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Uphill skiing Colorado: Cost, routes and guidelines to know before you go

Uphill skiing access at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area

Kyla Pearce, left, and Shawn Heyland ski uphill toward High Noon trail Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2025 at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in Keystone, Colorado.

Jonathan Ingraham jonathan.ingraham@denvergazette.com

Uphill skiing access at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area

Kyla Pearce, left, and Shawn Heyland ski uphill toward High Noon trail Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2025 at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in Keystone, Colorado.






Thinking about trying uphill skiing or snowboarding at your local hill?

You’ll be able to at all but one (Silverton) of Colorado’s 28 lift-access ski areas. 

Ski areas allowing uphill access have increased by nearly one third over the past decade, according to statistics from the National Ski Areas Association, and Colorado helped lead the charge in popularizing uphill skiing.

An end-of-season NSAA report showed 65% of nationwide resorts permitted uphill access in at least some form during the 2023-24 season, compared with roughly 33% in 2013-14. Ninety six percent of Colorado’s resorts permit uphill access in some form.

Five general uphill skiing guidelines to remember:

  1. Almost all ski areas require a specific uphill pass, which must be carried in a resort-specific armband or on a visible lanyard. Plus, you’ll likely need to sign the resort’s uphilling waiver, either in-person or online.
  2. Some resorts charge a separate fee for the uphill pass while others include an uphill pass complimentary (free) to season passholders. Check the ski area’s policy about fees before departing to the destination.
  3. Resorts generally have designated uphill routes. Check the trail map or specific ski area’s webpage for details before departing. Remain on the designated routes for your own safety.
  4. Be aware of blackout dates as ski areas may restrict uphill access during busy times, like the holidays. Resorts also reserve the right to close uphilling for avalanche control, snowmaking, or other mountain activities.
  5. Practice personal responsibility and safety. Ski patrol and other emergency services may not be available to uphillers during your ascension outside of the resort’s operating hours.
Uphill skiing access at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area

Shawn Heyland sticks his climbing skins on his AT setup while uphill skinning Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2025 at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in Keystone, Colorado.

Jonathan Ingraham jonathan.ingraham@denvergazette.com

Uphill skiing access at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area

Shawn Heyland sticks his climbing skins on his AT setup while uphill skinning Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2025 at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in Keystone, Colorado.






Here are details from each ski area or resort that offers uphill skiing:

Arapahoe Basin

  • Cost: Uphill season passes can be added to a current Arapahoe Basin season pass for $29; otherwise, $109.
  • Route(s): During operational hours, uphillers must hug the eastern edge of the High Noon trail between the base area and Black Mountain Lodge. There’s also a longer route in the trees. Outside of operational hours, guests can take any of the open green or blue routes on the front side below Black Mountain Lodge. Dercum’s Gulch or Grizzly Road accesses the summit.
  • Dog policy: Dogs are welcome at A-Basin outside of operating hours.

Aspen Highlands

  • Cost: Free to all Premier Passholders; otherwise, $69.
  • Route(s): Uphilling is permitted between 5 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. Take Jerome Bowl to Park Avenue to Memory Lane all the way to the Merry-Go-Round Restaurant.
  • Dog policy: Dogs are welcome at Aspen Highlands before 8 a.m. and after 4:45 p.m.

Aspen Mountain

  • Cost: Free to all Premier Passholders; otherwise, $69.
  • Route(s): Uphilling is permitted before 9 a.m. and after 4:45 p.m. Take America’s uphill course.
  • Dog policy: Dogs are prohibited at Aspen Mountain at all times during the operating season.

Beaver Creek

  • Cost: Free (no pass or armband required)
  • Route(s): Users must call the mountain’s Uphill Access Hotline at 970-754-590 for conditions, routes, and safety information prior to access. Uphill travel is permitted on designated routes from 30 minutes after the lifts close until 15 minutes before the first chair starts spinning.
  • Dog policy: No dogs allowed.

