Everything to know about Wolf Creek Ski Resort, A complete Guide
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Skiing and snowboarding can be dangerous activities, please ride within your ability levels and respect others around you
Located in Southern Colorado, Wolf Creek is a hidden gem off the beaten path just outside of South Fork and Pagosa Springs. This mountain region will produce snow storms that no other resort in the state of Colorado comes close to getting, which is why it becomes a sought out destination for powder seeking skiers and snowboarders. The average annual snowfall alone is 430 Inches!
What I love about Wolf Creek’s Ski resort is the mom and pop vibes, cheap lodging, affordable lift tickets, and being able to ride most of the resort in 1-2 days. When no other resorts in Colorado seem to be getting snow, you can always count on a good storm to roll through this place, leaving a smile on your face from first chair to last. In this post I’ll be going over how to get Wolf Creek, where to stay, what to know, best time to go, favorite areas of the mountain, and what to pack. Alright, let’s goooo!
Where is Wolf Creek Located and How to get there
As mentioned above Wolf Creek is located in Southern Colorado in the San Juan Mountain region and the Rio Grande National Forest. Sandwiched between Pagosa Springs and South Fork, this resort sits at the top of Wolf Creek Pass on 1,581 acres of National Forest Land. There is only one road that goes through to get to Wolf Creek with the Durango Airport being the closest area to fly into. Below I’ve listed mileage and average times from certain parts of Colorado. Please Note, That Wolf Creek Pass can get pretty icy and snowy during winter months with low visibility. PLEASE plan your trip accordingly which includes good tires, brakes, emergency kit, food/water, blankets and enough wiper fluid in your car. Also, remember to follow the State of Colorado Traction laws. This information can be found on the Colorado Department of Transportation website. Below are some travel times by vehicle from different areas in Colorado.
Durango Airport: 80 miles/1.5 hours
Denver: 252 Miles/4.5 Hours
Summit County: 200 miles/3.75 hours
Eagle County: 235 miles/4 hours 20 min
Colorado Springs: 229 miles/4 hours
Flagstaff Arizona: 389 miles/7 hours
Where to Stay
South Fork is the town right outside of Wolf Creek and it takes about 20-30 minutes (17 Miles) to the resort depending on weather. Pagosa Springs is the other town on the west side of the resort (24 Miles). Both areas will have motels, cabins, Inns, Bed/breakfast, and resort lodging options. The lodging is fairly inexpensive compared to other ski resorts in Colorado. I really liked staying at the Wolf Creek Ranch Ski Lodge. Close to the resort and nice rooms. Also in South Fork if you like Tiny Homes, there’s Tiny Timbers.
If you stay in Pagosa Springs, it is more of a town with breweries, restaurants, and shops, however if Wolf Creek gets a lot of snow the pass will typically close on that side of the highway and you won’t be able to get to the mountain as early.
Does Parking cost anything
Parking is free and there are a handful of free lots. The Upper Lot at the Base fills up quick and there aren’t a lot of spots. However there are Lower Lots that have shuttle services operating that will take you to the resort (Alberta and Tranquility lots). These parking lots will be to the left as you enter the resort. For busier days there are parking lot attendants that will guide you to these parking lots.
For really busy periods and holidays there is an overflow lot east of the resort on Highway 160. Shuttles will run frequently to the resort from this lot. This is a great option if you plan on staying overnight (van living, RV, Camper, etc..), as overnight parking is not allowed in the lots mentioned above. Wolf Creek also offers handicap parking at the lower level of Base Camp (A bring your own lunch lodge) with an elevator.
How much are Lift Tickets and does the Ikon or Epic Pass work
The Ikon and Epic passes will not work at Wolf Creek. A Season Pass ranges in price depending on your age and the time of year that you buy. Early season passes for an Adult range from $700-$900+ and will go up in price by November. A really cool thing Wolf Creek does is they offer discounted prices for families. The more members in your family the cheaper the pass becomes. They will offer discounted pass rates for up to five people in a family.
Lift tickets for Adults are around $80/day with peak times being just under $100/day/person. If you go early season in November lift tickets can be around $50/day! It’s a lesser known deal that has many dedicated skiers and snowboarders driving down for the day if the snow is good.
Other lift ticket options include multi-day, half day, senior, child and military day passes. Half days start after 12:30 pm. Wolf Creek also offers group rate lift tickets for groups bigger then 25 people per day. Please note with group rate lift tickets there are peak dates that this option isn’t available.
When is the Best time to Ride Wolf Creek
Honestly, early season if most of the mountain is open. The reason being is because the mountain gets sooo much snow throughout the winter, that the runs start to loose their pitch and steepness. Lift tickets are also cheaper early season. That being said I would still track a storm (if you like riding deep snow) and make the trek down to Wolf Creek anytime through out the season. Also try to make it to this gem of a resort when it is a Bluebird day (sunny) as the views are pretty spectacular.
What is the Mountain Like
There’s no backside to Wolf Creek Resort and what I like about the mountain is how easy it is to get around as well as the variety of different terrain options. It has more challenging terrain like trees, cliffs, and chutes, but also mellow blues and greens if you just want to cruise around and have fun. The snow is also different when carving through it, compared to other resorts in Central and Northern Colorado. Feels almost like champagne powder.
Once you’ve gotten the blood flowing, head over to Alberta Lift. This lift will give you access to chutes, gullies, more tree runs, high alpine bowls, and steeper/longer runs. One of my favorite areas one the mountain when the snow’s deep, is the waterfall area. This can be accessed from Alberta or Treasure Stoke lifts. There’s 7 different Waterfall gates with 3 and 4 being my favorite. Gates three and four aren’t as steep and fill in real nice on deep days.
