The Skiers' Guide to Arapahoe Basin Ski Area

Arapahoe Basin (or as locals call it, A-Bay/A-Basin) has the longest ski season in North America, often running from October to June or July. It’s equally loved for its intense terrain and unparalleled powder days as for good vibes and tailgating in the parking lot. Located at the top of Loveland Pass, its location away from highways makes it a perfect escape from the more crowded resorts nearby -- but it is still very easy to access from Denver. For many years, it was heralded as one of the last holdouts to major ski pass conglomerates, but its 2024 sale to Alterra surprised many longtime season pass holders. We will have to wait and see what an Ikon powered A-Bay looks like this coming season!

Skiing A-Bay is about as good as it gets in the Colorado frontrange for expert skiers. With over 100 advanced an expert runs and plenty of hike-to terrain, it’s enough to keep any lover of steeps occupied.

When it comes to hike-to terrain, skiers can explore the Upper East Wall, the Steep Gullies, and Montezuma Bowl. Any of these are amazing choices, with Upeer East Wall featuring nail-biting chutes, amazing trees and cliffs in the Steep Gullies, and a wide open bowl with huge drops in Montezuma. While most of these hikes are relatively short and can be done in an hour or less, the high altitude of A-Basin means that they are no easy feat. Bring plenty of water!

If you’re someone who prefers to get to their lines from the comfort of a chairlift, experts should head toward Pallivicini Lift for access to moguls, powder fields, pillow lines, and tree drops. You can spend your whole day on this life alone and never explore everything that it has to offer. But, if you do end up spending a few days rocking through here and are looking through a bit more variety, the Beavers lift off to the right offers some of the best tree skiing in the world. Sure, we could offer a few run recommendations, but the truth of the matter is that the best way to explore the Beavers is to try it yourself - there are an endless amount of lines with an endless amount of variations within them. Just be sure to start paying attention to where you are going about halfway down. It’s very easy to ski down to the hike-out portion of the Steep Gullies! If steeps and trees don’t do it for you, but you’re extremely averse to hiking, you can hop into the bottom half of Montezuma Bowl from the top of the Montezuma Lift, and Lower East Wall from Lenawee Lift.

Intermediate skiers will love ripping the Lenawee Lift, where almost all of the runs are wide open blues. Just steer clear of heading too far to skiers right, where you will run into more advanced and expert terrain. Rip laps up there all day, or run it all the way down to the base for a longer thrill. There are a few awesome intermediate runs down the back of Montezuma Lift as well, although the first pitch onto the back of the mountain can be pretty steep and icy depending on conditions. Make sure you’re very comfortable in all conditions before heading back there. Once you do, you’ll find some great, mellow trees toward the far right, just in between the main piste and Montezuma Bowl.

A-Basin is known for a lot of things, but not necessarily their beginner terrain. Because only 7% of the mountain is classified as beginner friendly, you will be most comfortable sticking to the Molly Hogan beginner area, or the Black Mountain Express. There is no other beginner terrain anywhere on the mountain.

There is no large ski village to walk around at the bottom of Arapahoe Basin, so there are relatively few on-mountain options. But they cover all their bases with what they do have. 6th Alley Bar & Grill is a favorite après spot boasting award winning Bloody Mary’s and a rich history to boot. If you want to rub shoulders with some ski legends, right next door within the same building is The Legends Cafe. For a cafeteria style lunch or just a quick coffee before hitting the slopes, there’s no better place to start your day. Moving up towards mid-mountain, at the top of Black Mountain Express, you’ll find the Black Mountain Lodge, a classic ski lodge with cafeteria lunch, a bar, and a patio perfect for catching the rays on a sunny day.

If you decide to ride up the Lenawee (casually called Lenni) Lift, you’ll find the highest elevation restaurant in North America, il Rifugio at Snow Plume. Il Rifugio is anything but your average restaurant, offering a European-style bistro specializing in wine and charcuterie pairings. They import the best of the best, as well as spotlight locally-made cheese. If you’re looking for luxury at 12,456 feet, you have only one option. Below il Refugio, about halfway down the mountain toward Black Mountain Lodge is Arapahoe Basin’s newest addition - Steilhang Hut. If you want to skip the glitz but still want some European inspiration, this little hut is serving up everything from struedel to pretzels to bratwursts. And obviously beer. Located conveniently at the bottom of East Walls, skiers love the convenience of stopping in for a bite before their next trek.

