Booking a Ski or Snowboard trip to Copper Mountain, A Complete Guide

Disclosure: When you buy something through the Affiliate product links I have created below, I earn a small commission. I only promote products and companies I support as well as believe in.

Skiing and snowboarding can be dangerous activities, please ride within your ability levels and respect others around you

Right off the I-70 Corridor and close to the small mountain town of Frisco lies Copper Mountain, a Summit County gem that in my opinion is one of the last ski resorts in the area that still has the mom and pop local vibes. Whether you’re new to skiing or snowboarding or you’ve been doing it for a long time, Copper has terrain for every kind of rider. One of the first times I ever snowboarded at Copper, I linked up with a few shop kids from Gravitee Boardshop, and it did not stop snowing.

We rode through trees, carved around on the main runs, and even took a few laps on the upper terrain. That was a number of years ago, and a lot has changed, as Copper has grown quite a bit due to an increase in popularity over the years. But what I remember is how it felt like more of a home mountain and less of a ski resort with a cookie cutter corporate feel (even though Copper itself is owned by a corporation). Like most larger ski resorts, it’s a mountain you can just keep exploring, especially on deep snow days!

In this post I’ll be going over where to stay, how to get to the mountain, where to buy/rent ski or snowboard equipment, places to eat, and what the mountain is like. Alright lets get into itttt.

Where is Copper

In between Frisco and Vail, Copper will be about 1.5 hours west of Denver depending on traffic. Get off on exit 195 as if you’re driving to Leadville and Copper Mountain will be on the right! Below I listed times and distances from major areas with Denver being the closest airport.

Denver: 1 hour and 20 minutes/77 miles

Boulder: 1 hour and 40 minutes/83 miles

Colorado Springs: 2 hours and 20 minutes/145 miles

Fort Collins: 2 hours and 20 minutes/137 miles

Where to Stay

I personally liked staying close to downtown Frisco because it is a mountain town with a main street that has restaurants, bars, boutiques, and shops. However, if you don’t like driving to the mountain and are looking for more of a ski-in/ski-out experience, I would stay in Copper Village. Rates for lodging will be the most expensive during holiday periods and peak season. I found a nice 1 bedroom a block from downtown Frisco on VRBO that was really comfortable.

If you don’t have a car and are staying in Frisco, no problem, there is a free bus called the Summit Stage that goes to and from Copper mountain with a pick up location in downtown Frisco.

Where to Park at Copper

There are 6 parking lots that I would recommend using, with only two free lots. The main free lot will be Alpine, with the far east lot used for overflow during busier times such as holidays and weekends. These two lots require bus transportation to the mountain, unless you take the ten minute walk to East Village (Walk towards the transportation center with restrooms and you’ll see the walk path to East Village on your left). Copper has three parts to it; East, Center, and West (more info below). Follow the signage to see which part of the mountain you want to go to, as there will be a bus that drops off and picks up at each area.

Paid lots are closer and you’re able to walk to the mountain from these parking areas. Ten Mile, Union Creek, Beeler, and Chapel are all paid. For overnight parking, you can park in the alpine lot, however it will cost $20/night. No restrictions on number of nights allowed with overnight parking!

Is Copper on the Ikon

Yep, Copper will be Ikon, with no blackout dates and unlimited riding. You can also buy just a Copper pass and there will be some free days on the Copper only pass at other ski resorts such as Monarch.

The key when buying a season pass is to do it over the summer before prices go up. I know winter is probably the last thing on your mind in June, but you can save a chunk of money by doing this asap.

How much are lift tickets

Lift tickets are over $200 and you can save a little bit of money if you purchase them at least one day or more in advance online. If you do need to pick up your lift tickets, there will be digital pickup boxes located throughout the resort at each base area. More and more places are streamlining this process to make everything easier and quicker so you can get on the mountain ASAP!

On Thursdays, lift tickets are $99 with Coppers, “Play Forever”

Best places to buy or rent ski and snowboard Equipment

There’s a number of different ski and snowboard shops at Copper and also in Frisco. Best snowboard shop hands down is Gravitee Boardshop in Center Village. They will have an amazing selection of goggles, jackets, pants, boots, boards, and bindings. They also offer rentals, demos (try before you buy), and tuning services. It’s a core snowboard shop with an awesome vibe and the people working there are really helpful as well as friendly. Camp Hale in Center Village will also have board rentals along with jackets/pants, and winter accessories.

