Top Cheapest Places to Ski in Colorado

Cheapest Places to Ski in Colorado

Maybe you’re counting your pennies and trying to figure out the cheapest places to ski this year. With so many different types of passes anymore, it's hard to understand what's right for you. Besides the big ski giants like Aspen and Vail, Colorado is also home to several smaller ski resorts, and with that, smaller size comes a much more affordable price tag.

We’ve done a little digging, so you don’t have to. Check out our Colorado Ski Resort Guide for more details about all the resorts in Colorado. Here are some of the cheapest places to ski in Colorado:

Echo Mountain - Evergreen, Co

Not only is Echo Mountain Resort one of the cheapest places to ski, but it’s also the closest ski area to Denver. Just 36 miles from downtown Denver makes for a short, under-an-hour drive to Echo Mountain just west of Evergreen. Echo doesn’t have a vast terrain (60 acres), but it offers a variety of beginner-to-expert runs and a tubing hill.

The other ski resorts close to Denver are also part of the cheapest places to ski, ride, and learn.

Echo Resort is Colorado’s only fully lit ski area. Plus, music is played throughout the skiable terrain. Get the best deal and buy your tickets online the day before. These are the pre-purchased prices: all-day adult lift tickets are $59 - $77, and kids' tickets are $40 - $50. Adult night ski passes are $35, and kids' passes are $20. You can purchase tickets on the day of, but they will be more expensive and may be sold out.

Need help with learning? Echo Ambassadors are available in the beginner area to provide free ski or snowboard instruction, tips, and ready-to-take photos.

Passes Accepted at Echo

Loveland Ski Area, cheapest places to ski

Loveland is a winter wonderland in the heart of the Rockies, just 53 miles west of Denver. It offers 1,800 acres of skiable terrain and FREE snowcat access. It's one of the cheapest places to ski and is designed for serious skiers and riders. Loveland offers a variety of lessons and events for all skill levels throughout the season. They offer a Pass Card that provides discounts on tickets, including the first ticket free. Their affordable season pass includes access to partner resorts and membership to the Powder Alliance.

Partner resorts in Colorado are:

Purgatory - Located in southwestern Colorado near Durango.
Monarch Mountain - Situated in central Colorado near Salida.
Sunlight Mountain - Located near Glenwood Springs in the White River National Forest.
Powderhorn Mountain - Found on the western slope of Colorado near Grand Junction.
Silverton - Known for its expert terrain, located near the town of Silverton. This mountain offers two free days for Loveland Pass holders.

Passes Accepted at Loveland:

Gems Discount Card
Indy Pass
Loveland Specific Passes
Loveland Pass Card - a frequent user card with discounted lift tickets, a free first ticket, and a free ticket every fifth day.
Stars & Stripes Pass - A discounted season pass for active and retired military personnel, with perks such as free days at partner resorts.

Eldora Resort

Eldora Resort is a front-range favorite, just 21 miles west of Boulder. Access is easier via their Ski-n-Ride bus, which makes several daily trips from Boulder. The resort has 680 acres of skiable terrain, 80% of which is considered intermediate and above. Additionally, you can access 40K of groomed trails at their touring center. Eldora offers a variety of season passes and day tickets, all at affordable prices.

Passes Accepted at Eldora

Sunlight Mountain - Glenwood Springs

Sunlight Resort is on the western side of the continental divide, just south of Glenwood Springs. It’s reputable as an affordable place for families to learn to ski and ride, with 75% of the terrain ideally suited for beginners. For Nordic skiers, Sunlight has 29 km of groomed trails.

Adult all-day lift tickets range from $74 - $109, children’s are between $49 - $59, and seniors’ tickets range from $59 - $89. Their prices fluctuate a bit with seasonal demand.

Passes Accepted at Sunlight

Ski Cooper - Leadville, CO

Ski Cooper suffers from having a name similar to Copper Mountain, a much bigger resort that’s coincidentally close by. This naming confusion results in Ski Cooper getting overlooked, but for locals who love Ski Cooper, this works to their advantage in a significant way. Cooper is one of Colorado's most historic ski areas and was initially used as a training site during World War II (10th Mountain Division).

Located in Leadville, the highest incorporated city in North America (at over 10,000 feet in elevation), Cooper offers the same incredible views and surroundings as some of the big, glitzy resorts in the area and features some great, beginner slopes.

There is also Chicago Ridge, a 2600-acre open powder bowl that is accessible via Snowcat for more advanced skiers. Locals mostly frequent this resort, so there is rarely a line for the lifts, and it’s a great place to bring the whole family without breaking the bank.

Resort Pass at SkiCooper

Ski Cooper Season Pass
Indy Pass
Powder Alliance
Gems Discount Card
Freedom Pass
Day passes are available; check their website.
Ski Cooper offers affordable season passes; check their website for pricing. The season pass includes access to partner resorts, which are:
- Monarch Mountain (CO)
- Sunlight Mountain Resort (CO)
- Loveland Ski Area (CO)
- Bear Creek (PA)
- Beech Mountain (NC)
- Crescent Hill at Hitchcock (IA)
- Diamond Peak (NV)
- Great Divide (MT)
- Hogadon Basin (WY)
- Mount Pleasant (PA)
- Oak Mountain (NY)
- Pebble Creek (ID)
- Plattekill (NY)
- Ski Apache (NM)
- Snowy Range (WY)

Nordic Centers

For those seeking ski touring, the area offers various options for Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and backcountry skiing.

