Colorado
The 6 Best Ski Resorts In Colorado
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Kim Peiffer, Forbes Staff
Forbes Vetted
Colorado offers some of the best skiing in the country, thanks to the state’s plethora of world-class mountain towns that attract families and solo travelers alike. Whether you’re looking to embark on an advanced heli-skiing adventure or you’re interested in something a little less risky (bring on the bunny hill), the best ski resorts in Colorado have slopes for every adventure level.
From Vail to Telluride, we’ve selected the Colorado ski resorts with the most to offer, from towns with an abundance of fine dining and nightlife to family-friendly mountains that are great for the little ones. Below, our selections for the best places to shred some powder in the Centennial State in 2024, as well as some of our favorite accommodations to call it a night.
Where To Stay Near The Best Ski Resorts In Colorado:
- Vail: Four Seasons Resort Vail, The Arrabelle At Vail Square, A RockResort
- Aspen: The Little Nell, The St. Regis Aspen Resort, Limelight Hotel
- Beaver Creek: The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort And Spa
- Crested Butte: Eleven Scarp Ridge Lodge
- Breckenridge: Gravity Haus, One Ski Hill, A RockResort
- Telluride: Madeline Hotel and Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection, Fairmont Heritage Place, Franz Klammer Lodge
Vail
Vail Mountain Resort in Vail, Colorado.
getty
Vail Mountain Resort
Who Will Love It: Those looking for a picturesque ski town with a European vibe; foodies; world-travelers
Skiable Terrain: 5,317 acres (18% beginner, 29% intermediate, 53% advanced)
All-Star Amenities: World-class dining; scenic mountain chalets
What Not To Miss: Michelin-recognized Japanese restaurant Osaki’s
Where To Stay: Four Seasons Resort Vail; The Arrabelle At Vail Square, A RockResort
As Colorado’s largest mountain resort, Vail is a bucket list ski experience for a reason. Over 5,300 acres of ski and snowboard terrain, including some world-renowned back bowls, makes this a popular destination for ski lovers of all kinds (the terrain is seemingly endless). But Vail also has more to offer beyond just a stellar experience on the slopes. The picturesque locale has all the charm of a European ski town, with cobblestone streets, a Bavarian-themed village with plenty of glittering trees and luxury restaurants at every turn. To round out the experience, call it a night at one of the town’s many five-star accommodations and awake relaxed and refueled, ready to take on another perfect bluebird day.
Where To Stay:
Four Seasons Resort Vail: At the base of Vail Mountain, this luxury resort offers a little bit of everything, from an all seasons outdoor pool to a luxurious spa. For families or those traveling in groups, some rooms feature fully equipped kitchens.
The Arrabelle At Vail Square, A RockResort: From its rooftop pool and hot tubs to its ski-in/ski-out access, The Arrabelle is a great choice for those who favor amenities and location.
Aspen
The resort at Aspen Snowmass
Courtesy
Aspen Snowmass
Who Will Love It: Those who drool over opulence; high rollers; couples; nightlife lovers
Skiable Terrain: 3,342 acres (5% easiest, 48% more difficult, 17% most difficult, 30% expert)
All-Star Amenities: Four ski resorts for all levels; fine dining experiences on-mountain
What Not To Miss: An Afternoon at Snow Beach; Apres-ski experience at Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro; a romantic dinner for two at Pine Creek Cookhouse
Where To Stay: The Little Nell; The St. Regis Aspen Resort; Limelight Hotel
Jet-setter and celebrity-favorite hotspot Aspen is beloved for many reasons, from its four different ski resorts that combine to offer some of the most interesting terrain in Colorado, to its extremely luxurious dining, hotel and après scene. Here, where you dine and hang post-slopes is just as important as where you’re carving through powder during the day. Both are a highly coveted part of Aspen lifestyle, and there are plenty of five-star options to boot. To start, pamper yourself with a luxurious stay at The Little Nell, the town’s only ski-in/ski-out hotel, and book yourself a one-of-a-kind experience on-mountain at Aspen Highland’s Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro (if you can snag a reservation, that is.) Legs sore from skiing? Pay a visit to The St. Regis for an incredible afternoon couple’s spa experience; you’ll emerge feeling like new.
Where To Stay:
The Little Nell: As Aspen’s only only ski-in/ski-out hotel, The Little Nell is the hottest location in town, and not only for its VIP spot on the mountain. Here, the who’s who of Aspen floats in and out, from the sunken living room bar, to 5-star dining at Element 47.