For ski rentals I would recommend Camp Hale, Charter, Rebel, or Copper Sports. If you’re looking to purchase ski equipment, Christy’s in East Village will sell ski’s, boots, poles, and ski gear. Looking to shop or rent in Frisco? Rebel, Epic Mountain Gear, and Pioneer Sports will all rent and sell ski/snowboard equipment.

Just make sure to make a rental reservation ahead of time, especially for busy times such as weekends and holidays! For ski boot fitting, check out Precision or Surefoot at Copper.

Are lessons available

Yep, Copper offers private, group, and youth lessons! Group lessons will be the least expensive option, while private lessons can get expensive. Full and half day options will be available. The one thing, like most ski resorts, is to book ahead of time, this includes lessons, lift tickets, season passes, rentals, dinner reservations etc. Beginner terrain and lessons will be mostly be located on the west part of Copper, with Center village having a small beginner area at the base, as well as East Village having a small area for beginners.

Other lesson options available will be privates at Woodward (Copper’s terrain park), adaptive, and Copper Guides. Copper guides is less of a lesson and more of showing you expert terrain at the resort.

What is the Mountain Like

Copper is pretty unique in that it’s located right off I-70 and is split into three sections; East, Center, and West. What I’ve always liked about Copper is that it’s not too big of a resort that you feel lost and you can ride most of the mountain within a couple days, weather and terrain permitting. It has some really fun upper terrain with bowls and steep runs, but also some fun blues and green runs to cruise around on. It also has one of the best terrain parks partnered with Woodward! The lift lines are never too bad on weekdays and even when the main parking lot is completely full, the mountain never feels overly crowded in my opinion. I cover more in detail each part below with some of my favorite areas to ride.

East Village

With some of the steepest terrain on the mountain, East Village is meant for those who like to go faster. Most of the runs will be Blacks and Double Blacks with a small amount of Blue runs mixed in. Ride over to the Storm King Tbar and drop into Spaulding Bowl or ride Resolution Bowl at the top of the SuperBee Lift.

In my opinion it’s also one of the least crowded parts of the mountain, which is why it can be a great place to start your day during busier time periods such as holidays and weekends. Just know this part of the mountain is for the more advanced skier or snowboarder!

The groomed runs in East Village can get icy at times so make sure your edges are sharp!

I like to take a couple laps on Andy’s Encore and then take the Superbee Lift back up and drop into the Resolution bowl on good to deep snow days. You can lap this area by taking the Resolution lift. Resolution bowl starts out steep with some rocks drops if you feel like jumping off something. A fun lap is Drainpipe to Highline. High line flattens out and is a wide open run right next to the Resolution chairlift.

If you want an even longer run, take Storm King up to the top of Spaulding Bowl and ride the bowl all the way down to the bottom of the Resolution lift. Either stick to the groomed runs, or cruise through trees as you ride to the base of the resolution lift. Spaulding Bowl has a number of different drop areas. Spaulding Ridge will be much steeper then if you were to take the traverse out and then drop.

Center Village

This will be the main area of Copper Mountain, with the two lifts at the base to get you from point A to B being American Eagle and American Flyer. American Eagle will be steeper and allow you to access the East part of the mountain if interested, whereas American Flyer will have easier runs and is the lift you take for accessing the west part of the mountain. American Flyer will also be the blue bubble chair!

Center Village is where you’ll find the majority of rental/retail shops, restaurants, guest services, and bars too.

If you have a family or small kids, the main groomer runs right off American Flyer will be some of the best. Long, but not steep at all in my opinion. Ride through the Woodward family race course towards the top as you ride down.

Once you get to the top of American Eagle either ride the groomer runs or get on the Elevation Lift to take you even higher up the mountain.

From Flyer I like to take the Sierra Lift and ride Jupiter Bowl or the trees on Timber Ridge. Jupiter Bowl is the terrain that is right under Sierra Lift. It’s a quick lap, but a fun one to warm up the legs on when it’s a good powder day. It’s also fun to run a Sierra lap all the way to the base of Center Village.

Take the catwalk dead straight off of Flyer to get to the Sierra lift. Sometimes, if the area is open, you can drop into the trees on the left side of the catwalk to get to the Sierra lift. That lift is quick so be prepared for that when loading onto the chairlift!