Is there any Beginner terrain
Yep, there is a little bit of beginner terrain and good amount of intermediate terrain. Twenty percent of the mountain is beginner and thirty five percent is intermediate. The very beginner terrain can be accessed off of lifts: Charity Jane Express, Nova and Elma. There will also be a few green runs off of the Raven lift. Intermediate terrain can be accessed off of lifts: Raven, Bonanza, D-Boyce, and Treasure Stoke. Raven and Bonanza have some great runs to start your day to allow for your legs to warm up. Plenty of great side hits, tree runs, and open areas for carving.
Is there any Hike-To Terrain
There’s two really good hikes I recommend doing, which are both off of the Alberta Lift. It’s going to be the hike right off the lift. If you go left it is the Knife Ridge Staircase. There’s some good chutes and bowls off of the ridge that you hike to. Sometimes the cat is running and will take people to the Horseshoe Bowl. If you go right you can hike to Step Bowl as well as Alberta Peak. Step Bowl will be more low angle, but is super fun on a powder day because its a wide open field. I recommend riding with a friend if you do these hikes!
Any good Tree Riding
There are some awesome trees off of the Treasure Stoke lift (skiers left) and Alberta lift (skiers left). Nothing too narrow and fun zones on the mountain to explore.
If you decide to do any of the Back Country terrain accessed through a gate, PLEASE have the proper equipment (shovel, Beacon, probe) and training (AVI 1 certification). You’ll also want to be with a friend if you end up riding back country terrain off resort.
Skiable Acres: 1,600
Summit Elevation: 11,904 feet/3628.339 meters
Vertical Drop: 1604 feet/488.899 Meters
Length of Season: Early November-Early April
Lift operating hours: 8:30am-4pm (can vary depending on weather)
Ticket Office Hours: 8:15am-4:30pm
Where can you eat and warm up on the Mountain
There’s a few different areas that have food as well as a bar on mountain. There’s the Prospector Grill behind the ticket office as well as a cafeteria and bar in the Wolf Creek Lodge. Both lodges will have sun decks for warmer days. At the top of the Raven Chairlift is a grill and restaurant and at the bottom of the Alberta lift is another grill. You’ll find the classic ski resort food at all of these places including burgers, brats, pizza, fries, soups, snacks, salads, and desert items. Looking for coffee or breakfast to fuel up before riding? There’s also a coffee shop at the top of the Treasure lift called, Continental. Breakfast is also served at the Prospector Grill from 8am-1030am.
Looking to save money? You can pack a lunch and eat it at Basecamp, an indoor lodge with seating. Not many resorts allow this anymore, making Wolf Creek even more unique then most ski resorts.
Are there any Ski or Snowboard Shops to rent or buy Equipment
There is a rental shop at the base of the resort as well as a retail shop called Treasure Sports. They sell jackets, pants, base layers, Goggles, Helmets, and accessories. Basically everything you need for a day on the hill.
The rental shop also offers tuning services which includes waxing, edging, and base grinding. There’s a package where you can take a pair of demo skis out for two hours while your own equipment is being tuned.
The Snowboard shop is located in the Dome next to the Wolf Creek lodge and ski rentals are located in the Sport Center across from the ticket office.
South Fork and Pagosa Springs will also both have ski/snowboard shops that rent and sell gear. 8200 Mountain Sports in South Fork has retail, rentals, and tuning services. They carry brands such as Never Summer, K2, Salomon, Icelantic, Hestra, Black Diamond, and more. If you’re looking for a ski or snowboard shop in Pagosa Springs check out Summit Ski and Sports as well as Pagosa Ski Rentals. Both shops will have rental and retail sections that sell softgoods, goggles, ski hardgoods, snowboard hardgoods, and accessories.
Where to eat
There aren’t many food options in South Fork as those will be on the other side of the pass in Pagosa Springs. However there’s still a couple good spots that I would recommend. For Breakfast, stop by Tiny Timbers for sandwiches, coffee, and baked goods. For Dinner and Apres’ I would check out Ramons, a Mexican restaurant on your way out after a day at the resort.
Is there a terrain park
Wolf Creek doesn’t have a terrain park however I’ve seen a rail at the bottom of the Treasure stoke lift early season.
Are there ski or snowboard lessons
Yep, Wolf Creek offers group and private lessons. They also offer private lessons for groups. One thing that is unique about WC is they do clinics throughout the season such as Ms. Monday and Tuesday Turns. It’s a way to package a lesson and lift ticket while giving you the opportunity to learn new skills on the mountain and possibly meet a few people.
What snow gear would work best for this trip
Depends on the conditions, below I listed items that I recommend to have a better day on the mountain
Pair of goggles with two lenses one for sun and one for clouds
Good base layers that wick moisture/sweat, but also keep you warm. These are especially important when doing the hikes at Wolf Creek!
All mountain Snowboard or Skis. An all mountain set up will allow you to ride deep snow, but also carve on groomers. Burtons Family Tree line is perfect for riding the whole mountain
If you decide to ride early season, make sure to use caution when riding as there could be rocks, trees, and other debris. I asked Josh from New Zealand what his thoughts were of Wolf Creek and he said, “I tell you what, Wolf Creek is a dream come true. When they say most snow in Colorado, they aren't wrong at all, pow in November!!!!! Plenty of lift options give a wide variety of terrain and friendly safety first staff. 10/10 would go back :)
If you enjoyed this post, have questions, or have been to Wolf Creek and have information to add, please leave a comment below. Also, subscribe to our email list below for the latest information on trips, gear information, and outdoor activities. Thanks for checking out the blog and see you on the next post!
-Jeremiah
