You’ve heard about the knee-deep powder. Friends told you about the parks. You’re now jonesing to go snowboarding in Colorado. You’ve got the cash that’s burning a hole in your pocket. Now comes the big decision. What are the best places to go snowboarding in Colorado?
First, decide what type of riding is in your plans. Do you want to freeride, freestyle, or a combination of both? This will most likely decide which resort or area you should hit up. While all resorts can offer a bit of both, they most likely will have a specialized selection. Here are some of my Colorado’s local’s favorites.
Best Freeride Destinations
Aspen/Snowmass
The four Aspen mountains are a snowboarders paradise. You can find vast quantities of powder, steeps, glades, and drops. If you like a challenge and want an extreme experience, head to local’s favorite Aspen Highlands. Everyone should experience Highlands Bowl and its above treeline alpine terrain. If you want glades, cruising, or mandatory air drops, head to Snowmass. Snowmass has vast terrain of any type, all of it uncrowded. This is one of my favorite places to ride.
Steamboat
Steamboat is well known for its trademarked champagne powder and former Olympian Billy Kidd. It also offers up some great riding terrain with it. Explore the well-known terrain such as Shadows, Closet and Mt. Werner. Be sure to check out Christmas Tree Bowl. You’ll have a merry good time.
Copper Mountain
Step away from the ordinary. Copper has a wide variety of terrain to please any need. Cruisers for the intermediate and then there are the beckoning experts bowls. Drop cornices to your heart’s delight. Don’t miss the free Tucker Mountain snowcat access. I sneak over to Copper whenever I can.
Loveland Ski Area
Loveland is the hidden gem of Colorado. Located at the Eisenhower Tunnel off I-70, this ski area offers all the terrain of the big resorts but at a fraction of the cost. It receives over 400″ of annual snowfall and has some of the friendliest riders in the state. You can get your steeps fix up on The Ridge. Take Chair 9 up to the top of the Continental Divide and hit anything you see. If you don’t mind earning your turns, take a hike up Porcupine and hit the runs off of it. If you want long powder runs, hit the terrain off Chair 8. It is possible to find untracked powder days after a storm here. You may need to ask a local for the best locations. I’m not telling.
Vail
Everyone has heard of Vail. Without a doubt Vail is huge. It offers acres of endless riding. Forget the front side of Vail and head straight to the famous Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin. Ride anything you see. It’s all good. If you get a chance, ask some local’s and go find the two natural steam vents on the mountain. Be prepared to open your wallet often and wide in Vail.
Winter Park Resort
Winter Park may be the most overlooked resort for snowboarding. While there are flats and cat tracks on the Winter Park side, Mary Jane offers endless delights of steeps, powder, trees, and moguls. Explore Vasquez Cirque, Eagle Wind terrain, and the terrain serviced by the Panoramic lift. Come join the Jane Gang today!
Best Freestyle Destinations
Vail
Vail has everything for the inner freestyler. If you like jumps, boxes, rail slides, and the half-pipe, Vail’s got you covered. Nothing’s missing here. Go straight to Golden Peak. In February, you can watch the pro’s do their thing in the famous Honda Session competition. Go big or go home.
Winter Park Resort
Winter Park has some serious street credibility. It was rated ‘7th in Top Ten Terrain Parks’, ‘7th for Top Ten Pipes’, and ‘7th for Top Ten Resort’ by Transworld Snowboarding in 2008. Beginners and Intermediates head to Jack Kendrick. The Railyard is for the expert and Dark Territory is for the expert to professional rider. Lots of interesting jibs. Check out the life-size fiberglass horse.
Keystone
Keystone knows jibs, jumps, and rails. Go straight to A51. Show your skills or challenge them to the max in this jibbers delight.
Snowmass/Buttermilk
Who hasn’t heard of the ESPN Winter X Games? Buttermilk has been hosting the X Games since 2002. It doesn’t get any better than this for extreme freestylers and slopestylers. Come test your skillz dude. Snowmass isn’t far behind Buttermilk. It has a variety of parks scattered around the mountain. You can expect gap jumps, and interesting rail shapes.
Copper Mountain
There is a reason that Copper hosted the USASA National Championships in 2008 and is hosting them again in 2009. Copper speaks freestyle. It has 4 parks and a half-pipe with a national reputation. Come test your boundaries and the new dry land training facility.
So now you have the scoop. Come out this winter and play like a local. Experience what we love about Colorado.
