so, you need to check regularly for any changes.

Aspen is an experience, especially on the checking account but, its a fun splurge, Steamboat and Durango are fun excursions, and don't rule out Jackson Hole, as they all offer similar extravagance. Winter Park has become a favorite of mine, solid mid-tier and they have the underrated Winter Park Express train connection from Denver; it's a really nice way to avoid weekend traffic jams which have become notorious in the last 20-25 years.

Not to overstate the obvious, but Jackson Hole is in Wyoming. The train outta Denver is cool, but does eat up lots of time. Lots of options. I agree, better check on pass availability before ya get too far....

A-basin is the MRG of Colorado. Great skiing if one is at that level!

While Copper and Keystone have great terrain, I think Breckenridge offers the best combo of nice terrain and a comfortable and fun resort town.

Vail has incredible skiing, but is pricey and lacking (I think) a large base lodge to work out of. Maybe do a day trip there.

If staying in Sliverthorne be mindful that some of the lodging is already at 7K - 8K feet or so IIRC, which some folks may find uncomfortable.

Make sure that you have powder-cords if you are fortunate enough to hit a big pow day or three!

Have fun!!

Colorado resident for 25 years now. As others have said, Vail or Breck. However, I would look into what their reservation system is this year. I haven't been up there yet this year, and not really sure if I'll go or not, but I was reading an article the other day about some guy who was pissed off with the reservation system in Winter Park. Apparently they're sold out for pretty much all weekends from now until late March. Weekdays have a lot more availability. I have no idea what each resort's polices are this year with regards to reservations...Totally new for this year. It's a cluster.

We've had Loveland passes the past 2 years, but I didn't get passes this year due to Covid uncertainty. My boys are 9 & 10. I'm not a fan of Loveland terrain, but for beginner's it's just fine and it's 60 minutes from my house. I would not recommend Loveland for out of staters. If you want really good terrain, Copper.

Breck sucks if you're a snowboarder due to the catwalks you have to traverse. I refuse to go there as I am a snowboarder. No issues if you ski.

Steamboat is my favorite as far as "drive-able" from Denver. It's a bit farther than Breck or Vail, but it's awesome. If you are lucky enough to get some powder days you won't regret going a little further to the 'Boat.

After thinking it over, I think I'll vote Steamboat.

Me, I'm heading to Mexico for 11 days in Feb...

Another vote for Telluride. It’s a beautiful area