Although Colorado's ski season is coming to an end, many of the state's resorts have plenty of fun in store upcoming summer months. Colorado ski resorts offer everything from gondola-accessed mountain-top yoga to gourmet hiking lunches to cliffside via ferratas.
Without further ado, here are 11 Colorado ski resorts that are totally worth a summer visit:
1. Keystone Ski Resort
Keystone's bike park consists of 60 miles of trails that include technical rock gardens, drops, and high-speed features. The bike park opens June 23 and closes September 4. Keystone also offers scenic gondola rides, golf, hiking, and more.
2. Purgatory Resort
Purgatory offers many summer activities, with the surrounding San Juan mountains providing endless hiking opportunities. According to the resort's website, it is the only resort in the Rockies to offer a bike park with clay-based soil and real dirt, and it features something for all ability levels. Guests can also enjoy the mountain air and views on the alpine slide or mountain coaster, drive go-karts, or pan for gemstones. You can also paddleboard, canoe, or kayak at Twilight Lake or rent UTV/RZR and jeeps to explore the mountains.
3. Copper Mountain
The Rocky Mountain Coaster soars 5,800 feet on Copper Mountain and can reach speeds of up to 25 mph. Copper Mountain also offers lots of fun activities in the base area, including the Woodward Wrecktangle, an outdoor ninja obstacle course.
4. Steamboat Resort
Steamboat Ski Resort opens for the summer on May 24 and offers a huge variety of summertime activities. Visitors can take scenic gondola rides and hike or bike through the Yampa Valley. There's also an alpine slide located atop the nearby and historic Howelsen Hill.
5. Aspen
The Lost Forest at Aspen Snowmass consists of an extensive zipline canopy tour, a ropes challenge course, the Breathtaker Alpine Coaster, a climbing wall, hiking trails, a trout pond, and disc golf. Aspen also offers an all-levels yoga class on the mountain led by instructors from Aspen Shakti. There are also plenty of opportunities for sightseeing, gondola rides, and biking.
6. Crested Butte Mountain Resort
The mountain enclave is known as the "wildflower capital of Colorado," which is fitting, as Crested Butte is home to some truly beautiful and colorful hikes during the summer. The resort has an excellent bike park that features more than 30 miles of lift-served single track. The bike park is suitable for beginners to experts. Additionally, Crested Butte has a rock climbing wall, bungee jump trampoline, 3D archery course, and disc golf.
7. Winter Park Resort
Winter Park is a great basecamp for summertime adventures. The resort offers a plethora of activities during the warmer months, including scenic gondola rides, hikes, a ropes course, putting course, alpine slide, and more.
8. Vail Ski Resort
This spot is famous for its winter activities, but Vail transforms into an ideal destination for outdoor recreation during the summer. The resort offers hiking, mountain biking, and mountaintop yoga. Epic Discovery, the mountaintop adventure center, includes the 3,400-foot-long Forest Flying Mountain Coaster, a climbing wall, bungee trampoline, summer tubing, and more, found at the top of Eagle Bahn Gondola.
9. Breckenridge Ski Resort
Breckenridge's summertime activities include everything from scenic chairlift rides and gemstone panning to mountain biking, the 2,500-foot-long Goldrunner Coaster, mini golf, bungee trampolines, a ropes course, and more.
10. Telluride Ski Resort
The Telluride Canopy Adventure consists of five ziplines, two aerial bridges, and two rappels, and you'll get perfect views of the stunning San Juan Mountains throughout the experience. Telluride also has a lift-served bike park that features a "variety of interconnected trails, clinics, and guides."
11. Arapahoe Basin
Home to a via ferrata, an aerial adventure park, foot races, a disc golf course, and more, Arapahoe Basin is a great spot to visit on a sunny summer day. Plus, A-Basin offers a 'summer pass' that provides a lot of savings. This pass is currently $199 with a value of $879 and it includes a via ferrata tour, an aerial park season pass, scenic lift rides, yoga classes, and more, as well as access to some popular summer events.
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