The St. Regis Aspen Resort: Upscale, cozy and chic, The St. Regis Aspen Resort boasts relaxation and inviting mountain luxury at every turn. From its highly coveted spa—where you can spend hours unwinding in steam caves, cold plunges, hot tubs, an oxygen lounge and a waterfall pool before your treatment—to its well-appointed rooms and suites, a world-class experience awaits.
Limelight Hotel: Limelight Hotel’s flagship property in the heart of downtown Aspen is a stylish mountainside retreat, featuring well designed rooms with ample storage, making it easy to pack a lot of ski gear in for the whole crew without feeling cramped.
Beaver Creek
Beaver Creek Resort Winter Skiing at Dusk; a scenic view of village illuminated at night.
Getty Images
Beaver Creek
Who Will Love It: Luxury seekers; foodies; those who appreciate high-end amenities; families
Skiable Terrain: 2,082 acres (28% beginner, 38% intermediate, 34% advanced )
All-Star Amenities: Warm chocolate chip cookies served daily at the base of the mountain
What Not To Miss: A sleigh ride to dinner at Beano’s Cabin
Where To Stay: The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch; Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort And Spa
From meticulously groomed corduroy runs to over 2,000 acres of skiable grounds, Beaver Creek attracts the who’s who of the ski world thanks to its many luxurious offerings, both on and off the mountain. Here, not a single detail is left untied, from the daily freshly baked cookies served at the bottom of Haymeadow and Centennial Express Lifts, to the spectacular culinary program at many of Beaver Creek’s restaurants. Don’t miss a trip to Beano’s Cabin for a bucket-list culinary experiences featuring a gourmet menu and wine list, complete with stunning mountain views via log cabin (you arrive by sleigh ride). A charming alpine village welcomes plenty of off-slope activities, from high-end boutiques to world-renowned hotels (The Ritz Carlton, Bachelor Gulch offers an array of amenities and a concierge team that will make any vacation dream a reality).
Where To Stay:
The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch: From its incredible ski-in/ski-out location at the foot of Beaver Creek Resort, to its multitude of upscale dining options, this Ritz property is a no brainer if its luxury you’re craving.
Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort And Spa: Another great option for ski-in/ski-out access, Park Hyatt calls Beaver Creek Village home. Book slopeside lodging and a private balcony and savor those mountain views, or reserve an oversized fireplace suite with cabin-style décor.
Crested Butte
The historic buildings along Elk Avenue in Crested Butte.
Getty Images
Crested Butte
Who Will Love It: Advanced skiers; adventurers; those who appreciate small town charm
Skiable Terrain: 1,547 acres (14% beginner, 24.6% intermediate, 24.8% advanced, 36.6% extreme)
All-Star Amenities: Breakfast at Highlife Crust & Crafts; dinner at Uley’s Cabin
What Not To Miss: Skiing “Rambo,” considered the steepest lift-serviced tree-cut trail in North America
Where To Stay: Eleven Scarp Ridge Lodge
With 561 acres of double-black-diamond terrain that accounts for nearly two-thirds of the mountains overall acreage, Crested Butte is the go-to mountain town for thrill seekers and expert skiers, offering a ton of extreme skiing at every turn with the no-frills charm of an old school mining mountain town (you won’t see a single stoplight in this town). But that’s part of the charm of it, after all.
After thousands of calories burned on the slopes, refueling is an essential part of the equation at Crested Butte, and plenty of options for cozy comfort food and local drinks abound. Paradise Warming House is a go-to spot for a classic ski lodge experience, while a fun après scene is always on the menu at The Umbrella Bar at Ten Peaks, offering sweeping views of Gunnison Valley.
Where To Stay:
Eleven Scarp Ridge Lodge: A former saloon-turned European ski chalet, the flagship Eleven Resorts property boasts private backcountry cat skiing and a host of elevated mountain activities, coupled with six unique accommodations and even a saltwater pool.
Breckenridge
The streets at night in the winter with holiday lighting in Breckenridge, Colorado.
Getty images
Breckenridge Ski Resort
Who Will Love It: Families; beginners; friend groups
Skiable Terrain: 3,000 acres (11% beginner, 31% intermediate, 24% advanced, 34% expert)
All-Star Amenities: Nearly the entire town is ski-in/ski-out
What Not To Miss: Sleigh rides; ice skating; tubing
Where To Stay: Gravity Haus; One Ski Hill, A RockResort
Breckenridge is a great family resort just 104 miles from Denver. Thanks to its abundance of green trails and plenty of areas for lessons, it has become a popular place for adult beginners and little ones alike. But that doesn’t exclude those more advanced skiers—187 total trails mean there is something here for every level. One of the coolest and most unique elements of the town of Breck is its direct access to the mountain from Main Street. Ski right from the top of North America’s highest chairlift at the close of the day directly to your favorite après watering hole—nearly the entire town is ski-in, ski-out. Speaking of the town, its historic mining town charm is one-of-a-kind. Here, you’ll find plenty of shops and restaurants, sans the stuffy feel of some of the other more expensive ski towns in Colorado.