When the day is done, you’ll be able to explore Leadville, home to gorgeous Victorian architecture, an illustrious past filled with names you’ll recognize like the Unsinkable Molly Brown, Oscar Wilde, and Susan B. Anthony, and in modern day, home to plenty of great restaurants, museums, and lodging where you can warm up and spend time with your fellow ski bums.

Monarch Mountain - Salida, CO

Monarch Mountain is a little out of the way but offers all the excitement of skiing at a Colorado resort without the hefty price tag. The 800-acre resort has terrain for all ability levels, plus an additional 1,635 acres accessible via Snowcat. Day passes can be purchased; however, their prices fluctuate based on ticket demand. This means that you get a better day ticket price the sooner you purchase. Monarch offers an affordable season pass reminiscent of yesteryear. With the season's pass comes access to partner resorts throughout the US.

Passes Accepted at Monarch:

Gems Discount Card
Monarch Specific Passes
Partner Resort Passes

Ski Touring and Snowshoeing at Monarch Park

Monarch Park offers mellow terrain for both ski touring and snowshoeing on Monarch Pass.

Powderhorn Mountain Resort - Mesa, CO

The resort is located just east of Grand Junction on the Grand Mesa. Its tagline says it all: "Mission affordable." The resort has 1,600 acres of skiable terrain with 50% intermediate trails. Like Monarch, you will get the best price on a day ticket the sooner you purchase. Their season passes are also very affordable and offer partner resort benefits.

Partner Resorts & benefits:

Wintergreen Resort (VA): Unlimited days
Wisp Resort (MD): Unlimited days
Ragged Mountain Resort (NH): Unlimited days
Mount Washington Resort (Vancouver Island): 5 free days
Jay Peak Resort (VT): 5 free days
Eagle Point Resort (UT): 3 free days

Passes Accepted at Powderhorn

Grand Mesa Nordic Center

Just a little further up the road from Powderhorn Resort, at the top of the Grand Mesa (the world's largest flat-top mountain), lies the Grand Mesa Nordic Center. You will not be disappointed with access to 50K of groomed trails.

Howelsen Hill Ski Area, cheapest places to ski - Steamboat Springs, CO

Howelsen Hill Ski Area is North America's oldest operating ski area and one of the cheapest places to ski. For over 100 years, Howelsen Hill has been a great place to ski for locals and visitors alike. During that time, it has produced 89 Olympic skiers who trained there, more than any other ski area in North America. Howelsen Hill has four ski lifts and over 13 miles of Nordic ski trails, in addition to 17 lift-serviced trails. The resort also has a unique selection of ski jumps, the tallest of which is nearly four hundred feet high.

Partner Resorts

Hogadon Basin Ski Area
Mont du Lac
Snow King Mountain
Snow Valley
Sunlight Mountain

Passes Accepted at Howelsen Hill

Day Tickets: Prices range from $31 - $43, kids 4 years old and under ski for free.
Season Passes (Howelsen Passes):
- Alpine Pass: lift only
- Nordic Pass: Nordic trails access only.
- Alpine & Nordic Pass
Indy Pass

Lift tickets at Howelsen Hill are practically unbeatable: adults can ski for $52, with special deals for night skiing. Perhaps most notable, Howelsen Hill is home to Ski Free Sunday, which is exactly as good as it sounds. Visitors can hit the slopes and the Nordic trails throughout the winter season for free on Sundays, except when special events are being held.

Howelsen Hill Ski Area is owned and operated by the city of Steamboat Springs, so after a fun and exhausting day of skiing, snowboarding, and heart-pumping ski jumping, be sure to check out what the city has to offer. Downtown Steamboat looks like a picturesque Wild West town, with plenty of cool architectural flair and unique shops selling antiques, sporting equipment, art, and more. To relax sore muscles, be sure to check out Old Town Hot Springs or nearby Strawberry Hot Springs for a refreshing soak.

Nordic Center at Howelsen Hill

15K of groomed Nordic trails circle the alpine slopes at Howelsen Hill. Snowshoeing is also allowed and extends beyond the touring center's boundaries onto Emerald Mountain. This area is also popular for backcountry touring.

Kendall Mountain - Silverton

This small resort in Silverton is considered the West's cheapest place to ski. Adult tickets are just $25 per day, and kids and seniors are only $18. Backcountry and cross-country skiing are accessible from the same area. This low-key, affordable resort complements Silverton Mountain Resort, which boasts some of Colorado's most extreme skiing. Kendall is perfect for those in your group who are still perfecting their turns.

Passes Accepted at Kendall

Day & Night Tickets

Cheapest Places to Ski in Colorado

Skiing and snowboarding have reputations as among the most expensive sports. We can’t help you with the equipment, although there are plenty of great sports retailers in Colorado who can. With the help of resorts and ski areas like the ones above, you can cross “expensive lift tickets” off the list of things holding you back. Now's the time to check out these cheapest places to ski for a truly Colorado experience.