Got Vertical? Colorado Ski Resorts by Size
Colorado’s renowned ski resorts boast extensive skiable terrain and thrilling vertical drops, enticing eager riders to explore their slopes. Whether you seek the perfect blend of vertical descent and diverse terrain or simply want to discover the largest resorts in Colorado, we’ve compiled the primary ski destinations based on their size.
For those planning an extended stay at a single mountain, opting for a resort with ample skiable acres and vertical challenges can keep the adventure alive. Most of the featured resorts offer over 1000 skiable acres, providing ample exploration over multiple days. Additionally, there are fantastic ski areas with 400 to 800 acres that promise an epic day on the slopes at reasonable rates.
Biggest Ski Resorts in CO by Skiable Acres and Vertical Drop
Rest assured even at the most crowded, popular resorts, you’ll find thousands of acres of terrain to escape and find your solitude. Ski areas with less than 100 acres were excluded from this list. Silverton Mountain was also omitted b/c it’s expert only and everything requires traversing.
Only inbounds terrain was used for skiable area and chairlift-served for vertical drop. You can view a list of ski resorts in CO to see more statistics and facts about each.
Statistics are subject to error or change. Please let us know if you see a mistake in any mountain stats.
Here are the largest ski resorts in CO by skiable area:
| Ski Resort | Skiable Acres | Vertical Drop |
|---|---|---|
| Vail | 5,317 acres | 3,450 feet |
| Keystone | 3,148 acres | 3,128 feet |
| Snowmass | 3,132 acres | 4,406 feet |
| Winter Park | 3,081 acres | 3,060 feet |
| Steamboat | 2,965 acres | 3,668 feet |
| Breckenridge | 2,908 acres | 3,398 feet |
| Copper Mountain | 2,490 acres | 2,738 feet |
| Telluride | 2,000 acres | 3,790 feet (4,425 hike-to) |
| Beaver Creek | 1,832 acres | 3,340 feet |
| Loveland | 1,800 acres | 2,210 feet |
| Purgatory | 1,605 acres | 2,028 feet |
| Powderhorn | 1,600 acres | 1,650 feet |
| Wolf Creek | 1,600 acres | 1,604 feet |
| Crested Butte | 1,547 acres | 2,775 feet |
| Arapahoe Basin | 1,428 acres | 2,270 feet |
| Aspen Highlands | 1,040 acres | 3,638 feet |
| Monarch | 800 acres | 1,142 feet |
| Sunlight | 680 acres | 2,010 feet |
| Eldora | 680 acres | 1,240 feet |
| Aspen Mountain | 675 acres | 3,267 feet |
| Buttermilk | 470 acres | 2,030 feet |
| Granby Ranch | 406 acres | 1,000 feet |
| Ski Cooper | 480 acres | 1,200 feet |
It’s no surprise if you’re familiar with Colorado skiing that Vail is the largest ski resort in the state. Take one sweeping summit view around the front side and back bowls and all you see is endless skiing. The skiable acres at Vail has grown to 5,317 acres. And although its vertical is impressive at 3,450 feet, it’s not the best.
Gwyn’s High Alpine on-mountain restaurant in distance at Snowmass.
Telluride has the longest vertical in Colorado at 4,425 ft, but that’s with hiking. If you’re measuring lift served it’s only 3,790 ft. Putting Snowmass as the longest lift-served vertical in CO at 4,406 ft (it’s also the longest lift served vertical in the country!).
Here are the longest ski resorts in CO by lift-served vertical drop:
| Ski Resort | Vertical Drop | Skiable Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Snowmass | 4,406 feet | 3,132 acres |
| Telluride | 3,790 feet (4,425 hike-to) | 2,000 acres |
| Steamboat | 3,668 feet | 2,965 acres |
| Aspen Highlands | 3,638 feet | 1,040 acres |
| Vail | 3,450 feet | 5,317 acres |
| Breckenridge | 3,398 feet | 2,908 acres |
| Beaver Creek | 3,340 feet | 1,832 acres |
| Aspen Mountain | 3,267 feet | 675 acres |
| Keystone | 3,128 feet | 3,148 acres |
| Winter Park | 3,060 feet | 3,081 acres |
| Crested Butte | 2,775 feet | 1,547 acres |
| Copper Mountain | 2,738 feet | 2,490 acres |
| Loveland | 2,410 feet | 1,800 acres |
| Arapahoe Basin | 2,270 feet | 1,428 acres |
| Buttermilk | 2,030 feet | 470 acres |
| Purgatory | 2,028 feet | 1,605 acres |
| Sunlight | 2,010 feet | 680 acres |
| Powderhorn | 1,650 feet | 1,600 acres |
| Wolf Creek | 1,604 feet | 1,600 acres |
| Eldora | 1,240 feet | 680 acres |
| Ski Cooper | 1,200 feet | 480 acres |
| Monarch | 1,142 feet | 800 acres |
| Granby Ranch | 1,000 feet | 406 acres |
Remember it’s not all about the verticals and acres. Sometimes skiing the whole vertical listed top to bottom is not possible to achieve, without taking a brief chairlift up, to continue going downhill. Although it certainly is possible to ski from top to bottom without a chairlift at many of these resorts. Study the trail map and plan your route.
Look Ma, bump run on Vail’s front side. Photo: Kris Arnold
Every ski resort listed beats a day in the office! Thanks for checking Colorado’s biggest ski resorts by size. As aforementioned missing from this list is the state’s expert’s only ski area with 1 chair lift and plenty of traversing for steep powder, Silverton Mountain.
Have a terrific time skiing and snowboarding the Rockies this season!