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Steamboat Ski Holidays

At a glance

  • Legendary Champagne Powder
  • Friendly town
  • Quieter Colorado resort

Great for

  • Families
  • Groups
  • Powder skiers

Ski Holidays in Steamboat

With its own mountain range and signature champagne powder, Steamboat resort is seriously world class (a record number of Olympians call it home). Ski Town USA - the legendary Cowboy town of Steamboat Springs - is a few miles down the mountain and we love its friendly locals, proper pubs and unpretentious vibe.

  • Flight Time
  • 9 hours
  • From London
  • Nearest Airports
  • Denver, Jackson Hole etc.
  • Time zone
  • GMT -5 to -8 hours
  • Language
  • English
  • Currency
  • US Dollar
  • Ski Season
  • Dec - April

Steamboat Stats

Top Altitude
3224m
Bottom Altitude
2103m
Resort Altitude
2052m
Total Piste
165 trails
Longest Run
Why Not (4.8km)
Slope Orientation
W/N
Vertical Drop
1118m
Skiable Vertical
1062m
Night Skiing
Yes
Glacier Skiing
No

Tucked out of sight in the Yampa Valley, Steamboat might not have as big a name as other Colorado resorts like Vail but the area is known worldwide for its champagne powder (a term coined by Steamboat) – some of the driest, lightest and fluffiest you’ll find and more than a dream to ski. The vast ski area is one of the biggest in Colorado and covers Steamboat’s very own mountain range, which spans the 6 peaks of Thunderhead, Werner, Christie, Sunshine and Storm mountains.

The mountain resort is almost fully pedestrianised, containing everything you’ll need for a day on the hill and home to the longest mountain coaster in North America (by the Christie Peak Express). You can reach the town by taking the 3 mile shuttle from the resort. Steamboat Springs is a proper Wild West mountain town and remains a classic in the ski world – it was nicknamed “Ski Town USA” in 1947 and the name has stuck. Downtown features everything from over 250 shops, more than 70 restaurants, as well as bars and nightlife, art galleries, ice skating rinks, hot springs and even a ski jump.

You might be mingling with the fur clad elite in resorts like Vail but in Steamboat you’ll get to know real life cowboys – the locals are super friendly and the vibe’s terrifically down to earth. There’s a load of wild-west activities; the tradition of rodeo has been around for ages and nowadays the pro rodeo is the most successful in the whole of the US.

Home to the largest number of Winter Olympians in history, Steamboat sent 17 athletes to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics alone. This pedigree of athletes bodes well for the ski area, with the diversity of events entered proving the scale and variation of terrain – the marketing slogan of “When athletes go to Sochi in 2014, it’s called the Winter Olympics. When Olympians gather in Steamboat, it’s simply called Friday” says it all.

Winter Sports Ratings

Beginners

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboarding

Steamboat Transfer Times

Denver International Airport 3 hours

The nearest airport to Steamboat is Denver International at 289.7 km or about ? by car

What's the ski area like in Steamboat?

With 2,965 acres, Steamboat’s extensive ski area holds a fine balance between the difficulties of its runs and they’re all in tip top condition thanks to nearly $30 million of investment in recent years.

Beginners are well catered for with the ski school, which is known for its fantastic customer service and high quality of tuition. Headwall is a great area for learning and should allow for quick improvement as it’s reserved wholly for beginners, meaning you won’t have speedsters nipping past you at every turn.

Intermediates have a plethora of terrain available – this resort grades more difficult intermediate runs as blue diamond, allowing more confident mid-level skiers a great transition from blue squares to black diamonds. The Sunshine Express provides you with some great options for blues and blue diamonds and it will probably take at least a day to explore every run in this section of the mountain.

Experts will revel in the trees that cover the mountain. If you’re looking for the more difficult terrain, you need to head to the top and back of the ski area which houses some of the best tree runs around. In addition, if you’re lucky enough to have a flurry of champagne powder the night before, check out the trees between Mount Werner and Storm Peak, and bowls and chutes from the hike over to the Mount Werner Side for potentially one of the best skiing experiences around.

Freestylers will enjoy the 3 parks and Superpipe made available to them in a steady progression, from the Lil’ Rodeo Park to the large features in Mavericks Terrain Park, allowing safer and easier improvement and additions to your trick bag. If you don’t fancy stopping for the day, night skiing is usually available, including a park and range of green, blue and black runs for the super keen.

Which other ski resorts are near to Steamboat?

The nearest ski resorts to Steamboat include Vail, Winter Park.