Where To Stay:
Gravity Haus: This boutique hotel at the base of Peak 9 offers eco-friendly and pet-friendly accommodations with plenty of unique amenities—including a Japanese-inspired Onsen with hot and cold tubs and a dry sauna.
One Ski Hill, A RockResort: For groups, One Ski Hill is a great choice thanks to its condo-style rooms with plenty of space. The resort is nestled at the base of Peak 7 and just steps from the BreckConnect Gondola that shoots you right into downtown Breck in a matter of minutes.
Telluride
Telluride, Colorado and Mountain Village glow beneath the San Juan Mountains on a cold, winter night.
Getty Images
Telluride Mountain Village
Who Will Love It: Advanced skiers; adventurers; those looking for old-school mountain charm mixed with modern amenities
Skiable Terrain: 2,000+ acres (23% beginner, 36% intermediate, 41% advanced)
All-Star Amenities: A 13-minute free gondola ride up to Mountain Village
What Not To Miss: Lunch at famed slope-side restaurant Alpino Vino; shopping on historical Main Street
Where To Stay: Madeline Hotel And Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection; Fairmont Heritage Place, Franz Klammer Lodge
It may not be the easiest ski resort to get to, but that’s one of the many reasons that Telluride has largely stayed somewhat of a hidden gem. Tucked within the gorgeous San Juan Mountains, under a two-hour drive from the Montrose Regional Airport, this historic mountain town is rich with rustic charm and offers some of the most stunning mountain views you’ll find in the United States. Surrounded by 13,000 and 14,000-foot peaks, the town itself is nestled cozily into the canyon and bustling with boutiques, restaurants and unique bars that round out this incredible vacation spot. Up in the mountains, skiers of all levels will find their grove with a wide variety of terrain for intermediate and advanced skiers (plus plenty for this just learning the sport).
Where To Stay:
Madeline Hotel And Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection: This Auberge Resorts property has it all, from stunning views of the surrounding mountain ranges to plenty of upscale amenities to help make a ski vacation a seamless experience. Bonus for the gorgeous guest rooms that marry modern design with alpine charm.
Fairmont Heritage Place, Franz Klammer Lodge: If you’re coming with a group or family, the spacious two- and three-bedroom residences found here are sure to make everyone feel comfy. A great location at the base of Telluride Ski Resort seals the deal.
About Kim Peiffer, Your Colorado Ski Resorts Guide
I have been covering travel for nearly two decades, from reviewing luxury hotels to visiting off-the-beaten path locations throughout the world. I’m always in search of a new ski town, a remote beach and a stellar cocktail (and the perfect spot to sip said cocktail, of course). I’m also always down for adventure on a vacation, whether its doing aerial acrobatics in a fighter jet over the desert or heli-skiing down a glacier in Italy. I’ve been skiing since the age of 6 and have been skiing in Colorado for decades. As Forbes Vetted’s Executive Editor, I oversee our travel and hotel coverage. I’ve also written for Vogue, Robb Report, Travel + Leisure, InStyle, GQ, DuJour, Glamour, Oprah and many others. Follow my adventures on Instagram: @peifferk1.
Colorado
‘We couldn’t do this in another place’: Horror film looks to make Southern Colorado the next Hollywood
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – It’s commonly understood that many of the best blockbusters are made in Southern California but a group of local filmmakers wants to prove Southern Colorado can be a destination for both aspiring and established auteurs.
Shooting began in Fountain this spring on ‘Devil In The Trunk’, a new horror film set in Colorado’s eastern plains.
“Devil In The Trunk is about a small-town woman who encounters a mysterious traveler driving this car right here who claims to have the actual devil trapped in the trunk of her car,” executive producer Leon Kelly said. “As you can imagine, when the devil comes to your small town, terrible and dangerous things can happen.”
Director, writer, and producer Evan Alderson said they wanted to make the film as Colorado as possible.
“We ended up finding a local Colorado writer, and we ended up collaborating to come up with this idea that could act as a love letter to Colorado,” he said.
While Colorado may be most famous for its soaring mountain peaks, Kelly said the plains were a much more fitting setting.
