Mountain Information

Snowmass Ski Resort, located just 9 miles from downtown Aspen, features 3,128 acres of ski terrain, 90 runs and 23 lifts. Skiers and snowboarders alike can enjoy seemingly endless runs, halfpipes and terrain parks — and the famous "Big Burn" is loved by everyone.

• Downhill skiing — With everything from glades and bowls to cliffs, chutes and groomers, the Snowmass Colorado ski resort features 3,128 acres of ski terrain, 90 runs and 23 lifts — adding up to miles of fun for beginner, intermediate and expert skiers.
• Cross-country skiing — This graceful sport offers a chance to discover the area from a different viewpoint, whether you go on or off a prepared trail. Try prepared trails on the Aspen Golf Course, along the Maroon Creek or at the Ashcroft Ski Touring Center. The Snowmass Club Cross Country Center offers 80 kilometers of groomed tracks free of charge. Take a skate-skiing lesson for another great winter sport to experience!
• Backcountry skiing — Go on a challenging hut trip in the backcountry, skiing to an alpine chalet that welcomes you with a wood-burning stove and all the accoutrements you need to be comfortable. Try the Alfred Braun system of six high-mountain cabins in the Elk Mountain Range, or a variety of 10th Mountain Division huts, ranging from cabins located within a few miles of a trailhead, to backcountry shelters that are many miles from any other signs of civilization.
• Snowboarding — Snowmass has become a snowboarder's paradise, with 78 snowboarding trails and two halfpipes (including North America's longest halfpipe), acres of terrain-park features and some of the best expert slopes in the valley.

Award-Winning Ski and Snowboard Schools

The Aspen/Snowmass Ski Company has more than 1,200 professional ski instructors from all over the world who teach downhill, cross-country, freestyle, telemark and adaptive skiing, as well as snowboarding.

To comfortably accommodate the many international visitors to Snowmass, these instructors speak the following languages: German, Italian, Portuguese, Moroccan, Serbo/Croatian, Japanese, Chinese, Slovenian, Hebrew, English, Danish, Russian, French, Spanish and Dutch.

Adult ski school

Whether you’re trying skiing or snowboarding for the first time, a pro or somewhere in-between, the Aspen/Snowmass Ski Company has the perfect lesson to help you reach your goals. And, with over 1,200 instructors across four mountains who speak a variety of languages, they teach it all — and they guarantee it!

Adult Beginner Ski lessons (Levels 1-4) meet at the end of the Snowmass Village Mall. Adult Ski lessons (Levels 5 and up) meet at the mid-station of the Village Express lift. Adult Snowboard School lessons meet at the end of the Snowmass Village Mall.

Children’s ski and snowboard schools

The better your kids get, the more fun they’ll have on the slopes. The Ski & Snowboard Schools of Aspen/Snowmass offer private and group lessons for kids, young children and teens — taught by some of the world’s best trained and most talented ski instructors. The 25,000-square-foot kids ski facility in Snowmass features lessons, day care and lunch. On the mountain, kids will find live reindeer, kid ski trails with tunnels and skylights.

Children’s meeting places are located slopeside at the end of the Snowmass Village Mall and across Fanny Hill at the Kid’s Camp. Please ask for specific location when booking, as meeting places vary by age.

Snowmass Statistics

Season dates:

Nov. 22, 2007, to April 13, 2008

Base elevation:

8,104 ft./2,473 m

Summit elevation:

12,510 ft./3,813 m

Vertical rise:

4,406 ft./1,343 m

Terrain:

3,132 acres/1,267 hectares

Number of trails:

91

Miles/km of trails:

147 miles/237 km

Longest run:

5.3 miles/8.5 km

Steepest runs:

Gowdy’s and AMF – slope angle of 40 degrees

Types of trails:

Easy: 6%; Intermediate: 50%; Difficult: 12%; Expert: 32%

Annual snowfall:

300 inches/762 cm

Snowmaking:

230 acres/93 hectares

Lifts:

24 Total: 21 primary - 1 eight-passenger gondola, 1 high-speed six passenger chair, 1 six-passenger pulse gondola (enclosed), 6 high-speed quads, 2 quads, 3 doubles, 5 magic carpets, 2 ski/snowboard school lifts; 3 secondary - 1 double (Sheer Bliss), 2 platter pulls (Cirque and Scooper)

Lift capacity:

34,497 riders/hour

Uncrowded slopes:

On average, 2 people per acre/5 people per hectare

Best known for:

Wide-open, groomed cruising and family-friendly activities. Snowmass has long been rated one of the best family ski areas in North America.

Best-kept secrets:

Dine for lunch at the rustic Lynn Britt Cabin located mid-mountain. The daily "Noon Groom," a freshly groomed run that reopens at noon. Take the short hike to the Long Shot trail where intermediate skiers and snowboarders can get a backcountry experience while in-bounds.

What’s new:

Elk Camp Meadows learning area located mid-mountain with a quad chairlift dedicated to making learning easier; bigger and better Snowmass Terrain Park; and the new Treehouse Kids' Adventure Center, Snowmass Gondola Ticket Office, private lesson lounge and retail amenities, all conveniently located in  the new base village.

Location:

Within the White River National Forest, adjacent to Snowmass Village and 9 miles from downtown Aspen

Parks and pipes:

3 terrain parks (new Snowmass Terrain Park, Makaha and Scooper), 1 superpipe and 1 beginner pipe

Lodging:

14,303 pillows within a 10-mile radius. For more information, please call Stay Aspen Snowmass at 970-925-9000 or 888-649-5985 (95% ski-in/ski-out).