Due to the lack of accommodation around Arapahoe Basin, après looks a little different on the mountain. If you are hoping for clubs or bars after the ski day, you won’t find it here. But that doesn’t mean that people don’t have fun! It just means that it’s après all day. Skiers and riders who come to A-Bay notoriously bring their own supplies - although you should be aware that isn’t allowed. What is allowed is drinking the best Bloody Mary in all of Colorado at 6th Alley - available with and without bacon. Most people do head home around an hour after the mountain closes, although the vibes on the mountain tend to be fantastic all day long - especially if you come on Gaper Day (April 1st). While the holiday is celebrated at almost every mountain in the United States, A-Basin is famous for their rendition. Tourists, locals, and Coloradans from every corner flock to the mountain, donning their most ridiculous attire to celebrate a season of good vibes. But the fun doesn’t stop there. Spring skiing at Arapahoe Basin, which often runs into July, is nothing to be missed. The mountain is less crowded, but the vibes only get better as the weather gets warmer, and it’s common to see people skiing in swim trunks and bikinis.

With that said, if you are staying in one of the nearby towns, Dillon and Frisco offer plenty of options for après. Head to Cecilia's for dancing, Ollie’s for pub grub, and the Dillon Amphitheatre for live music.

Arapahoe Basin welcomes thousands of families every year, both to their ski school to learn how to ride, and to the mountain itself for everyone to try their hand at new terrain. Their ski school is small but mighty, boasting some of the best ski instructors around. A-Bay is one of the friendliest mountains we have ever been to! However, the steep terrain means that there are only 10 beginner runs. It’s easy to take a wrong turn and end up in the steeps, or even backcountry. This means it might not be the best place to learn for the very first time (unless, of course, parents are looking to shred chutes while their kids learn their turns on the bunny slope).

The lack of a village may also be a drawback for families - the lodge and a few retail spots are the only places to go for kids with cold fingers. If you’re hoping to escape to a hot tub or kids zone at the end of the day, head to any one of the other nearby resorts.

But, if the whole family is filled with capable skiers, the terrain at A-Bay won’t disappoint. It might be best suited for young teenagers and up.

Uh, yeah, there isn’t any. One thing that skiers love about A-Basin is its remote location at the top of Loveland Pass. What that also means is that there is no on-mountain accommodation. So, if you’re hoping for ski-on-ski-off housing, you will have to head toward one of the other frontrange mountains. However, there is plenty of accommodation below the mountain in Keystone and Dillon, located on the west side of the mountain, and Idaho Springs to the east. Keystone and Dillon certainly have more options, including luxury options. The quaint mountain town of Idaho Springs requires a slightly longer drive to the mountain in the morning, but is slightly closer to Denver and offers more of a down-home mountain feel. If you get lucky, the closest option is to catch a small cabin AirBNB.

Arapahoe Basin is a leader in the sustainability sector. In 2023, they become 100% powered by renewable energy, mitigating 62% of their carbon footprint. They are looking forward to becoming completely carbon neutral by 2025. They’ve won countless NSAA awards since their first win in 2005, and encourage skiers and riders to reduce their own footprint. Historically, parking has been free for carpoolers (although that may change in the coming season).

Pros

• Challenging terrain - a favorite for expert skiers and riders.
• Less crowded than most other mountains on I-70 corridor, but still easily accessible.
• Best Blood Mary around, period.
• Longest ski season in North America.
• Fun, laid-back atmosphere.

Cons

• Limited beginner terrain.
• Smaller than many other Colorado resorts.
• High elevation and exposure mean that it is often cold and windy.
• Limited après, accommodation, and dining options.
• Limited parking and the possibility of large crowds.