Ski Area Facts

LocationUS, Colorado
Established1963
Downhill165 trails
Lift Pass$476 - $678 (adult 6 day)

Beginner Slopes

23runs14%

Intermediate Skiing

69runs42%

Advance & Expert Terrain

73runs44%

Snowboarding Trails

165 trails100%

Steamboat Restaurants

Where to eat in Steamboat and on the mountain

Harwig’s Harwig’s constantly evolving menu has been honed into culinary genius, vaulting this restaurant into the upper echelons of fine dining in Steamboat. With an extensive wine list to match the exquisite menu, foodies will be salivating even before they step foot through the door.

Old Town Pub For a cosy, friendly setting in which to enjoy the very best of pub food, make your way to Old Town Pub. Featuring microbrews, an extensive menu with some lip-smacking burgers, as well as a range of live music to keep you entertained whilst you drink or dine.

Blue Sage Pizza Blue Sage Pizza offers one of the most extensive pizza menus in town, and if you can’t find your dream pizza among the myriad of options, there is the chance to create your own. If you’re looking for a challenge, try the Chicago Deep Dish Pizzas, a perfect example of why the Americans call them pies.

Steamboat Après Ski

Bars Late Night Clubs and Cafes in Steamboat

Carl’s Tavern With the slogan “A place for the hungry. The thirsty. And the legendary”, you are pretty certain you know what you’re going to get even before you walk through the door. With a drinks menu as long as your arm, this establishment has the perfect recipe for an amazing après scene.

Sweetwater Grill Set in a fantastic location right next to the Yampa River, the Sweetwater Bar & Grill affords you fantastic views of the surrounding area, especially when enjoying it from the extensive decking and outside seating area, and live music throughout the season entertains those who choose to stay inside.

Mahogany Ridge Brewery and Grill Famous for its broad microbrew menu, Mahogany Ridge Brewery and Grill affords clients some of the best beers produced in the local area. From lagers to bitters, stouts to non-alcoholic root beer, there is likely to be something to appeal to every beer connoisseur, as well as a spot of delectable food to compliment the brews.

Steamboat Activites for Non-skiers

Grizzle T Steamboat Dog Sledding For a truly authentic form of travel, as well as brilliant way to see the surrounding countryside, Grizzle-T Dog Sledding is a once in a lifetime experience. The option of learning to drive your own dog team will appeal to the more confident of clients, whilst the less confident can be driven by a guide on their exciting 12 and a half mile trail. Meet the Dogs of the Iditarod and experience a “Forgotten way of Life” www.steamboatdogsledding.com

Tubing Steamboat Everyone loves tubing, whether you’re 3, 30 or even 60. This family favourite can be found on Howelsen Hill, a short walk outside of Steamboat Springs, and magic carpets mean that quick and easy transfers back to the top of the hill ensureing maximum time spent whizzing down in the tube.

Bridgestone Winter Driving School We all know how pathetic it is when Britain has 2 inches of snow and grinds to a halt, only to see the US or the Alps deal effortlessly with 2 feet. To get that head start, book yourself into a fun and exciting lesson with Bridgestone Winter Driving School to make sure that you know the best techniques and manoeuvres to deal with our spectacular 5cm.

Steamboat Flyfisher There is almost no better way of spending a lazy summer day than wading through a river with a fly fishing rod in hand, waiting for that hit of adrenaline you get when hooking a fish. With a range of locations available, a vast array of experienced guides will show you the best technique as well as secret spots in the hope you’ll catch that monster.

Colorado River Runs If you hadn’t quite expended all of your energy during the ski season, Colorado River Runs is a great option. With options to go to the Colorado River for a more family friendly, sedate experience, or the Eagle River for that white knuckle ride you get from roiling rapids, you can be sure to find something suited to your disposition.

Haymaker Golf There can be no better sport to play which allows you to soak in the beauty of the surrounding area than golf. The Haymaker Golf Course is a public golf course, affording its combatants beautiful views of the surrounding valleys. Be careful though, the front 9 allows you to spend a bit of time looking around, but you need full concentration to compete with the back 9.

Steamboat Coaster Visitors to Steamboat will now find North America's longest mountain coaster. Open summer and winter, it covers over six thousand linear feet: 2600ft of uphill, then 3680 of downhill speeding. You'll cover a total of 420 vertical feet as you follow its waves, turns, dips and 360 degree circles. Find the track in the Christie Peak Express area. Photo credit Larry Pierce/Steamboat Ski Resort.

Steamboat Coaster If you're staying in Steamboat over the summer, check out one of our favourite activities, the mountain coaster near the Christie Peak Express lift. Clocking up over 6000ft, it's the longest mountain coaster in North America, taking riders 2600ft uphill, then 3680ft downhill over 420ft of vertical with waves, dips, turns and 360 degree circles along the way. Photo credit Larry Pierce/Steamboat Ski Resort.

