The Whole Mountain Experience

Got aching legs and goggle tan? Leave your skis in a locker for the day and explore the array of activities Colorado's Ski resort have to offer. With tubing, family fun parks and snowmobiling for the thrill seekers and sleigh rides, ice skating, hot springs and a plethora of world class on- and off-mountain dining for the discerning traveler, our ski country has activity and entertainment for every energy level!

With ever-growing amenities, easier access to extreme skiing and the latest snow-loving activities (think snow biking and terrain park training), Colorado’s resorts invite you to explore fresh adventures and new ways to discover and enjoy your favorite ski resort!

Family Fun Parks

Get the family together for a day of memory-making winter activities, Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s Adventure Park features year-round ice skating and a three-lane, lift-served tubing hill. Little snow bunnies love Keystone’s Kidtopia – a snow-fort and play area designed just for kids.

Dog Sledding

Wrap yourself in a cozy blanket, sit back and take in amazing winter views in a sled for two. Professional mushers lead your team of huskies over mountainous trails on morning and afternoon trips. Some trips include a mid-way stop for hot cocoa and baked goodies.

Tubing

Colorado resorts are taking snow tubing to a whole new level, building faster lanes and easy-access lifts. Kids and adults will enjoy flying down the hill on specially designed tubes. Race each other, join tubes, get aerodynamic and go face-first...whatever your pleasure, tubing is exhilarating.

Snowshoe Tours

Get eye-to-eye with nature in a pair of go-anywhere snowshoes. Walk (or run for a full-body cardio workout) through quiet forests and experience the solitude of this solo or group activity. Guided snowshoe tours are available at many resorts. Half-day and full-day trips are offered and snowshoe rentals often come with poles and trail maps. Some resorts offer full-moon or starlight snowshoe tours throughout the season.

Snowmobiling

Put some horsepower between you and the snow on a snowmobile tour. Resorts and neighboring communities offer trips ranging from groomed-trail beginner tours to high-adventure journeys across the Continental Divide. No experience is necessary and fantastic photo ops are a standard perk.

Sleigh Rides

Cuddle up for a sleigh (or oftentimes wagon) ride through the mountains. Sleigh rides are a great group activity for the youngest of children to grandparents. Some rides are complemented by a dinner, wine and/or hot drinks along the way.

Ice Skating

Lace up for some old-fashioned fun on ice. Colorado boasts many outdoor rinks, some staying open late into the evening for après ski laps. Most rinks offer skate rentals.

Snow Biking

Give your ski legs a whole new experience on a snowcycle – a bicycle on skis instead of tires. Instructors teach cyclists the novelty of biking on snow and how to maneuver down the slopes. Winter Park offers a unique snowcycle lesson and tour program.

Evening Dining

There’s nothing more satisfying than playing in the Colorado snow all day and then sitting down for a delicious well-deserved meal in a warm, inviting lodge-style restaurant. Some resorts feature lift-accessed evening dining for a one-of-a-kind meal adventure that begins with a gondola ride under the star-studded Colorado sky. For a completely new twist on dinner, Ski Cooper offers a dining adventure in which guests snowshoe or cross-country ski one mile to a four-course meal in a yurt.

Cat Skiing

Seeking that steep and deep high-adrenaline terrain but not looking to hike? A handful of ski areas offer guided and unguided snow-cat tours, transporting intermediate and expert riders within a closed-cabin vehicle to untracked parts of the mountain. Professional guides from Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort lead skiers and riders high into the mountains to find pristine bowls, chutes and glades. Monarch Mountain’s Powder Cat snow-cat tours come highly recommended by those in the know.

Hike-to-Terrain

For those willing to strap their gear to their backs and hike the vertical feet to that untracked powder, a long list of avalanche-controlled hike-to options are available. Ski open terrain from the top of the Continental Divide at Loveland Ski Area. Take on Telluride’s 2,000 acres of in-bounds hike-to skiing. A quick trek above Breckenridge’s Imperial Express chairlift opens up to amazing bowl skiing at nearly 13,000 feet.