There’s one gondola at Copper and it’s in Center Village. If temps are frigid, it’s not a bad place to escape the wind as you get shuttled up the mountain. Or if your with some friends or family it’s fun to take the gondola up and shoot the shit, have some laughs, and talk about the day.

West Village

The west side is where you’ll find a lot of great intermediate runs as well as beginner runs. On snow days it’s nice to cruise through West Village even though it’s not steep in areas, you’ll typically find some great powder stashes because most people that love powder will ride the upper terrain. Once filled in, which can vary depending on the season, take the Celebrity Ridge poma and Traverse out to Union Meadows. Union Meadows is a wide open ungroomed bowl, but will have some rocky areas, so be careful. You can ride down Union Meadows, ski through some of the trees, and then pop out on a green run.

Timberline and Woodward Express will be the two main lifts in West Village. It will be these two lifts that service a lot of green and blue runs. I love to snowboard through Jack Straw trees! Also located in West Village will be Woodward! A series of progression terrain parks including Peace Park, which I layout in more detail below.

The backside of the mountain

To access the backside either take lifts Sierra > Celebrity Ridge or Rendezvous. Celebrity Eidge is an old school Poma lift.

The backside has a lot to offer if you’re looking for some technical steeper terrain. In 2019, Copper put in the new Three Bears lift, giving access to new terrain off Tucker Mountain. If you go lookers left off the lift there will be more tree’s and it’s a bit steeper in parts. Head lookers right off the lift and the area consists of wide open bowls. The one downside is it can get pretty windy on the back area of the mountain making the snow more wind blown. It really all depends on weather, but it’s just something I’ve noticed when I snowboard the upper areas of Copper.

Regardless this part of the mountain seems infinite and you could spend a good amount of time in this area. There’s trees, cliff drops, and wide open bowls to explore if that’s your thing. With that being said be CAREFUL in these areas as there is unmarked terrain, potential avalanche areas, and rocks.

Looking to do a hike to access some terrain? Take the Mountain Chief lift up and then hike the Ridgeline on your left. If you go all the way to the end of the hike it’s about 20 minutes, but there’s a number of drop areas along the way.

Is the resort good for beginners

Of course! If you are new to skiing or snowboarding I would recommend West Village as a place to start or progress. The west part of Copper will have the best learning area in my opinion. There will be two good beginner chairlifts (Kokomo & Lumberjack).

Does it snow a lot

It depends on the season, Copper can get some good snow storms through out the season. It’s really hit or miss and depends on the year, weather patterns, etc. At times Copper can also get pretty windy and icy because it’s so exposed at a high elevation. The average annual snowfall is 305 inches.

Does Copper have good tree riding

Yea! If the snow is good, the trees are really fun. There’s a group of trees just past Flyers, the restaurant, that are a lot of fun. Locals call this area Mario, because there is some natural log features to jib around on. Jackstraw glades on the west part of the mountain are fun Low angle trees to ski or snowboard through as well. For steeper tree runs, check out the trees as you exit Spaulding Bowl or 17 Glades on the East side of Copper. .

Steep trees can also be found off of the Storm King Tbar by taking the Lillie G traverse and dropping into a wide open bowl that funnels into Upper or Lower Enchanted forest!

What is Woodward and what are the terrain parks like

Woodward is a company that builds terrain parks as well as skateparks across the country. They also offer summer camps for kids/teenagers looking to progress their abilities. I would say they are some of the best in the business and can be found at mountains such as Eldora, Copper, Mt Bachelor, Killington, and Woodward Park City! You can also find indoor Woodward facilities with trampolines, foam pits, and indoor skateparks. It has really changed the game in terms of progression and just making that side of snowboarding or skiing a lot of fun. Copper has multiple terrain parks including Peace Park (a transition set up with hips, snake runs, small jumps and walls to slash and carve around on. Each park at Copper has it’s own level with Central Park being the most advanced park set up.

Central Park

Central Park will have medium sized jumps as well as a pro jump line. Through out the main park you’ll find medium to large sized rails along with Red’s Backyard (an inspired park set up from pro snowboarder Red Gerard’s actual backyard).

As for Preseason, Copper also has one of the best early season terrain parks in Colorado, with the setup being right off of American Eagle. It’s a hike park and it’s a good way to meet people and just hang out and have a good time at the start of the ski season.

