When Does Colorado Ski Season Start? Here Are the Best Times for 2024

Overview

Oh, how we love Colorado. Known for its scenic views, Colorado ski season is anticipated far and wide by all people, US citizens or otherwise. This is because Colorado ski resorts boast a comfortable stay, some of the most beautiful mountain slopes, and ski areas that keep people coming. Skiers of all types wait patiently for the season to start.

This article will let you know exactly when to start planning your ski trip for the state. There is an in-depth look at exactly which ski resorts to go to without ever breaking the bank.

We have conducted thorough research into all the popular Colorado ski resorts, finding their opening and closing dates, which we can conclude for certain will remain confirmed for the rest of the winter.

Some resorts open in early 2022, while some around the end of December, going on until March to May of 2023. Read on to find more, and let us guide you!

When Does Ski Season Start in Colorado?

The ski season in Colorado begins on a variety of dates, mostly dependent on the level of snow received on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains found in the state.

Most resort opening times lie between Mid-October to December of the season, going on until March to May of the following year. These, as you might guess, encompass the timings of when children and university students get their winter and spring break from their schools.

Typically, by November, the popular and widely known resorts are all open and ready to hit by kids and families around those times. Depending on the weather conditions, dates can be subject to change, and the level of snow can impact the length of the season.

Regardless, most of the general ski resorts are open for business and ready to be run by November, extending into April. Most of the season continues till May, depending on how busy the days can get if there are lots of people.

However, it is very rare that the season extends to June, since mid-year, the snow levels start to deplete.

Below, we have compiled an up-to-date list of all active Colorado’s ski resorts and ski areas and their functioning dates. Some dates are tentative and have been marked as TBD.

This list includes resorts from Arapahoe Basin to Copper Mountain and Breckenridge to Steamboat Springs and Vail Mountain Resorts.

As seen in the table, most Colorado ski resorts open in late fall in October, some in November, and some in December. They continue till February, March, April, May, and very few till June. This time around, Arapahoe Basin is the first to open in 2022, opening on October 23, 2022.

SR. NO.	Resort Name	Opening Date	Closing Date
1	Arapahoe Baskin Ski Area	Oct23, 2022	Jun01, 2023
2	Aspen Highlands Ski resort	Dec 10, 2022	Apr 09, 2023
3	Aspen Mountain Ski Resort	Nov 19, 2022	Apr 16, 2023
4	Beaver creek Resort	Nov 23, 2022	Apr17, 2023
5	Breckenridge Ski resort	Nov 09, 2022	May30, 2023
6	Bluebird Backcountry Ski Areas	Dec 29, 2022	Mar 26,2023
7	Buttermilk Ski Resort	Dec17, 2022	Feb 02, 2023
8	Durango Chapman Ski Resort	Dec 14, 2022	Apr 16,2023
9	Copper Mountain Ski Resort	Nov14, 2022	Apr 02,2023
10	Created butte Mountain Resort	Nov23, 2022	Mar 19,2023
11	Cuchara Mountain Park Ski Resort	Dec17, 2022	Apr 16,2023
12	Echo Mountain Ski Resort	Dec10, 20022	Apr 16,2023
13	Eldora Mountain Resort	Nov11, 2022	Mar 19,2023
14	Hesperus Ski Areas	Dec16, 2022	Mar 26,2023
15	Howelsen Hill Ski Areas	Nov26 ,2022	Apr 02,2023
16	Kendal Mountain Recreation Ski Areas	Dec 17, 2022	Apr 16,2023
17	key Stone Ski Resort	Oct 28,2022	TBD
18	Lake City Ski Hill Resort	Dec 24, 2022	Mid-March
19	Lee’s Ski Hill Resort	Dec20,2022	May 07,2023
20	Loveland Ski Areas	Nov 03, 2022	Apr 16,2023
21	Monarch Ski and Snowboard Area	Dec 01, 2022	May 07,2023
22	Powderhorn Mountain Resort	Nov19, 2022	Apr 02,2023
23	Purgatory Ski Resort	Nov 19,2022	Apr 16 ,2023
24	Silverton Mountain Ski Resort	Dec 01,2022	Apr 02,2023
25	Ski copper Resort	Dec 07,2022	Apr 16,2023
26	Ski Granby Ranch	Dec 10, 2022	Apr 09,2023
27	Snowmass Ski Resort	Nov 19,2022	Apr 02,2023
28	Steamboat Ski Resort	Nov 23,2022	Apr 02,2023
29	Sunlight Mountain Resort and Ski	Dec 9, 2022	Apr 16,2023
30	Telluride Ski Resort	Nov 26, 2022	Apr 02,2023
31	Vail Ski Resort	Nov 11, 2022	Apr 16,2023
32	Winter Park Resort	Oct 31, 2022	May 02,2023
33	Wolf Crew Ski Areas	Nov 04,2022	Apr 16,2023

When Is the Best Time To Go Skiing in Colorado?

The best time to go skiing in Colorado, to best enjoy the season and ski to your heart’s content, varies from person to person.

For some, it might be around Christmas until late January, when they can expect lots of busy streets and an enjoyable, lively trip. However, they will face extremely high prices during those times, as monetary values tend to increase around holidays and weekends.

For those who are patient enough to avoid the peak season, going early in the season may be fruitful, as price tags will be lower, and they will miss the extreme rush when all tourists arrive.

Quickest Ski Resort Opening Dates

The ski resort that opens the earliest for the 2022/23 season is Arapahoe Basin this time, beating last year’s Keystone Resort. However, Keystone follows on October 28, and the last one to open is Winter Park Resort on October 31.

By November and late December, all resorts gradually open until the last ones open on December 29. These include Bluebird Back-Country Ski Resort and Silverton Mountain Ski Area.

Avoid Peak Ski Season & National Holidays

A crucial tip we can give you while you plan your trip is to avoid the peak season and national holiday times! Christmas is fun on the slopes, and so is New Year, Martin Luther King Day, and President’s Day, but they fall under the peak season.

Peak season is when the prices are highest, usually, it’s the weekends, and ski resort areas are bustling with people. And not in a good way.

Do not subject yourself to the peak season of late December until Mid-March and opt for going early, such as in Mid-October. You will find that lift tickets and other leisure activities will have hefty price tags too.

Visit Less Crowded Ski Slopes

One more thing you will want to check up on before going would be what slopes you are actually visiting. Some of the mountain peaks are much busier than others.

Avoiding them might make your trip less stressful. If you book a resort near big Colorado cities like Aspen, Breckenridge (close to Denver), etc., chances are the crowds will be huge there.

So, you can avoid that by driving a little longer to smaller, homey towns like Telluride, Crested Butte, and Snowmass Village to experience the true charm of the winter mountain of Colorado.

What Are Some of the Best Resorts To Go to in Colorado?

Some of the best Colorado Ski resorts and mountain accommodations include the ones in Arapahoe Basin, known for its spring skiing and good value for money.

The Vail Resort is also widely renowned for having great weather and terrains.

Finally, Keystone and Telluride are household names because of their fun resort accommodations and skiing varieties.

Conclusion

So, now you know exactly when does Colorado ski season start! Do not visit Colorado ski resort areas during peak season, but go early or mid-season. Make an itinerary, and know the best resorts and the best places for lodging. You also need to know what to bring on ski trip.

Finally, planning your trip according to the times that suit your peace of mind is key. Eat a lot, take skiing and snowboard lessons while there, take a ton of photos, make memories, save your hard-earned bucks and have a great winter vacation!