Thankfully I have progressed from the Wrangler and have learned there is a lot more about A Basin to enjoy...and plenty of steep runs without any flats. The Glades is super fun but short enough for someone like me who only has the cajones to spend a few minutes in the trees. I had to go down this a few times, it was entertaining to watch my friend slide down on her butt trying to miss all the trees! The views from the top of the lifts further up the mountain are amazing. The new express chair is fast and even when the lift lines get long (like they did on Saturday - holiday weekend), they still move quickly and efficiently without people cutting or getting out of order. Why can't anyone else get this right? Smelling the BBQs at "the beach" from the lift is torture. Lunch in the lodge is ridiculously cheap and the spicy bloody marys are top notch. You can get waffle fries, regular fries AND sweet potato fries! I'm really only looking for carbs and booze while breaking for lunch but if meat is your thing, my friends had seriously ginormous BBQ platters for I think $13 - two types of meat, fries, a side (mac and cheese!) - it literally filled a cafeteria tray. Take THAT Vail Resorts! And the apres bar scene is a little less cheesy than the other mountains. Though we did meet someone claiming to film for Warren Miller, hmmm... I'm kind of dying to go back and I hope by the end of the season I can actually hike up that ridge and try some real bowl action. I'm sorry I didn't make it here once last season and won't make that mistake again. read more

abasin is tied with Breck as my favorite mountain. Love it here! Its more of a local/old school feel here. Its very fun. They have the longest season out of any of the vail owned mountains. While early and late season skiing can be pretty crappy - few runs open, rocks, etc. abasin makes it alot more fun. The parking here is free and people love to tailgate here. Especially in the lower lot in the front - the beach! Big deal if its 30 degrees out...people still wear bathing suits! So much fun. Moving closer to the mountain (not quite ready to ski yet haha) theres a great bar with my FAVORITE bloody marys...so good! They also have some great food in here too, usually a raw bar too! There is a small gift shop where you can get some badass abasin gear. Love the CO flag logo sticker. But this isnt Vail...so its nothing fancy. Its all character here. Ok, lets finally go skiing!! The mountain isnt as big as your Vail owned superesorts, but damn its fun! On the front side the Pallavicini runs are amazing..and then the back Montezuma bowl great. Unfortunately this past season didnt give us much snow in CO so it wasnt as fun...but the terrain park (and more tailgating) made up for that with some sweet features. So bring a case of beer, some snacks, a silly outfit, and your best buds! read more

A- Basin is such a cool place to go skiing for locals and tourists. It isn't the acclaimed "vail scene" or "breck-City braaa". It is a solid place that holds snow very late in the season. For instance, I skied the first week of June there... JUNE! That's enough to get a solid 5 stars! There was even a bar and restaurant in the mountain that total shredders could hang out, get BBQ, and a beer before tearing the mountain/ their ACL. read more

People go on vacation at Keystone, people go skiing at A-Basin. A-Basin has the classic day-mountain feel. There is no hotel or spa, so everyone is there to ski. Attitude of A-Basin is one of the best things about it. People are friendly, social, and everyone is there to have fun. Yes, they don't have as much terrain as some other resorts in the area. However, if you're willing to be adventurous, there is plenty of amazing and challenging skiing to be had at the Basin, it's just not being thrown in your face. I would recommend anything off Pali for an adventure, or around the back bowls to get your blood pumping. And to relax? A frosty beer on the patio with all your new friends usually does the trick. read more

I could review the mountain as others have done, but there's not really a need, they got it nailed down. Awesome parking (FREE), easy to get in, pretty basic facilities at the base, and a mid mountain restaurant that isn't bad except that it's crowded. Prices in general are going to be more reasonable than other Vail owned mountains. Still much more of a locals mountain than others in every regard. And it's easy to get to as long as Loveland Pass is open!! But the real reason for my review is their ski lessons. They have a "4 Lessons 4 U" deal that has worked out perfectly for my offspring....4 half day lessons for $300!! And, on top of that, the lessons are fully transferable to anyone. The aforementioned offspring has done 2 lessons so far, in the first class there were a total of 4 kids in his group, the 2nd had 3!! And I'm not pulling him out of school on a random Tuesday here...these are Saturday morning lessons!! Granted, he's not entry level, but still, these might as well be private lessons here!! The instructors so far have been great and given me useful feedback at the end of the day too. So, the mountain is fun for sure, but if you're looking to get some lessons for your kids or yourself, you need to check this place out. Their website can be somewhat difficult to navigate, so I just called them...being Vail Resort owned property, you know they are more than willing to take your money!!! read more