Peace Park

Pro snowboarder Danny Davis is the mastermind behind this new approach to a terrain park. Peace Park first started in 2012 where Danny had a park crew build a unique, yet fun set up at North Star California, for a small group of professional Burton Pro riders. His vision continued to grow and each year a group of the best snowboarders would meet up for a week and ride a fun, progressive park that was built just for Peace Park (youtube Danny Davis Peace Park).

The same Peace Park concept was then brought to the general public on a much smaller scale so that the average skier or snowboarder would be able to have fun riding a park that was different. Copper happens to be one of the mountains that has a Peace Park set up, full of unique transitions, wall rides, jumps, and, rails.

Is there any good on mountain dining

Each part of the Mountain will have dining options at the base or on the mountain. There’s a new eating area called Aerie at the top of American. The food is pretty good, with cafeteria style seating on the ground floor and a restaurant that requires reservations on the second floor. Both floors will also have a bar as well as outdoor seating. Aeire has the best views for dining on the mountain! At the base of Center Village there will be Jack’s with a bar and food!

In East Village there is JJ’s Tavern and in the West Village there is more traditional resort cafeteria style food. On the mountain you can also find Flyers, a quick stop for Burgers, Brats, or a drink.

Downtown Frisco

Anytime I visit a ski town, it’s nice to just walk around and see what shops there are, potential places to eat/drink, and maybe take a few photos. Whether your staying in Copper or maybe Breck, I recommend checking out downtown Frisco for an evening after your done riding Copper.

Main Street will be where all of the shops, restaurants, and bars are. Not as big of a town as Breckenridge or Aspen, but it has an old fashion feel and awesome surrounding views. Plus it’s close to other ski resorts in the area such as Breck and Keystone.

Where should we eat

Breakfast

If you’re staying in downtown Frisco, my favorite place is Bread and Salt, but a lot of locals also really like Butterhorn Bakery. Both places will be more classic diner style with Butterhorn having the bakery. These restaurants get busy so be prepared to wait for a table or arrive early.

Coffee shops

Either Camp Hale in Center Village or Rocky Mountain coffee roasters on Main Street in downtown Frisco!

Dinner and Apre’s

Frisco has some great restaurants in the downtown area and also off the beaten path. My favorite restaurant is Pure Kitchen, close to Whole Foods. Their concept is healthy eating with organic farm to table ingredients. They have some really awesome starters, entree’s and cocktails. The music is always really good too! For fine dining and farm to table, I would also check out Frisco Prime, on main street in down Frisco. I listed three other restaurants below that I really like

Peppinos- Some of the best pizza in summit county, Peppino’s is a classic pizza shop that originally started in Leadville in 1998.

Bird Craft- Located inside of Outer Range Brewery, although the menu is small, the food is some of the best in Frisco. It became so popular that they stopped doing online orders, so you have to order at the counter! The Food will be mostly Thai inspired chicken with a few non-chicken items. Definitely worth checking out!

Cielo Oaxaca- If you like Mexican food this will be the best in the county. The food taste like the food you would find in Mexico! , The staff is incredibly friendly and atmosphere has an authentic vibe to it.

For Apres’ at Copper Mountain I would recommend either Sawmill Taphouse, Ten Mile Tavern, or Eagle BBQ all located in Center Village. The Sawmill Taphouse is a pizza spot and connected to the main restaurant is a small hang out area that sells pizza by the slice, a locals favorite. If you have a sweet tooth, stop in at Sugar Lips for coffee, ice cream, or mini donuts with different topping choices.

Bars, Breweries, and Night Life

Looking to grab a drink somewhere after being on the mountain all day? My favorite place is Outer Range Brewery. It has a cool lounge upstairs as well as the main bar downstairs, along with outdoor heated seating. In downtown Frisco there’s Moose Jaw, which has food and feels like a dive bar along, Highside Brewery with a barbeque menu, and Ollies which also has a bar and food.

The only two late night Bars at Copper are Mulligans and High Rockies Whiskey and Wine bar. Mulligans will be open until 2am on Fri and Sat with a DJ and a late night food menu!

What should we pack

There’s a number of things to make sure you have when taking a ski or snowboard trip. Whether you pack these or purchase them when you arrive. Below is a small list of items I recommend having for a winter trip to Copper Mountain

1. Ski or Snowboard Socks- You’ll want a ski specific sock when going skiing or snowboarding, something with Merino wool, polyester, or a synthetic blend is what I would highly recommend. AVOID anything with cotton or wearing two socks at once. You’re feet will get colder because cotton and two socks at once will not wick moisture or sweat.

