Like many other resorts in central Colorado, Keystone is large (over 3,000 acres) and gets lots of quality snow (the current rolling average is 235 inches a year). However, its close proximity to Denver results in big crowds on the weekends especially during holiday periods. Still, there’s no denying that Keystone has lots of great terrain, especially if you’re into tree skiing. Technically speaking, half of the mountain consists of experts-only terrain. But the reality is that a significant part of this and the ski area as a whole is only accessible on foot or by snowcat. It’s good skiing, but not everyone is willing to take a hike even if it means making fresh tracks.

Skiing at Keystone

There’s great skiing to be had at Keystone, but like anywhere, it helps to know a few things before you go. First off, there isn’t much beginner terrain and most of it is grouped together. When the resort gets crowded (which happens most weekends), things can get pretty hairy if you’re sticking to green runs. Even if you’re venturing into Keystone’s further reaches, you’ll have to deal with a number of choke points which can be quite busy at the start and end of the ski day.

Keystone’s layout is quite different from most other resorts in the region. The ski area extends due south from the base area. This means that, apart from most of the hikable terrain, most slopes face either north or south. From north to south, the ski area covers three “mountains”: Dercum Peak (named after Keystone’s founder), North Peak, and the Outback. There is also a ridge above these mountains which, for the most part, require you to pay to hitch a ride on a snowcat or use your own two feet.

Dercum Peak rises above the town of Keystone. Virtually all of Keystone’s beginner terrain is found in this area. The village is served by two parallel chairs (well, one chair and a gondola) and the Peru lift to the west. Peru takes you to various terrain parks which are some of the best you’ll find in central Colorado. The half pipe isn’t as big as Copper Mountain’s, but the features are far more varied. Peru is also home to Keystone’s main bunny hill.

Notably, Dercum Peak’s gondolas have a vertical rise of over 2,200 feet. The area is crisscrossed by dozens of nice cruisers, some green, others blue. The longest of these, a beginner run called Schoolmarm, is a whopping 3.5 miles long. There are loads of great options if you like long, open runs. However, the joy of going fast down cruisers can unfortunately be affected by crowds.

The top of Dercum Peak has another first-timer area, a tubing hill, and Keystone’s third and final gondola. The Outpost is a two-way gondola that ends over on the North Peak. You came to Keystone to ski, so you may be tempted to ski down and over to North Peak instead, but be grateful for the gondola as it’s a vital link that reduces the burden on other chairlifts.

If you don’t take the Outpost Gondola and don’t want to head back down to the base, you have two options: ski down or walk up. The walking trail here is, in our opinion, the most worthwhile one to take in all of Keystone. You can walk up to a mile, but there are good lines even if you drop in halfway through. These are all tree runs, but they’re satisfactorily long and the foliage isn’t too tight.

The southernmost part of Keystone is called the Outback. It’s generally the least crowded chairlift-accessible part of Keystone and consists of about a dozen black and blue runs. But the real highlight is tree-skiing in between the marked runs. My favorite is the patch between The Grizz and Oh, Bob, but there are other good options too. The biggest problem with skiing the Outback is the choke point at the Wayback chair which inevitably forms at the end of the day.

Shooting back north for a minute, Keystone’s newest lift is called Bergman Express. Located near the North Peak summit, Bergman services a few intermediate runs. However its main purpose is to provide easier access to Keystone’s above-treeline terrain.

Now, about that high-mountain skiing. It’s pretty good but I can’t help but call it overrated. The walk up from the Bergman lift isn’t that bad, but the lines you can access are correspondingly short. Alternatively, the hike from the Outback is much longer and the runs are better. You can pay to hitch a ride on a snowcat ($10 a go in the 2023/24 season), but this only diminishes the experience. This high terrain obviously sees far fewer skiers than the rest of the mountain, but, thanks to the snowcat service, fresh tracks aren’t as easy to find as you might think.

Eating Out at Keystone

Keystone has a relatively small base. The skiable area stretches quite far into areas with no road access, so eating options are fairly limited both on and off the mountain.

Though your options are limited, Keystone has better food than most other mountains owned by Vail Resorts. Timber Ridge, located on North Peak, has decent tacos, noodle bowls, and some rather bold sandwiches. Rather than sticking to burgers, they serve up grilled cheeses, but not the kind you ate as a kid. The last time I was at Keystone, I was rather taken with the feta and lamb sandwich.

Over on Dercum Mountain overlooking the base area you can get grub at Summit House. The fare there is a bit more standard. It’s mostly just burgers, bratwursts, and a few items for the kids.

Off mountain, there’s a cluster of dining and drinking options a short walk from the River Run and Summit lifts. Two notable establishments are Montezuma’s Roadhouse (which has better food) and the Kickapoo tavern (which has a better atmosphere). There’s also pizza, Mexican and Japanese options.

I have a personal favorite, however. Steep Brewery has coffee, good beer, and good food. I’m a big fan of the delicacy known as chicken and waffles, so it easily earns the top spot in my book. It’s further away from the ski lifts, so Steep is more of a pre- or après option.

Again, the village at Keystone is fairly small. Keep in mind that the twin towns of Silverthorne and Dillon are just a few miles down the road, so there are more options than may first appear.

Après Ski in Keystone

The bars mentioned in the last section are all popular spots for après drinks. The Last Lift is a good choice if you’re keen on live music. It’s right at the base of the Peru lift, so you’ll see what the scene is like as you ski down on your last run.

Zooming 7 miles down the road, Pug Ryan’s Tiki Bar over in Dillon is a nice spot on the reservoir (frozen for most of the ski season). If you’re a fan of island-style bars, it’ll scratch your itch. The same owners operate a brewpub a few blocks away if that’s more your speed.

Is Keystone Family-friendly?

Keystone is a family-friendly resort. As you know if you read the previous sections, it isn’t a party mountain. Things don’t get too rowdy but, like any ski resort in Colorado, you’re likely to at the very least smell marijuana if you take your time in one of the parking lots.

Keystone does have a ski school at dedicated areas for beginners. But, as I said above, the mountain as a whole doesn’t have a lot of beginner terrain. That said, it does have bunny hills suitable for first-timers.

Accommodation in Keystone

The town of Keystone may be small but it does have plenty of hotels and condos for rent. Expect to spend at least $300 for a night during most of the season. There are cheaper options over in Silverthorne-Dillon. You will have to deal with a very busy stretch of Highway 6 so the 7 miles between you and the resort may take longer than expected, but you can take comfort in the fact that Keystone actually offers free parking for day skiers.

Environment and Sustainability

Keystone is a part of Vail Resorts, a company which has committed itself to producing zero net emissions and physical waste by 2030. Recycling is ever present in town and on the mountain. The resort uses lots of recycled materials both in construction and in the disposable products it serves meals and drinks in.