A Basin is one of the smaller, more 'underdeveloped' resorts in summit county which means you pay a lower lift ticket rate ($65 at A Basin compared with $92 at Breck and an amazing $101 at Aspen.. yeah sure its Aspen but holy cow someones finally broken that sacred $100 mark!) and you'll get more time on the snow (not directly off I70 = shorter lines) . The opening of Montezumas Bowl has given this resort an 80% increase in terrain which will keep you occupied for hours however its the first area to close if there isnt enough snow. A snowboarders paradise. read more

I have never skied in CO and heard about all the hype, so when my friends and I got together to hit up A-Basin we were so excited! Unfortunately we had no idea what we were in for. We got there about an hour after first chair and all the parking lots were full. We had already paid over $100 each for our non-refundable tickets so we were determined to get there anyway. We pulled into a drop-off spot and I got out to ask the parking attendant where we could park since everything was full and we didn't know the area. Her response: "I don't know, and I don't care." So instead I went to the customer service office and asked the lady in there (so much nicer than the parking attendant). She told me that we could drive into Keystone and park there and a shuttle would pick us up. However, on the way back to the car another person informed me that the Keystone parking lot was full too. At this point we didn't know what to do so we just kept driving down the pass- then we saw about 100 cars parked on the shoulder on the road so we joined the line of cars and hitch-hiked up to the resort. While we were walking and waiting to hitch a ride, some of the shuttles passed us and I watched a shuttle driver go by while texting on his phone, and another driver got dangerously close to a family that was walking on the side of the road with small children. Definitely glad we walked instead of taking a shuttle driven by an unsafe driver. When the gal who picked us up pulled into the drop-off lot, the parking attendant yelled at her that it was full. She told him that she was just dropping us off, to which he said "I don't care, the lot is full, find somewhere else" to which she said- "how else are they supposed to get to the resort if they can't be dropped off at the resort?" After this comment he just walked away and we FINALLY got to the lift! We were so excited to finally be on the slopes- and minus some other rude employees- we managed to have a decent day. Until we walked back to where we parked and found out that our car had been towed. We had no idea that you couldn't park there because we are not from the area, and there were literally 100 other cars there before us (most of which had also been towed). So then my friend volunteered to hitch-hike into Keystone to retrieve the car, and hours later we finally got it back. Had we been given better information and help on where to find parking, this whole ordeal could have been avoided. I understand that catering to guests at a resort on a Saturday can be stressful, but we felt so insulted by the lack of help and blunt rudeness that we will never be returning to A-Basin again. Basically we paid hundreds of dollars to take a few runs and spend the rest of the day getting yelled at and hitch-hiking. read more

A-Basin is Tiiiiiiight!!! Great mountain. great runs. And they also have a great Race Training Program. It's friendly for both skiers and boarders. It has 900 acres of skiing. It is definitely in my top places to ski in Colorado. It has all the substance without all the fluff. Probably one of the most under rated ski resorts in the country. Hope that Yelps. read more

A-Basin has done a great job with the early season snowpack. As of this writing (late October), they really only have one run open, thus it is pretty crowded. However, that will change shortly. A-Basin always provides a nice alternative to the tourist hordes of the other resorts. Check them out when your tired of the mainstream hills. read more

A-Basin's terrain is definitely for skiers and boarders looking for challenging terrain. There aren't really any long, "groomer" runs to take your time cruising down. In fact, the front runs are all relatively short and quick. People come here for the vibe- laid back and casual, yet pretty hard core about ski/boarding. This is not a "resort" like Keystone or Breck; this is where you come to ski/ride hard. They have a decent lodge, with decent food and bar. They also have a place to rent equipment, and offer lockers. They do offer lessons for adults and kids, and despite having limited beginner terrain the instructors are good. I, personally, would recommend Keystone for beginner lessons. They have some great festivals in the summer too! read more