2. Goggles- Having a good pair of goggles is key. Oakley, Smith, Dragon, Anon and Giro are some top brands that make a great product allowing you to see when riding on the mountain. Plenty of Shops in Copper or Frisco will sell good goggles. Some will come with only one lens that work for most light conditions while others will come with two lenses, one for sun and one for Clouds.

3. Base Layers- Base Layers are going to be just like socks, avoid anything with cotton! I think Burton makes some of the best base layers, which you can find on Burton.com. I personally like their AK base layers.

4. Jacket/Pants- The key with ski or snowboard pants is to make sure they are waterproof and breathable.

5. Helmet- Protect your dome! Comfort is the most important part when buying a helmet. It should be snug, not tight and you can find the correct size by measuring around your head in centimeters with a soft fabric tape measure. It’s best to go into a store and try a few different styles on. craniologie in breckenridge will have the biggest selection of helmets and be the closest to Copper Mountain.

6. Gloves/Mitts-

7. Sunscreen/Chapstick- Make sure to either pack this or buy some when in Colorado. It’s a must, even on cloudy or snowy days.

8. Winter Footwear- A good pair of winter boots or footwear is much needed when walking around Colorado!

That’s it for a trip to Copper Mountain. Whether you’re whole vacation is at Copper Mountain or it’s one of the resorts you plan on riding during a trip to Colorado, I hope this guide helps! If you’re looking for other places to take a ski or snowboard vacation, check out Brighton in Utah!

Everything to Know for a Trip to Steamboat Ski Resort

Disclosure: When you buy something through the Affiliate product links I have created below, I earn a small commission. I only promote products and companies I support as well as believe in.

Skiing and snowboarding can be dangerous activities, please ride within your ability levels and respect others around you

Alright it’s winter and your interested in taking a snowboard (or ski) trip to Colorado. Well one of the best hidden gem resorts is located Northwest of Denver in the Yampa Valley. Right on the continental divide, Steamboat Springs is a small town and only ten minutes from the ski resort. Averaging over 300 inches of snowfall per year, time it right and you’ll be riding champagne powder until the lifts stop spinning.

As you drive into town, there is an authentic feel to it that doesn’t feel touristy with a couple old school ski shops and locally owned restaurants. You’ll even notice the famous Rabbit Ears Motel, that always seems to have a no vacancy sign. What I like most about riding the resort, is even during the busiest times of the year, the lift lines seem to go quick and you still get plenty of laps in for the day. With that being said, in the this post I’ll be going over how to get to the resort, what to expect, where to stay, eat, and what to know about the resort. Coool, lets get into it.

Any cool history of the town and Ski resort

Like many towns throughout Colorado there is some cool history. The name is thought to be originated from early settlers who thought they heard the sound of a Steamboat engine, yet it turned out to be a natural mineral spring, that they named the Steamboat Spring. By 1900 Steamboat became an official town, and by the early 1900’s the commercial railroad sparked a boom in ranching and visitors to the area. In the early 1960’s Steamboat opened to the public and was named Storm Mountain before it became Steamboat ski resort. After putting in new lifts and trails the ski resort was able to make over 100,000 in revenue by the 1966-67 season.

Are there Hotsprings nearby

Yep, the infamous Strawberry Hotsprings will be about 7 miles from downtown Steamboat. They require reservations with slots being two hours. You can make a reservation on the Strawberry Hot Springs website. The cost is $20 cash only and you’ll need a four wheel drive vehicle to get up to the springs. They offer a shuttle service if you don’t have a vehicle or AWD, that don’t require reservations.

How to get there

What’s cool about Steamboat is it’s farther away from the front range and DIA, therefore it doesn’t draw the crowds during Holidays and weekends such as other Colorado resorts closer to Denver. There’s two airports that you can fly into, Denver International and Yampa Valley. Yampa Valley Airport will be much closer. Below I’ve listed times and distances from these areas. If you’re coming from Denver or the front range, you’ll take 40W from I-70 driving on Rabbit Ears pass until you reach Steamboat.

Rabbit Ears pass can be a little sketch if it’s dumping snow, so be careful!