“It’s both beautiful and dangerous at the same time,” he said. “One of the underlying themes is the desolation and the loneliness and how vulnerable some folks can be in small towns and out in rural areas.”
Kelly said not only is the film meant to showcase Colorado’s natural beauty, but also to showcase the talent of the people who live there.
“It’s a proof of concept, to show that we have not only the talented people but the infrastructure that can support really high-quality, independent films,” he said. “We know we’ve got great filmmakers here, we know we have really talented craftspeople here, but they don’t necessarily have the opportunities to work on something like this on this scale that’s a narrative film.”
With the Sundance Film Festival set to make its debut in Boulder in 2027, Kelly said people are asking new questions about what Colorado can do for those looking to tell stories on the big screen.
“Can Colorado become a hub? Can that be a place, a destination where others come? Can that be a place where our own filmmakers can come into their own?” he said.
Alderson said once the film is finished they will put it out on the film festival circuit, and even look for distribution.
“That will look like a theatrical release, potentially, in an ideal world, or it will be straight to streaming services like Amazon, Hulu, that type of stuff,” he said.
Copyright 2026 KKTV. All rights reserved.
The now 19-year-old victim, who Brent Metz is accused of shooting in the face, took the stand in Metz’s trial Thursday. Metz, a former town of Mountain View councilman, was in the second day of his trial hearings.
The teenager, who has recovered well physically from the shooting back in September of 2024, told the story of what led up to the shooting, then said he blacked out for a period after he was shot.
The young man, Jack (CBS Colorado is not sharing the victim’s last name) said he and his younger friend went to ask for permission to take pictures at a scenic home near Conifer. At first, they parked outside the gated driveway and tried to figure out how to contact someone there. They then hopped a low fence and went up to the house.
Jack said he had difficulty locating a front door on the home, but the large property also had a garage and barn. They heard music coming from the barn, which is a common practice for people with animals to leave music playing to calm animals while away.
“We decided to knock on the barn door and then after a couple a minutes we decided to go back down the driveway,” Jack said in court.
The two friends went back over the fence and moved the car to a spot not blocking the driveway along the right-of-way at the road. Minutes later, Brent Metz drove up in his black GMC pickup truck, blocking their car in. Metz got out. Jack testified that he raised his hands at some point, a claim the defense questioned in cross examination. He related that he was getting out to try to greet the person getting out of the truck.
“I just (got) the door open I kind of turned to open my door and then turned to get out, and I saw someone get out, and then it was black,” Jack said.
The victim soon awoke bleeding and injured. “I looked down and I thought I was going to die. So I said that a couple times,” Jack testified.
“My mouth was on fire and it felt like my upper lip was gone, and I could taste little fragments,” Jack told the court. Jack’s friend and Metz tried to help him out of the car.
“The one who shot me was trying to help me get out of the car.”
Soon after, Metz left his side.
“He helped me sit down, and then he walked away,” Jack said.
“I started to realize I needed to stay as calm as I could, and when I got out of the car, I sat down, but I was very anxious,” Jack recalled.
Later, the victim had to have surgery in order to have the bullet fragments removed from his face. One of the fragments was more than an inch in size. He had trouble breathing through his right nostril due to the injuries to his nose. His eye was blackened for a long time, and a tooth was shattered.
Jack did not remember Metz saying much.
The testimony followed hours of testimony from a gun testing expert who looked at the weapon at the request of the prosecution. Derek Watkins is an engineer who said he has seen many claims of weapons not working properly.
“My experience is that, if you manufacture a firearm, at some point in time, it’s going, you’re going to run across the claim that it behaves in a defective manner,” Watkins said.
Metz’s defense is centered on a claim that the Sig Sauer P320 he had fired on its own without Metz pulling the trigger.
“There was nothing about the gun through the testing or through the examination of the components indicating it would function any other way than it was designed and left the factory,” Watkins said.
The defense had little luck getting Watkins to agree the gun could fire on its own, but did try to point out to the jury in questions that Watkins has previously testified in civil litigation about the gun’s integrity on behalf of the manufacturer.
The case continues Friday when it could wrap up. Metz faces four charges, the most serious of which is second-degree assault, but also two menacing charges and one of illegal discharge of a firearm.
On the cusp of the United States’ 250th anniversary and Colorado’s 150th, the Centennial State and its Catholic witnesses show modern Catholics a path forward.
Colorado celebrates its own 150th anniversary this year, as the rest of the country marks 250 years since the founding of the United States. The two milestones bear an interesting connection. In the very year of independence, one of the most important explorations of Colorado was undertaken by two Franciscan friars: Francisco Atanasio Domínguez and Silvestre Vélez de Escalante.