Clothing Food & Souvenir Shops

Steamboat has a great choice of shops located in four separate areas. In the base village there's a partially indoor mall at Gondola Square as well as Ski Time Square and Central Park Plaza.

Steamboat town itself has some of the most interesting stores which include many galleries, ladies and men's clothing stores and souvenir shops. The resort also has two large grocery stores, City Market and Safeway.

Ski Haus Winner of the Best of the Boat for the best ski rental shop in Steamboat, Ski Haus offers a great service combined with outstanding prices. Adding something special to the service, they offer to pick you up from your accommodation to make getting to the store that bit easier, before fitting you with a wide range of equipment.

Steamboat Ski and Bike Kare With 2 sites – one at the mountain base and one in town – Steamboat Ski and Bike Kare give you the upmost convenience. With a huge selection of equipment available for renting, this store ensures that the right equipment is fitted to each customer in a knowledgeable, friendly fashion.

Steamboat Package Ski Holidays

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Best Time to Visit Steamboat

With its altitude of between 2100 and 3230m, Steamboat’s ability to keep snow year round is pretty darn good. Couple this with one of the highest average annual snowfalls throughout Colorado at 886cm, and you have yourself a winner. That’s not to say that the snow is guaranteed – you have to pick the right time to be in with a chance of finding that champagne powder.

Typically, between January and March are the best times to hit this ski area. In 2008 January had only five days with no snow, with the rest dumping between 2 and 35cm – the total snowfall for January and February was close to 6 metres. Even if you do get a poor snowfall during your stay, the 375 acres of artificial snowmaking technology will allow you access to a portion of the ski area.

In addition, you rarely get major queues to the same extent you’d find in the big resorts during the peak dates.

What's Steamboat like at Christmas?

At any location, Christmas should be a jolly and fun experience. Christmas in Steamboat is magical, especially when their signature champagne powder sprinkles its way down for that all important white Christmas.
Christmas Ski Holidays

What's Steamboat like in the New Year?

With a huge range of options, from parties, eating, drinking and free, family friendly events, it’s easy to see what makes people come from miles around to spend New Year’s in Steamboat.
New Year Ski Holidays

What's Steamboat like in Half-Term?

With no equivalent holiday in the US education system, skiing half term in Steamboat is a dream. At the peak time of year with regards to snowfall and weather, the likelihood you have exceptional, fluffy snow is high.
Half Term Ski Holidays

What's Steamboat like at Easter?

Colorado has always been famed for its fantastic spring skiing, and with its height, typical snowfall and geography, spending Easter in Steamboat is an exceptional experience. The range of possibilities in town mean that even if the conditions are poor, you’re more than likely to stay super busy for the duration of your stay.
Easter Ski Holidays

Steamboat Snow Conditions

Snow Report, History & Forecast

View our detailed Steamboat snow report to see skiing confitions now. Our Steamboat snow history shows you what snow depths have been in recent years month-by-month. If you're visiting soon, use the Steamboat snow forecast to see predicted snowfall over the coming days.

  • Sunny skies Today
  • Sunny skies Sunday
  • Light snow Monday
  • Patchy snow possible Tuesday
  • Sunny skies Wednesday
  • Sunny skies Thursday
  • Current snow depth at top
    278 cm
  • Alternate Text
  • Current snow depth at base
    178 cm

Ski Accommodation in Steamboat

We have 199 ski holidays in Steamboat. Search all Steamboat ski deals or pick your preferred accommodation type below:

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In recent years, Steamboat has focused a huge amount of resources on ensuring that families have the time of their life whilst staying in resort. Their slogan of “families and kids are Steamboat’s speciality” shows their dedication and focus on this market. Add to this that in past seasons, kids 12 and under have skied and rented equipment for free, and you have an absolute winner.

The ski school is world class – with past seasons seeing 10 types of lesson for children between the age of 2 and 6, and a further 6 types from the ages of 6 to 17 (which includes racing, freestyle, alpine weeks and day lessons), the sheer range on offer allows for fine tuning your kids experience level to those of others, and usually in groups of similar ages your cherubs will have a fun and friendly atmosphere to make friends. The Kids’ Vacation Center is a purpose built facility just for the little ’uns, providing a safe and convenient environment for day care or when they aren’t on the snow.