Denver International Airport- 3 hours 15 minutes/180 Miles/290 km

Yampa Valley Airport- 30 Minutes/24 Miles/39 km

Boulder- 3 hours/163 Miles/262 km

Ft Collins- 3 hours 15 minutes/160 miles/258 km

Where to Stay

You can either stay near the resort or in downtown Steamboat. The resort is only about 10-15 minutes away from the town depending on traffic. There’s some nice options right on the slopes which is what I decided to do. I booked through VRBO and stayed in a nice 1 bedroom right by the Wildhorse gondola. The place was pretty epic with easy parking and some good views from the balcony.

If you’re looking for something more affordable, there’s a few cheaper hotels in Steamboat such as the Rabbit Ears Motel or the Nordic lodge.

Where to Park

One of the best parts about Steamboat if you’re day tripping it is the free parking that is close to the base of the mountain. During busier times, try to get to the lots early as they fill up. The two free lots are the Upper Noll and Meadows. Meadows is much bigger with a quick shuttle service. You can also hop on the Wildhorse gondola if you don’t want to take the shuttle. It is a farther walk to this gondola then just hopping on the shuttle.

Any good Restaurants

Downtown Steamboat will have some of the best restaurants in my opinion with a number of different options. Just make sure to make a reservation ahead of time, especially for larger parties! You might even have to do this months in advance, depending on the time of year. For breakfast I really liked Creekside Cafe and this biscuit spot on the North End of town called Lil’ Country Biscuits and Coffee. I was also recommended the Shack by a local for more of a classic old school diner menu. But my favorite breakfast place was actually Colorado Bagel Company. Simple menu and close to the parking area. The Tuscan bagel is pretty incredible.

For Dinner there’s a number of restaurants in downtown and also a couple at the base. I was recommended Cafe Diva’ at the base. In town Laundry, Salt and Lime, and Table 79 were highly recommended. I tried Salt and lime as well as Laundry and both were amazing! Salt and Lime has an awesome menu with lots of taco options! (only $4 each until 5:30!) and cocktails with Laundry being mostly family style with shared plates.

Table 79 will be an upscale restaurant and is also farm to table with sister restaurants Aurum and Periodic Table also in the Boat.

Where can we rent or buy snowboard and ski equipment

There will be a handful of shops at base of the mountain and also close to the base area such as Christy Sports and Powder Pursuits. For snowboards Powder Tools has been around for a long time and is more of a core snowboard shop; with knowledgable staff, rental, and tuning services.

Of course my favorite snowboard shop will be the Burton store, right at the base as well. They will have just about everything you need for a day on the mountain. The Burton store has rental and demo packages too, so you can try a set up out before you buy one.

In town there is Ski Haus, a huge store with lots of different options for equipment, including splitboard and back country gear. They also have a large selection of rentals and a legit tune shop. The shop has been around for over 50 years! They even provide a shuttle service that will pick you up if you don’t have a car so that you can check out the store or pick up rentals.

Is Steamboat on the Ikon or Epic

The full Ikon will get you unlimited access to Steamboat Resort with the Ikon base pass giving you five days at Steamboat.

Are there lessons and beginner terrain

Yep, Steamboat will offer lessons for Adults and kids in groups or with a private instructor (for skiing and snowboarding). Full and half day times are available with private lessons being more expensive. Private lessons can be nice because if you’re looking to ride and learn the mountain, an instructor will show you around the resort. Make sure to book these far in advance as they can fill up quickly throughout the season!

What is the mountain like and where to ride

One of the most unique resorts in Colorado, Steamboat doesn’t have any above tree line terrain or huge back bowls. Instead they have awesome tree riding, a handful of fun bowls, plenty of blue or black groomers, and a hike-to zone that accesses cliff drops and steeper faces. It has the feel of an original ski resort without all of the big commercialization (even though the base area is growing and lifts are being updated). Even during the busiest times, the crowds aren’t bad in my opinion.

Mountain Stats

Skiable acres: 2,965

number of runs: 171

Lifts: 21

Summit Elevation:10,568 feet/3224 meters

Favorite places to ride

For easier fun cruiser laps I like to take lifts Thunderhead Express, Storm Peak, and Four Points. If you’re looking for some of the easier more family friendly runs those can be found off of the Sunshine Express lift! If the main gondola has a long line head over to the Wild Blue Gondola and either keep going up or get off halfway and cruise over to the Thunderhead Express lift to access a lot of the mountain.

If you’ve never skied or snowboarded before, take the Christie Peak express right at the base and get off at the half way point. This will be an easy run to get warmed up on and to learn the fundamentals!

