Colorado — The state with the most skier visits each year in the U.S. is number one for a reason. Endless terrain, modern lifts, and a variety of experiences for everyone make skiing in Colorado a must-do for skiers and riders. For this upcoming season, more ski resorts are upgrading their offerings, with some of the biggest changes surprisingly coming from smaller mountains.
Last month, Colorado Ski Country USA announced what’s new at ski resorts across the state. The highlights include new terrain expansions, new lifts, enhanced dining options, and snowmaking upgrades.
“Colorado’s ski areas are focused on keeping skiing a tradition that families return to year after year,” said Melanie Mills, President and CEO of Colorado Ski Country USA. “The improvements happening this winter give families more chances to be on the mountain together, create better experiences for long-time guests, and invite new skiers into Colorado’s winter tradition.”
Here’s a recap of the biggest improvements coming to Colorado ski resorts this winter. One thing to note: Vail Resorts properties aren’t part of Colorado Ski Country USA, but we’ve added one of the upgrades to this list.
Honorable Mentions
- Copper Mountain has started a multi-year snowmaking enhancement project. This offseason’s project included installing new fan guns and semi-automatic hydrants on nine trails. These for early-season training coverage. Copper will be hosting the Stifel Copper Cup World Cup this month.
- The Kindred at Keystone Resort will open this ski season. It features a hotel with 107 rooms and 95 condos (33 of which are a part of a future phase). The site will include three restaurants, an outdoor pool, two large outdoor hot tubs, a fitness center, ski valet, valet parking, and convention spaces. The new buildings will also be the new home of Keystone’s Ski & Ride School, along with rental and retail shops.
- Telluride completed modernizations of Lifts 5 & 12. Snowmaking upgrades will also allow for enhanced early-season coverage.
- Winter Park is celebrating its 50th anniversary of Mary Jane (the terrain pod, thought that should be clarified) with the completion of a multi-year $37 snowmaking project, more trains from Denver via Amtrak, and various celebrations.
The Top Six
6. Granby Ranch: The Colorado ski resort has cleared up and regraded the old “C-Note” trail. Now with seven more acres to explore, along with snowmaking, Renegade Ridge gives guests more lines to explore on West Mountain. Other trail improvements include cleaning up the Tree Islands glade, and widening the Jackpot trail.
Other Granby Ranch upgrades include the opening a snack shack and deck at the top of East Peak, and a new $2 shuttle service that connects guests to Winter Park’s Amtrak station.
5. Purgatory Resort: Celebrating its 60th anniversary this season, Purgatory Resort has made various upgrades.
Snowmaking has made huge strides, with the additions of infrastructure in the Legends terrain pod. Other upgrades include a new Wi-fi, new heated bathroom trailer at the base of the Columbine beginner area, acquiring new rental equipment, and clearing up tree skiing terrain.
Unfortunately, the planned marquee addition, a new fixed-grip triple chairlift that will make for an easier way up for those who park, won’t open this winter. A longer-than-expected approval process has delayed that addition to the 2026-27 season. The new trails that are part of this expansion could open this winter, provided there’s sufficient snowfall.
4. Loveland: Loveland has begun a multi-year project to enhance its beginner experience. Lift 7, which was a fixed-grip double chairlift, has been replaced by a new fixed-grip triple chairlift. Interestingly, Loveland these will be wider than the traditional triple chair, which will create a more comfortable learning experience. The Zig Zag trail has also been regraded to provide a more comfortable pizza-filled glide down the mountain.
Next winter, a new parking lot will be available in Loveland Valley, reducing congestion and allowing guests to spend less time searching for a spot and more time on the slopes.
3. Sunlight Mountain: A ski resort that hasn’t added a new lift in decades has made two major lift replacements this offseason. The Primo double chairlift is being replaced with a new Leitner-Poma fixed-grip quad chairlift. This chairlift will drastically increase capacity and reduce lift lines. In addition, its safety bars and footrests will be a nice addition.
The Segundo chairlift was also replaced, which was the oldest operating chairlift in Colorado. It’s been replaced by a fixed-grip triple chairlift that was originally from Arapahoe Basin. That lift opened back in 2001 and is reportedly in great shape.
These additions mean shorter lift lines, fewer mechanical breakdowns, and lots of powder laps.
2. Snowmass: Two lift replacements headline Snowmass’s push to implement its 2022 Master Plan. First off, the Elk Camp Quad has been replaced by a detachable high-speed six-pack chairlift, increasing capacity and reliability. The old chairlift will be heading to Powderhorn Mountain Resort.
Over in the upper elevations of Snowmass, the Cirque platter lift has been replaced by a new T-Bar. This lift effectively doubles the capacity compared to its predecessor, and improves its reliability in what can be a challenging high-alpine environment. These two additions follow the opening of the Coney Express last winter.
In terms of dining, Elk Camp will reopen this winter with an expanded 120 seat deck. It will have a umbrella with retractable walls. Also, the Spider Sabich Race and Picnic Area is scheduled to reopen with a new hot dog stand. The other big project underway is the replacement of the Ullrhof restaurant. That mid-mountain lodge is expected to reopen during the 2026-27 season.
1. Monarch Mountain: After years of planning and construction, No Name Basin will make its debut this winter. The 377-acre terrain expansion adds new intermediate and advanced pistes and glades to the ski area, resulting in a 50% increase in skiable acres. The new terrain pod has a vertical drop of 1,000 feet.
A new SkyTrac fixed-grip triple chair will serve the area, giving guests access to runs that now extend onto both sides of the Continental Divide. At the base of this terrain pod is a warming hut and vault toilets.
Image/Video Credits: Granby Ranch, Purgatory Resort, Loveland Ski Area, Sunlight Mountain Resort, Aspen Snowmass, Monarch Mountain
