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

• Gore Tex Jacket and/or Pant

• Warm Gloves and Mitts

• 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

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.