If you like steeper terrain with deep snow after a storm, my favorite run is East Face, accessed off of the hike to the top of Mt. Werner. You have to take the Morning Side lift then head right off the lift to access the hike. Its an easier trek that takes about ten minutes to get to the top. Be aware of signage and cliff areas when riding through here! If you like jumping off cliffs, this is the best area for that in my opinion. Keep in mind that towards the bottom you either have to ride through trees or skate on a catwalk to get back to the main area of the mountain.

If you want to do the hike again, the quickest route is to take the Barue lift back to the top, drop into Frying Pan, and hop on the Morningside lift for round 2. It’s also fun to only hike up halfway and drop into Alarm Clock or Wake up call for some quick steeper laps to the bottom of Morningside.

Does Steamboat get a lot of snow

Depending on the season, Steamboat can get lots of snow, as you can see in some of the photos. The average snowfall is around 314 inches with January and February on average having the most snowfall. On a really good year, they can get over 400 inches of snow.

When there’s that much snow it’s good to ride with a friend or partner as it can be dangerous with tree wells and other terrain hazards. If you are going to ride by yourself be cautious and aware of your surroundings. I ride by myself quiet a bit, but try to lean on the side of caution if its a really deep day.

Is there good tree riding

Yep! However I recommend riding with a partner if you decide to venture into the trees, because when it snows a lot, Steamboat is known to have tree wells. A tree well is a pocket that forms around the base of the tree, if you get too close, you can sink into it and become trapped. Tree wells can be very dangerous! so be careful.

Some of my favorite tree runs will be off of the Pony Express lift as well as the Cheesy Grits and Gravy Runs, off the backside of the mountain. These are quick runs, but I like how secluded and quiet it is when riding through them. The trees runs off Pony will be Aspens and the trees through Cheesy Grits or Gravy will be huge Pine trees.

For Longer tree runs, ride through the Aspens off of Thunderhead Express. I’ve definitely like to cruise through these at the beginning or end of the day and on deep days it honestly feels like your maybe in Japan. It’s a cool experience that I haven’t experienced at too many Colorado ski resorts.

Is there a Terrain Park

Steamboat has three different terrain parks which includes the pipe. Rabbit Ears will be the main park with a few jumps and a number of rails, while the Lil Rodeo Park and pipe will be smaller with some great beginner features. You can do laps through both parks or if you want or just lap the smaller park by taking the Christie Peak express lift up to the halfway point.

If you like to ride a bigger halfpipe there will be one close to the Rabbit ears park off of the Bashor lift. If you like to race and hangout out with friends, every year there is the Steamboat Slash and Burn banked slalom competition. This is a snowboard event where riders are timed on a slalom course. Picture a race course with snow bank turns. It’s not a serious event and more for fun and bragging rights.

Is there anywhere to eat on the mountain

There are three lodges with food; Four Points, Rendezvous, and Thunderhead Lodge. Four Points has a cabin like feel inside and overlooks the different mountain ranges and the Yampa Valley. They also have outdoor seating for those Bluebird days. Four points will also have some healthy options with local ingredients while Thunderhead and Rendezvous will have more traditional resort food.

Each lodge will have a bar too if you’re looking to grab a drink and chill in between riding.

Any great places for Apres’

The base of the mountain will have a few places to grab a drink and food, however I really like Apres’ burger bistro not too far from the base. There’s less people and also a local brewery, Storm Peak, on the ground level.

Is Downtown worth checking out

Definitely, as mentioned there’s a number of good restaurants as well as outdoor/winter gear shops. There’s even an old drugstore and movie theatre right in the middle of town. It’s a cool downtown area that’s fun to walk around if you get the opportunity. You’ll even notice a ski resort in the downtown area called Howelsen, the oldest operating ski resort in North America!

If you have film camera or digital camera, even a phone it’s also a cool town to walk around and shoot photos of if the lighting is good, especially in the evening when the sun is going down. I highly recommend having a warm jacket when walking around town as it can be pretty cold once the sun starts to go down. A thicker puffy jacket, such as the Baker Expedition, is guaranteed to keep you warm, especially with single digit temps.

Parking downtown

Is free with plenty of side street parking if Main Street is full. Typically two hour limits in a lot of spots.

Looking for other Colorado ski or snowboard trip ideas? Check out Hiking the bowl at Aspen Highlands which is also works with an Ikon pass. Thanks for reading the blog and if you have any questions or comments to add, leave them below! See you on the next post.