Colorado is one of the most popular ski destinations in the U.S. With that often comes sticker shock at the ticket purchasing window — especially over peak weekends and holidays at some of the bigger resorts. That being said, skiing in the Centennial State doesn’t need to break the bank. By sticking to small and mid-size Colorado ski resorts you can enjoy a day on the slopes without feeling the pain when your credit card bill arrives. Let us show you how to ski in Colorado on a budget. For more options throughout the U.S., check out our round-up of some of the most affordable ski resorts. After your trip, rate and review the ski areas you visited here.
Note: Ticket prices change with the time of the season, snow conditions, and during special promotions. As such, these prices may fluctuate during the season. Look for deals early in the ski season, late in the season, and on weekdays.
The Most Affordable Ski Resorts In Colorado
Ski Cooper
Cooper is in the same mountain neighborhood as Vail, Breckenridge, and Beaver Creek, so you can expect good snow conditions at a bargain. Lift ticket prices are significantly lower than other Colorado ski resorts, at $110 for a full-price ticket on Saturdays and holidays. Discounted rates are $45 on Mondays through Thursdays and $95 on Fridays and Sundays.
What’s more, Cooper’s ski pass is a unique option because it offers free ski days at a number of partner ski resorts throughout North America. Cooper, in operation since 1942, is a friendly resort with good facilities and great snow, featuring 5 lifts serving 64 trails spread out across 480 acres. The small town of Leadville has reasonably priced lodging and dining.
» View Cooper Lodging Options
Sunlight Mountain
Located between Vail and Aspen Snowmass, Sunlight Mountain Resort boasts single adult lift tickets during the week that can be as low as $70. Weekend lift tickets are around $90-$100. Sunlight, a great family ski resort, lives up to its name, enjoying more than 300 days of sunshine each year, and receiving an average of 250 inches of snow per season. The deals here extend off the mountain to nearby Glenwood Springs, which offers a wide variety of budget-friendly lodging options along with its world-famous hot springs. Additionally, Sunlight Mountain is on the Indy Pass, which has several participating resorts in Colorado.
» View Sunlight Lodging Options
Wolf Creek
Skiers in southeast Colorado, New Mexico, and even Texas are lucky to have one of Colorado’s snowiest ski resorts, Wolf Creek, in their backyard at good prices. Daily adult lift tickets are $91, while they are $103 over select peak weekends. Wolf Creek is a small Colorado ski resort with 1,600 skiable acres, but there’s a variety of terrain and plenty of powder days for everyone to enjoy. It was actually the first ski Colorado ski resort to open for the 24-25 season, opening on October 22. Reasonably priced accommodations can be found to the west of the mountain in nearby Pagosa Springs and South Fork. Both towns also have good dining options. Pagosa Springs offers the bonus of its hot springs for soaking.
» View Wolf Creek Lodging Options
Monarch Mountain
Off many people’s Colorado ski resort radar is Monarch Mountain, an affordable destination that receives 350 inches of snow each year. Monarch offers a variety of lift tickets depending on when you ski or ride, including weekday, weekend, and holiday tickets. Holiday lift tickets are around $129, while weekday lift tickets can be as low as $69. Buy in advance online and save as much as 40 percent. The nearby town of Salida is a budget-friendly lodging option for accommodations, from chain hotels to family-owned properties.
» View Monarch Mountain Lodging Options
Powderhorn
Powderhorn may not have the convenience to Denver like other Colorado ski areas, yet it shouldn’t be overlooked, especially considering the expansiveness of its 1,600 acres of diverse terrain. Tucked along the northern rim of Western Colorado’s beautiful Grand Mesa, Powderhorn sees a generous 250 inches of snow per year on average. Skiers and riders will find a little bit of it all, from an abundance of groomers to aspen and pine glades to volcanic boulder fields filled in with powder and much more.
Powderhorn’s Mission Affordability initiative helps keep lift tickets reasonably priced. Advanced online tickets are $89 during the week, $99 on weekends, and $109 on holidays. Beginners can take advantage of the easy rider tickets, which provide access to to the lower mountain beginner terrain. These are $54 during the week, $59 on weekends, and $64 on holidays when purchased online in advance.
» View Powderhorn Lodging Options
Arapahoe Basin
Some people may be surprised to find an Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective resort on a list of affordable ski resorts. However, Arapahoe Basin often has lift tickets for less than $100. The caveat is that you’ll need to purchase them in advance and online. In fact, lift tickets aren’t sold at A-Basin. If you’re going to be skiing for more than one day, then consider one of Arapahoe Basin’s multi-day packs without blackout days. A 3-day pack comes out to $86 per day, a 4-day pack comes out to $77 per day, and a 5-day pack is $68 per day. Even with 3 days of skiing, you’ll just scratch the surface of its 1,428 acres of skiable terrain and 2,530 feet of vertical.
» View Arapahoe Basin Lodging Options
Echo Mountain
Denver’s closest and most affordable ski area (35 miles from Denver), Echo Mountain is an ideal day trip destination and a good option for saving on gas and lodging. Adult lift tickets at the window are $79-plus. However, you can score Echo Mountain lift tickets online from $50-$83 in advance. Note that lift tickets can sell out for busy weekends and holiday weekends, so it’s recommended to buy lift tickets ahead of time. Snow is plentiful, and the ski area also has extensive snowmaking capabilities. A bonus of Echo Mountain is night skiing, which is $35 when you purchase your ticket in advance. Finish up your workday and a short while later you’ll be on the snow. Echo also has a tubing park to keep the kids busy.