You can't go wrong, old school atmosphere, great terrain, excellent snow, gets a little windy on top sometimes, goes with the neighborhood, ya know ?? Best skiing I've ever done; Spring 2003, waist to chest deep champagne powder, dropping International and not touching a single rock. Sick sick sick.... I grew up skiing there, when my last day on skis comes, it will be at A-Basin... read more

Skiing is probably one of my favorite things to do, and this is might favorite place to do it. I'm not an exceptional skier, but I can tell this place is a little smaller, more challenging but way less hassle, less congestion, easier parking and more fun than any of the other big ski resort places in Summit County like Breck or Keystone. It's also less expensive. It's higher up, gets more snow on average, stays open longer and it's just amazing. Most times when there is enough snow, you can ski right down to your car in the parking lot. read more

This resort is so much fun. It's grassroots and has a great vibe. There's terrain for any skier or rider but the more advanced terrain here is the best. The parking lot is close to the mountain and you can walk right to a lift or grab lunch easily at the car. I love skiing here. read more

I rode A-Basin last season with my arm in a sling from being dislocated and tearing all the tendons and I have to tell you I was not impressed but I'm willing to attribute a lot of that to my arm. Although it's pretty awesome getting the thumbs up from the liftees for being insane or stupid enough to go shredding in a sling. It's pretty awesome that they stay open until June and open early in October/November. You have to love that and I do. So when the season kicked off in eary October you know I was there. I've been up almost every weekend since and I have to say A-Bay is starting to grow on me. read more

Where else in Colorado can you ski up to your bbq? LOVE IT! I have a lot of fun here! If you ever want a chance at that mug? You better get there opening day! the sell out FAST! Can not wait till it snows more! read more

A-Basin opens earlier than most other mountains in the area, so I was able to ski here on the second weekend of November. For that early in the season, beggars can't be choosers. There were only two lifts open and no black runs, just blues, which were a little low on character for my liking but like I said, beggars can't be choosers that early in the season. All staff was incredibly friendly and nice and it's a no frills place where you know everyone is there to ski or board. Small terrain park, but getting there meant you had to back down to the base lift with long lines, so we never hit it. I'd put A-Basin on par with Loveland - I like Loveland better, but this is open earlier. Super cold, ~13,500 peak, lotta fun and you can squeeze a lot of runs in. Hopefully Montezuma Bowl opens up soon, but for now you can leave your gear by the lift and walk over for the view. read more

My favorite mountain in Colorado, but I never made it to Crested Butte. Some of the steeper more interesting terrain that I've seen. I wouldn't call this mountain user friendly since its pretty bare bones in the amenities, so if you're a beginner or intermediate, just stick Keystone. Great tailgates at the end of the year, 'specially july 4. read more

My husband and I came in mid January on a Sunday. We were able to park at the farthest upper parking lot with no issue around 9:30am. It was about a 2 hour drive with traffic :/. There was a shuttle to the lodge but there was a long line so we walked to the lodge instead. It was quite a hike with lots of ups and downs but it wasn't too bad. The lines for rentals were insanely long. We needed to adjust our bindings. I waited 10 min in line at guest services to ask if there was anywhere to adjust our bindings so we didn't have to go back to our car to get a screwdriver. She said no. My husband walked 40 min back to the car and was exhausted by the time he got back. He adjusted the bindings and we went to go to the lift. Immediately, we saw a station with a screwdriver to adjust bindings sitting outside the restaurant. Seriously??!?!?! That lady should be fired!!!! THe mountain only had maybe 3 green trails. They were fairly steep but short. Not much variety. We saw a lodge at the top but did not check it out. There was only 1 restaurant at the bottom and then a really overpriced cafeteria. We were pooped after 5 runs, so decided to leave around 3:00. There was a bit of a line for the shuttle to return to the lot. We decided to walk back to the upper lot. It was one of the worst decisions of my life. It took about 45 min. We had our snowboard boots and gear on, were lugging our snowboards, and were super tired from snowboarding. I will never do that again. Definitely take the shuttle back! read more

My favorite snowboarding area in Colorado. At top of Montezuma's Bowl there has a phenomenal view that you can see it as 360 degree. Also, run and terrain was incredible with ton of fresh powder. The lodge is awesome with great food and bars. The staff and ski patrol was really nice. In addition, the lift ticket price is very reasonable only 1/3 of Breck and no parking fee. read more