Crested Butte is also known for their hike-to options. Their Extreme Limits terrain gives the resort the most in-bounds, double-black diamond
skiing in the state.

Heli-Skiing

Heli-skiing and heli-boarding are a must for adrenaline-junkies. Guests take a stomach-dropping helicopter ride to the highest peaks to make the unforgettable journey down extreme ungroomed terrain.

Silverton’s heli-ski tours help riders explore the far reaches of the mountain that would typically take two to three hours to hike to. Skiers gain access to every acre of Silverton’s challenging expert terrain by helicopter. The other Colorado ski resort that offers helicopter skiing is Telluride, home of Helitrax, which services some of the highest helicopter-accessed terrain in the world.

Repair Shops

Busted binding? Need a tune-up? No problem. Stop in to one of the many repair shops at the base of most mountains (typically located inside the rental shops) and ask a skilled technician to fix you up. Full-service packages are available if your gear is in need of some serious attention.

Retail Shops

Find that only-in-Colorado item to remember your mountain vacation by. Resort area shopping offers up a wide selection of art galleries and antique shops, clothing and jewelry boutiques, and, of course, sporting goods and souvenir outlets.

Ski/Board Rentals

Boots, skis, poles, helmets...there are many pieces to the skiing and snowboarding experience, and the perfect fit is crucial to a great day on the mountain. Expert employees are on-hand to make sure you get the best gear for your comfort level. Rental shops are stocked with the latest model ski and snowboard equipment and staffed with knowledgeable, friendly employees. Many resorts offer slope-side shops that will get you geared up and on the ski lift as quickly as possible.

Ski School

The more you know about proper technique, the more comfortable you’ll feel on the snow and the more you’ll get out of your day on the slopes. Colorado’s many resorts offer a long list of lesson options to choose from. Sign up for a single-day or week-long lesson; focus on your park skills, steep runs or mogul turns; enjoy a private lesson or learn with a group — whatever your preference, a team of professional instructors are here to show you the way!

Daycare Centers

Spend the day exploring the mountain while your little ones are having a blast in a safe environment. On-site half-day and full-day childcare is available at most resorts for ages eight weeks and older. Some facilities are located at the base of the mountain, just steps from the chairlift, so you are still close by. Nap time, snacks, lunch, games and creative activities are typically scheduled. Book in advance for discounted rates.

Meeting Facilities

Area resorts can easily accommodate large groups for business conferences, weddings, family reunions and company retreats. Group sales professionals are available to help orchestrate every detail of your group trip and make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. Explore individual resort facilities, catering services, organized group activities and more to customize the perfect meeting experience. With state-of-the-art conference centers, lodges and hotels, meeting in the mountains is a great way to connect with colleagues or family.

Cross-Country Centers

Nordic trails are a popular winter alternative to skiing. This low-impact cardio workout is a great way to see the mountain and get some fresh air while making fresh tracks in the backcountry or on a groomed trail. Equipment rental is available at the many full-service cross-country centers scattered throughout the state. Daily trail passes and season passes are available and some resorts even host all-inclusive overnight trips, cross-country clinics and races.

Training Facilities

For aspiring X-Games athletes, Woodward at Copper is a 20,000 sq.ft. year-round ski and snowboard training camp. The Woodward at Copper Barn is located next to lodging check-in and features Snowflex® jumps, foam pits, a spring floor, Olympic-grade fly-bed trampolines and indoor skateboarding features. All ages and abilities are welcome to test their skills. The facility offers day camps, classes, One Hit Wonder intro sessions, drop-in sessions and skate/BMX-only sessions.

Woodward’s Winter Camp Day runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This fully coached session uses the indoor features in The Barn and then takes those skills outdoors to Copper’s on-mountain terrain parks.