Beginner-only terrain and slow zones try and ensure the safest possible environment for beginners and young ones alike to ski in; stick around the Christie Peak Express for the best green runs in a number of slow zones, including Right-O-Way and Rough Rider Basin (a kids only zone). For a more confident brood, the Lil’ Rodeo Terrain Park will entertain those budding freestylers for hours. For families looking to cruise blues, hit up any of them off the Sunshine Express (especially Tomahawk).

Once the skiing stops, you won’t be short of things to do. You could be taking a dip in one of the hot springs in town, riding on the back of a husky sled taking in all the stunning scenery or popping over to Howelsen Hill for the family favourite of tubing.

We all know that grownups need their alone time for a bit of relaxation and pampering. To make this possible, the Kids Vacation Center is on hand to provide day care for kids between the ages of 2 and 6, allowing you to go explore the surrounding areas, or simply relax in peace and quiet. If you want a romantic dinner, once night skiing is opened (usually around Christmas) there is the option for 5 to 12 year olds to enrol in the Kids’ Adventure Club at Night; a camp setting, with films, food and games to keep them entertained.

With a friendly atmosphere in the town accommodating almost all, as well as a ski area featuring a great balance between challenging and gentle, this is an absolutely fantastic destination for groups.

The 2,965 acres of the ski area can be both forgiving and intense meaning there’s something for all abilities. Beginners will find their haven in the form of numerous greens available from the Christie Peak Express at the bottom of the mountain, all of which are in slow zones which make for a safer learning experience – we like taking Bashor into Swinger, then Right-O-Way. The intermediate’s part of the mountain is back right and serviced by the Sunshine Express Lift. Easy progression is the key here, with greens, a huge number of blues, blue diamonds and black diamonds allowing intermediates to find their feet before hitting the harder terrain. For the experts, the trees are Steamboat’s crowning feature, especially after a dusting of the champagne powder. The hike over from Bar-UE towards Mount Werner will let you find the best trees and chutes – usually the further you head, the better (try North St. Pats or East Face for typically the best snow).

The town, with its population of over 12,000, features a friendly, warm atmosphere to enjoy when not skiing. Because of the size of the resident population, the number and variety of dining, drinking and shopping options is bigger than other resorts, at the same time as maintaining an unpretentious and homely feeling. For something to eat, try Harwig’s and Bistro CV for the very finest dining, Old Town Pub for something a little more down to earth, or Blue Sage Pizza for the best takeaway in town. Drinking holes are almost as numerous, with the Powder Room providing that class some people look for, and Carl’s Tavern offering some of the best après atmosphere.

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Ski Extras

How much is a ski pass in Steamboat

Maximum and minimum adult Steamboat lift pass prices ranged from $492 to $942 for 6 days access to the Steamboat ski lift system at the start of the 2025 winter season. Our lift passes are part of a packaged Steamboat holiday with accommodation, so prices vary depending on chalet or hotel suppliers. Confirm price for the lift ticket before booking your holiday.

Lift Tickets Child Adult Senior
1 Day Price $10 - $110 $90 - $165 $80 - $145
6 Day Price $30 - $612 $492 - $942 $420 - $744
Age Range N / A 18 - 64 65+
Steamboat Packages + Extras

Getting to Steamboat

Most of our ski holidays to Steamboat packaged with flights include airport transfers. We can also arrange private transfers to Steamboat from nearby airports

How long does it take to fly to Steamboat from the UK?

Flights from London take about 9 hours to Denver, Jackson Hole etc.. This table shows approximate transfer times to Steamboat from the nearest airports, smaller airports can be more prone to delays.

Airport Distance Transfer Time
Denver International 289.7 km ?
Yampa Valley 35 km ?
Packages with Plane Train or Car

How long is the transfer from nearest United States train station to Steamboat?

The transfer time from alpine train stations are generally shorter than from airports, Call us for details of Steamboat transfers.

Station Distance Transfer Time
Denver Stapleton 257.5 km 257.5
Ski Train Holidays

Steamboat Maps

Steamboat piste map
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Regional map
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Town Map
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More Steamboat Information

Yampa Valley Medical Center We all know that crossing the road carries risks, let alone throwing yourself down a mountain on one or two planks. For those select times where things do go slightly wrong, Yampa Valley Medical Center is there to ensure you’re in the best healing hands, and to try and make sure you have the quickest recovery to allow you to get back up the mountain as soon as possible.

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Steamboat Ski Holiday Resources

Need help choose your Steamboat ski holiday? Call us on 020 7770 6888 or click Enquire - we love to help!

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United States Ski Holiday Resorts

Every Sno holiday packaged with flights is ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. All our suppliers are ATOL bonded, so your money is safe. In addition to this, payments for your holiday are held in trust, by NatWest bank and the Travel Trust, who insure every booking against supplier failure.

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