Arapahoe Basin isn't the ideal ski resort if you're just learning how to ski or snowboard. They have just one bunny slope, which is pretty easy. The next easiest slope is CONSIDERABLY more challenging. Unlike some of the other ski resorts, there's no easy way to "work your way up" to the more challenging slopes. Just bunny slope and down the face of the mountain. That's it. I didn't like how the only food option at the base of the mountain was cafeteria-style food, but they are building a "lodge". I prefer ski resorts that have restaurants, so you can grab a table and order some real food with your friends whenever you're ready for a break. Having said all that, everyone was really friendly here. Maybe I'll come back someday when I've had a little more practice. read more

A-Basin, as it's known as it's known by the locals, is a winter wonderland of powdery bowls, peaks and trails, many above the tree line. This is an old-school mountain, even thought it's owned by Vail now, and many of the chairs are of the early-80s, slow 2-person style-- which is great. But unfortunately there is no addictive EpicMix tracking your downhill vertical feet and passing out badges. But the upside is the crowds haven't arrived yet. Even if you are an advanced skier, this is one of the only mountains where most people will still be better than you. Don't be surprised to see the best of the best shredding it up, ripping down uber-steep hills with monstrous moguls, and jumping acrobatically off ridges. No exaggerating here. You will be amazed if you take your time and check out the sights. It is high altitude, and it does get cold, so be prepared. If coming from Denver, be sure and take the Loveland Pass road in daylight hours to see magnificent views of the Rockies on the way and avoid traffic on the 70. read more

I LOVE this place. And since moving away from Colorado, it is on the top of my list of places to visit during my Christmas trips home. A-Basin is small, and it is steep as everyone comments, but beginners should not be scared. If you wanna stay on the bunny slope all day it is only $15, you cant beat that. Why I love A-Basin: Get there a little early so you can back your car up right to the slope, bring a full cooler a mini grill and your tunes. Get the kids in an all day lesson, they are reasonably priced, then put your skiis on and you can take off right from your tailgate, and usually dont have to wait in line. After a nice long day of tearing up the hill you can ski right back to your car, take off over Loveland pass on your way home to beat a little bit of the Keystone traffic and wala: a great day! (Disclaimer: If you are afraid of heights and or get car/altitude sickness you may not want to take Loveland pass home, that road freaks me out.) read more

Great mountain, great snow, short lift lines. Super non-resort feel. A-basin has a parking lot, a lodge and lifts. Not the place to go if you want to be pampered but the new 6th alley bar remodel is great and the mid-mountain "Black Mountain" lodge is a great place to park it for lunch. It's refreshing to get away from the condo and hotel laden resorts to a place that 's really about the skiing. When it's deep the have tons of terrain on the east wall, the backside and off the rustic Pallavicini that will make you feel like you've been heli'd into some serious extreme stuff. They've got a carpet and bunny hill but up the main mountain, basically only one REAL green trail though so it leans toward a more advanced clientele but both our kids learned there and it's our go-to mountain for weekend trips from Denver. read more

Everyone here is so friendly and helpful!! I haven't had a chance to ski here yet, but looking forward to it. We had a work off site field trip and hung out at 'the beach' - a sort of tailgating area that is great for drinks and BBQ. I was bummed I didn't grab a day pass to hit some runs but I will definitely be back! read more

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I had skied in Colorado before but never at A-Basin. I had heard the mountain had some steep slopes, so when a friend who is a very capable skier invited me to go I jumped on the opportunity. Unlike other mountains on the Epic ski pass, this one has no resorts or hotels attached to it. You get off I-25 at the Silverthorne exit where theres plenty of restaurants and lodging, and then drive about 7-8 miles up to the mountain. Parking is free but relatively limited, with overflow lots getting shuttled to the mountain. The mountain was indeed very steep, but even with a lot of people there the lift lines moves swiftly. read more

A Basin is like the outlets of shopping malls - you don't really want to Ski/board this mountain but when you do it's not so bad! Beginning of the season is always rough for A Basin, they are one of the first to open and last to close but those are the times when only a few runs are open and beware of everyone and their dog being there at the beginning! The back bowl of A Basin is awesome and opens when they get a bunch of fresh pow. Lift lines move pretty quick except the beginning of the season or holidays. There's 2 main food/drink restaurants on the mountain which have a major selection from Pizza, salad, rice bowls, B & G, etc. However there's NEVER anywhere to sit, it makes you feel like the "uncool" kid in the highschool cafeteria! read more

