By Sue Gabel, Examiner.com
Colorado is one of the most popular winter destinations so it’s no wonder this state would have five of the best ski resorts in the country. Skiing enthusiasts can score phenomenal all-inclusive deals, tons of fresh dry powder on the slopes and find a variety of events, activities, restaurants and nightlife.
Vail, Colorado. When most people think of skiing in Colorado, Vail is one of the first locations that comes to mind. Vail Mountain is an enormous winter hub for skiers, snowboarders, sledding, snowshoeing and anyone who is seeking the best of the best in resort form. Enjoy seven miles of sloping fun on both sides of the mountain. The resort itself encompasses more than 5,000 acres. It’s not only a favored family resort, but a singles resort too. Vail Mountain also offers skiing lessons at their ski school for both adults and children.
Aspen, Colorado. Another popular and talked about ski destination in Colorado is Aspen. Aspen’s resort town is a favorite with the rich and famous and other well-to-do individuals, but there are vacation packages available for various budgets. The Aspen ski and resort area features over 3,000 acres and its main mountain has a vertical drop of almost 4,500 feet. Aspen offers ski trails for everyone whether you’re a novice or intermediate skier. As one of the five best ski resorts in Colorado, Aspen is hard to beat with its variety of terrain parks, four on-site restaurants, retail and rental shops and comfortable accommodations.
Breckenridge, Colorado. With a base elevation of 9,600 feet, a vertical rise of almost 3,400 feet, 30 ski lifts and approximately 2,500 acres of ski terrain, Breckenridge is undoubtedly one of the five best ski resorts in Colorado. Open since 1961, Breckenridge has been providing winter sports enthusiasts’ hours of slope time for almost 50 years. Breckenridge has about 155 skiing and snowboarding trails available, and its longest trail called the “Four O’Clock” is 3.5 miles long.
Telluride, Colorado. For its unmatched beauty, hideaway location and friendly town, Telluride, Colorado, is not a well-known area, but is considered one of the five best ski resorts in Colorado. Telluride is actually located amongst 13,000 and 14,000-foot Rocky Mountain peaks, offering a unique ski-in, ski-out type of resort town. The resort has become so popular over the last few ski seasons, it has expanded another 400 acres. The Telluride Ski Resort area also features some of the best restaurants, hotels, shops and spas.
Crested Butte, Colorado. Rounding off the list of top five ski resorts in Colorado is Crested Butte. This historic mining town turned ski resort is nestled among beautiful snow covered mountain peaks. Known as “the perfect mountain” by the locals, Crested Butte offers slopes and trails for all levels of skiing experience. The slopes are wide and don’t get easily crowded which is an advantage to everyone. The mountain also features extreme skiing locations on the North Face and the Head Wall. As of 2010, the newly expanded Teocalli Bowl area now adds to the extreme skiing location of the mountain.