» View Echo Mountain Lodging Options
Purgatory
Located in the San Juan Mountain range near Durango, Purgatory works on a variable pricing online lift ticket system. Tickets can be as low as $13 (yes, seriously), though that’s typically going to be very early or late-season ski days. You can expect to pay at least $55, though holiday periods can be around $100. Purchasing your tickets as early as possible will give you the best rates. An easy drive down the road from Purgatory is the lively Western town of Durango with a wide variety of hotels and inns. The town is home to Fort Lewis College, so there are plenty of excellent budget eateries and accommodations catering to students and their families. Not to mention that Durango is considered one of the top small towns in America.
» View Purgatory Lodging Options
Granby Ranch
Located just north of Winter Park, a couple hours from Denver, Granby Ranch is a family-owned ski resort, comprised of 2 mountains and a variety of terrain over its 400 acres of skiable terrain. While lift tickets can be around $150 for holidays and popular weekends, lift tickets are often around $100 during the week. Granby Ranch’s best value is its night skiing ticket, which is $54. If you’re planning a trip in March, check out its Twilight Ticket, which is $54 for skiing and riding from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. during most of the month. Note that Granby Ranch is also on the Indy Pass. Couple it with a day or two at Winter Park, which is just 20 miles south.
» View Granby Ranch Lodging Options
Howelsen Hill
Howelsen Hill, located in Steamboat Springs, is Colorado’s oldest continuously operated ski area, opening in 1915, and known for having the largest and most complete natural ski jumping complex in North America. It’s small, with just 50 skiable acres, 17 trails, and 4 lifts, however, you can’t beat $49 lift tickets. Considering Howelsen’s size and terrain, it’s best suited for beginner skiers. However, its location in Steamboat Springs means that you can drop off the kids and beginner skiers in your group while you ski Steamboat.
» View Howelsen Hill Lodging Options
Hesperus Ski Area
While Hesperus is one of Colorado’s smaller ski areas, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better price. Hesperus Ski Area is located 11 miles west of Durango, offers 26 trails on 60 skiable acres, and receives 150 inches of annual snowfall. Everything is reasonably priced at Ski Hesperus with adult lift tickets going for only $48 during the day and $36 for night skiing. Nearby Durango offers everything else.
FAQ
Where is the most affordable ski resort?
Ski Cooper is one of Colorado’s most affordable ski areas, and arguably the best value. It’s also just a few miles from the historic Western town of Leadville. Leadville is both fun and affordable in all ways. Hesperus Ski Area is one of the cheapest ski resorts in Colorado, but you won’t find the snow and terrain that you’ll find at most other Colorado ski resorts.
How do you ski in Colorado on a budget?
The best ski value is generally to purchase a multi-resort ski pass, such as an Ikon Pass or Epic Pass (read our Epic vs. Ikon Pass comparison article for a complete breakdown). That is, as long as you plan to ski for several days and buy your pass early. If you don’t want to purchase a big pass then the best way to save is to buy discounted lift tickets online. Buying lift tickets for multiple days will also save you money, as will purchasing senior, military, junior, local, college, or other discounted tickets when offered.
Additionally, check out the Colorado Gems Pass, which is good at many of the smaller resorts in Colorado. With the Gems Discount Card, skiers can choose between 2-for-1 single-day lift tickets or 30% off single-day lift tickets at more than 20 Colorado ski areas. Colorado Ski Country USA also offers any fifth grader the chance to ski or ride 4 days at 20 participating member resorts across the state. That’s up to 80 days on the slopes for just $67. Try Howelsen Hill in Steamboat, which is Colorado’s oldest continually operated ski hill, offering free skiing on Sundays throughout the ski season just by showing up at the ticket office. This program is meant to “celebrate the community’s Olympian spirit and honor the tradition of this historic ski area.” Nearly 100 Olympians have been produced at Howelsen Hill.
How can I stay at cheap ski resorts?
Check online websites of hotels and lodges with ski vacation packages. Sign up for ski resorts’ newsletters and follow them on social media, as that’s where they’ll often post special offers. Head to OnTheSnow’s Colorado lodging page to see the latest lodging deals.
You can also save on lodging by staying at a bed and breakfast or vacation rental, many of which are typically only a few minutes from ski resorts. Some ski resorts sell lodging packages that include a lift ticket. These are often for off-peak days. Packing a lunch for the day is also a great way to save money at ski areas, as resort food and drinks can add up. Finally, shop local or rent gear. If you’re without gear and on a budget, you’ll want to avoid the shops at base areas and look for bargains nearby.
Conclusion
So there you have a few suggestions for the most affordable ski resorts in Colorado. Pack your bags and equipment and find out for yourself that it won’t cost a fortune to experience some of the best snow conditions in the world. After your Colorado ski trip, leave a resort review and help other travelers plan their Colorado ski vacation.
Header image ©Scott DW Smith / Wolf Creek Ski Area
December 09, 2024