Awesome place. Lifts in weekends start rolling at 830. Parking is easy, slopes are great. Will be back read more

Arapahoe Basin Ski Area - Ski Resorts Near Me - Dillon, Colorado

Place is absolutely amazing. Scenery is breathtaking and ski quality is top notch. It's hidden and tucked in the crevices of a big mountain range. It was my first experience snowboarding and aside from the massive migraine you get if you're body isn't adjusted to the altitude (it's the Mile High City after all!), I had an incredibly fun experience. Took a lesson with an experienced snowboard instructor who started us out small and then asked if I wanted to go down one of the slopes. I took the challenge and it was so much fun and super fast. If I ever pay another visit to Denver area I would make it a point to come back to this place. It's fairly large, has lots of rental equipment and a place to eat inside. Also, I'm not a skier or snowboarder (I'm a surfer), but this place strikes me as a tiny bit more advanced than what a beginner would probably be looking for, so unless you're athletic, having some kind of board-riding experience, or just have enough enthusiasm to give it a whirl, I'd recommend staying on the smaller hills at the bottom of the mountain or trying a place more know for beginners. read more

The last time I snowboarded was when I lived in southern CA. Comparing A Basin to Bear Mountain and Snow Summit in CA is like night and day. A Basin is FANTASTIC! Here's what I liked: 1. parking is really close to the resort. And it's free. 2. everyone who works there that I encountered was extremely friendly and smiley. 3. the food is AWESOME and reasonably priced for a ski place 4. the lodge has nice seating 5. they have free wifi that actually works 6. the other skiers & boarders were nice people A few more things to note: I live at 5400 feet in Broomfield and the base here is 11,000. I definitely felt it and it did not feel good. I had a really had time breathing whenever I exerted myself which was pretty much the entire time I was snowboarding. My husband and our friend also felt it, even though they're in much better physical shape than I am. Just something to consider if you live at a lower elevation. The restrooms were kinda gross, but I've never been to a ski place that had sparkling restrooms. There's only so much that can be done when you're dealing with snow & people tracking in dirt and wet stuff. No fault of A Basin, it's just how it is. The food options were SO GOOD. I'm talking a full espresso bar, an upstairs restaurant with bar, and a cafeteria style eatery too. I'm a vegetarian and rarely can I find anything besides a reheated Gardenburger at ski resorts. A Basin had A LOT of vegetarian options including a housemade veggie burger (it's hard to get these at most restaurants!), mac and cheese, vegetarian chili, and tofu noodle or rice bowls. Plus sides like fries, grab and go fruit, etc. The espresso bar has soy milk too. The workers were so very nice. There wasn't a long wait at all. A full sandwich and fries cost about $11, which isn't bad at all for a ski place! I paid close to $20 for something similar (and not at all tasty) back in CA. The cafeteria also has plenty of available water to quench your thirst, which is important at a high elevation. I suggest visiting the 3rd floor if you want to eat inside - it's less chaotic up there. Free wifi, but I did not see any outlets for charging phones. Had a great time here and will return next season. A Basin staff and management - you guys are doing a fantastic job! Thank you! read more

Love A-Basin! Great skiing in sun or snow! Food is excellent. Shopping is top notch! Can't wait to visit again!

As good as it gets in the area! The basement bar/grill is my favorite. Visiting this area to ski, I "Yelped" my way to this terrific bar/grill. Each time we've been here the beer/spirits specials have been a spoiling experience. This is along with the "specials" on great food. A new one each night. Tonight (Wed) was Burger night I had a Rob's Burger, together with a side for $6.50! That is a half a pound of Angus beef, fried tobacco onions , ltm, and a choice of six sides! There is, of course, a full menu of so many items it's had to list them all. Seems like the most expensive item was about $17! Do yourself a favor and visit the Arapahoe! Yum Yum! read more