Faith Crosses the Rockies
While the importance of the Domínguez-Escalante Expedition should not be overestimated — it didn’t lead to any settlements and mostly focused on Utah — it nonetheless symbolizes the coming of the Christian faith into Colorado. Their expedition traces the path the Church followed into the Rockies, initially coming up from the south, to be met later from the East by miners. Leaving Santa Fe in the very month independence was declared, the two friars and their companions crossed into the modern-day boundaries of Colorado at the beginning of August 1776. They were not the first Spaniards to enter the territory of the Ute and Arapahoe tribes north of Nueva Mexico — Juan de Oñate was in 1598, and they also relied on the previous expeditions of Rivera — but the friars opened up more regular access to it as they laid the foundation for the Santa Fe Trail that would lead from New Mexico to Southern California.
The friars found in Colorado beautiful mountain vistas, remarking that it was cold even in the summer, as well as dangerous canyons and abandoned settlements in the Mesa Verde area. Their journal remarks: “We traveled a league and turned west through very pleasant narrow valleys with woods, very abundant with pastures, with different blooms and flowers.” (The Domínguez-Escalante Journal, translated by Fray Angelico Chavez, University of Utah Press, 15). Focusing on possible mission sites more than a continental passage, they insisted to all their companions that they should not “have any purpose other than the one we had, which was God’s glory and the good of souls” (40). Their desires would take 110 years to come to fruition with the founding of the first Catholic mission to Native Americans in Colorado, St. Ignatius, on the Southern Ute Reservation in Ignacio, Colorado, in 1886.
From Frontier Territory to Catholic Settlement
Catholic life was slow to arrive in Colorado compared to other parts of the nation, especially given the early settlement of New Mexico not far to the south. The Spanish were never able to create permanent settlements in Colorado, with one failed attempt near Pueblo in 1787. This is where 1776 regains its significance, even for the Church’s development in the region. It was only after the United States annexed the Southwest following the Mexican-American War in 1848 that Catholic settlement began. From the south, settlers arrived from Taos to establish San Luis on April 9, 1851. Not long after, in 1858, the Pikes Peak Goldrush brought a flood of miners from the East. From this mix of New Mexican settlers, Native missions and Catholic miners, the Catholic Church of Colorado finally emerged.
In 1860, Father Joseph Projectus Machebeuf arrived from Santa Fe and, in the eight years before he became Denver’s first bishop, the energetic priest established eighteen churches. I first encountered him through Willa Cather’s fictional portrayal of him as the character Vaillant in her novel, Death Comes for the Archbishop (and she relied heavily on Machebeuf’s letters for the book). Though primarily set in New Mexico, Cather brings the history of the Church in the Southwest to life through the vibrant, often tense meetings of Natives, Mexicans, newly arrived Americans and the French clergy seeking to unite them into a cohesive whole. It was Bishop Machebeuf who presided over the Church when Colorado became a state in 1876.
A Little-Known Bishop With An Important Lesson
His successor, Bishop Nicholas Matz, likewise came to Colorado as a missionary from France and experienced firsthand the difficulties miners faced in mountain towns, especially as a pastor in Georgetown. Seth Fabian brings this lesser-known figure to life in his new book, The Pilgrim Bishop: The Spiritual Biography of Nichols C. Matz (TAN Books, 2026).
Even after living in Colorado for nearly twelve years and working for the Archdiocese of Denver for six, I didn’t know much about this misunderstood and even controversial bishop, who often lacked support from his clergy. Even in a newly established state, still riding high from its mining operations, Bishop Matz interpreted the events around him with a lens formed by the violent revolutions of the Old World, fearing and overestimating the “potential reach of radical socialists or anarchists” (11).
Bishop Matz’s difficulty in addressing the social question in his diocese points to an ongoing difficulty for both Colorado and the entire nation in this celebratory year marking their founding. Dr. Fabian raises a fundamental question we must consider: “the question of how individual Catholics live their daily lives in a pluralist society” (386).
We have a strong legacy of Catholic settlement across the continent, of our ancestors seeking to consecrate this land to God. In fact, in just a few weeks, on June 11, the U.S. bishops will do so again when they consecrate the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Yet we face pressing challenges that call us to wade into difficult social questions, especially those related to technology and artificial intelligence, as Pope Leo XIV is expected to do in his first encyclical, to be released on May 25.
Despite the real challenges, if we advance, as Domínguez and Escalante did, seeking “God’s glory and the good of souls” above all else, we can continue our great Catholic legacy and open a path for future generations to follow.
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