Best ski resort off I-70 hands down! It doesn't get any more real than this. Great place for advanced/expert skiers to go, and there's some great terrain right off the lift, as well as some awesome hike-to terrain as well. All the staff are extremely friendly and welcoming, and are especially helpful to the locals looking to have a good, laid back time. If you're a tourist or beginner skier this is not the place to be, as they cater more towards locals, definitely a no frills kind of place but if you're looking for an authentic experience A Basin will never disappoint. I have never had a bad experience at A Basin, even when I got hurt last year there ski patrol was awesome, and still made my day the best it could be. read more

I went to A-Basin back in 2008 and I'm headed back in a few weeks! I lost my goggles there on my first trip (must have dropped out of my helmet in the parking lot), so that sucked. But I purchased new goggles there and got to riding. One of the best experiences ever. The terrain there is unbelievable! It also didn't seem like much of a tourist place, which was great. Wasn't crowded at all (weekday). Can't wait to board my flight and get back there...counting down the days. read more

If you are looking for the TRUE Colorado ski experience, this is your spot. "Abay" has a great local vibe, including what people call The Beach which is the parking area right at the base of the mountain. Skier bring their grills and pups and tail gate throughout their ski days. Great mountain for any skill level of skier or snowboarder. read more

I love this ski spot. We live in Highlands Ranch and A Basin is less than a 90 minute drive from our house with no traffic which is great (assuming you can go on a weekday when it's less busy). The staff everywhere all day were really great. The rental shop employees, lift operators, ticket booth workers and even parking attendants were super friendly and helpful. For so early in the year there were quite a few runs open and I'm looking forward to going back later in the year when even more are open. We had one mishap at the end of our ski day where we went down the wrong run by accident but besides that everything was very well marked and we were able to find our way around easily! read more

Always a favorite. From the bacon bloody Mary's to the lift line attendants. Great experience for 15 years and counting!

Another person here who didn't correctly interpret the Epic pass restrictions. A ticket counter employee was nice enough to pull up the website, and even agreed with me that there wasn't a clear way to tell the pass isn't valid at A-Basin. The part that makes me angry is that she said, "It's a known issue. You should take your problem up with Vail. We have no recourse with them." Sorry, but that's passing the buck. If it's a "known issue" then fix it or don't allow Vail to put your resort's name on the pass, website, etc. I'm not happy with Vail for this confusion, either, but today it wasn't Vail who treated me like a stray dog who trespassed on their lawn. Good snow doesn't make up for poor customer service. read more

This place kicks ass. If I lived in the area this would be my go to mountain. Love the fact that its geared toward more advanced riders and skiers. Sick glades bowls and runs. Montazuma bowl was great especially that the day I was there it dumped 12' of fresh pow, and thats mid April. A Basin is smaller in size compared to Breck or Vail but can stand up to them both any day and win. Runs are fun, challanging and just sweet. A Basin has to also be one of the most beautiful places scenery wise, and I'm saying this after experiencing many places in B.C. Europe and the U.S. west. A Basin ranks as one of my top 10 places to ride. read more

We skied A Basin a bunch of times this winter. I would highly recommend the kid lessons here! My 5 year old learned to snowboard here and my 7 year old learned to ski. We always paid for group lessons but I'm pretty sure that each time my 5 year old was in a full day private lesson... The "group" was just him! Can't beat that! I think the mountain is more difficult than others, but the ski instruction was great, and if your kid can be comfortable skiing/riding A Basin, they can ski anywhere! The parking was super convenient and free. We would use the 15 minute drop-off spots to unload all of our kids and their gear. We would take turns watching the baby in the upstairs area of the base lodge. They are very welcoming to people bringing in their own food. There is even a microwave upstairs to cook a breakfast burrito or whatever else you want to bring. The only reason that I didn't give it 5 stars is that the terrain is a little too difficult for me. I am a very intermediate skier and I probably would get more out of A Basin if I was a better skier. I prefer resorts with more blues and greens. read more

So... I must admit that after spending two hours in line for rentals (no exaggeration) I was tempted to give this place one star. However, once we actually got out on the mountain we had so much fun that I decided to go with three stars. Lift lines move pretty quickly and trails are good for all skill levels. The road in is a nail biter so if you're scared of heights you should close your eyes and let someone else drive. Then again if you're scared of heights you should probably choose a different hobby. Anyways, long story short, get your rentals in advance from somewhere else and you'll have a swell time here. read more