Breckenridge

  • Cost: Free (no pass or armband required)
  • Route(s): Users must call the mountain’s Uphill Access Hotline at 970-547-5627 for information prior to access. Uphill travel is permitted on designated routes from 30 minutes after the lifts close until 15 minutes before the first chair starts spinning.
  • Dog policy: No dogs allowed.

Buttermilk

aspen uphill skiing

FILE - Two women skin up Tiehack on Buttermilk Mountain in January.

Anna Stonehouse, The Aspen Times

aspen uphill skiing

FILE – Two women skin up Tiehack on Buttermilk Mountain in January.






  • Cost: Free to all Premier Passholders; otherwise, $69.
  • Route(s): Uphilling is permitted between 5 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. Take one of three runs: Main Buttermilk, Tiehack, or West.
  • Dog policy: Dogs are welcome at Buttermilk before 8 a.m. and after 4:45 p.m.

Chapman Hill

  • Cost: Free 
  • Route(s): Uphilling is permitted during non-operating hours and when the snowcats are running. Please use the perimeter road to skin up and avoid the middle of the hill.
  • Dog policy: No dogs allowed.

Cooper

  • Cost: Free for Cooper Season Pass holders or Cooper Day Pass holders only; must purchase day pass to uphill ski during operating hours (prices vary for each day). Free non-lift-served uphill access to the ski area is available between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m. daily.
  • Route(s): There are three designated uphill routes. Looker’s left of Trail’s End is the front side uphill route; looker’s left of Ambush is the back side uphill route; looker’s right of Low Road/High Road to Motherlode Flats is the route from the Tennessee Creek Basin.
  • Dog policy: No dogs allowed.

Copper Mountain

  • Cost: Free for Copper Season Passholders and Ikon Passholders, though you must have the designated yellow armband. The armband costs $5 if you don’t have one from a previous year. Uphill season passes, including armbands, are $79 for non-passholders.
  • Route(s): Copper offers two before- and after-hours routes (permitted use from 5 to 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.) and six daytime routes (permitted use from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., except for the Union Meadows route, which closes at 2 p.m.).
  • Dog policy: No dogs allowed.

Crested Butte

  • Cost: Free (no pass or armband required)
  • Route(s): Users must call the mountain’s Uphill Access Hotline at 970-349-234 for information prior to access. Take Warming House Hill to Lower Keystone to Upper Park to Yellow Brick Road to Paradise Bowl. No uphill access is permitted above Paradise Bowl. In early season, uphill access may only be permitted to the junction of Peanut and Lower Keystone. Uphilling begins at 4:30 p.m. and must end by 8:45 a.m.
  • Dog policy: No dogs allowed.

Echo Mountain

  • Cost: Day use uphill access passes are available for $20.
  • Route(s): Follow designated uphill routes marked by a yellow diamond with a black arrow. Routes are only available during standard operating hours from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends
  • Dog policy: No dogs allowed.

Eldora Mountain

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Featured Local Savings

  • Cost: Free for Eldora Alpine Season Passholders and Ikon Passholders; otherwise, $99. Make sure to purchase your pass online before heading to the resort.
  • Route(s): Uphilling at Eldora is only allowed Monday through Friday. Choose from four different routes: Daytime Frontside Route (permitted use 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Early Access Route (permitted use 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.), Pipeline Route (permitted use 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.), and Backside Route (permitted use 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
  • Dog policy: No dogs allowed.

Granby Ranch

  • Cost: Free
  • Route(s): Uphill access allowed anytime on East Mountain. Take East Ballroom to Rods Way to High Roller or Kicking Horse from the bottom of the lift to High Roller and Summit Glade. Uphilling is not allowed during night skiing activities.
  • Dog policy: Dogs are welcome outside of lift operation hours.

Hesperus

  • Closed for the season due to mechanical issues. No uphill access in 2024-25.

Howelsen

  • Cost: Free (no pass or armband required)
  • Route(s): During non-operating hours, uphill access is permitted everywhere in the ski area. During operating hours, choose between taking the Lower Hobo Park XC trail up Mile Run and exiting the ski area onto Blackmer Trail or parking at the Blackmer trailhead in the Fairview neighborhood (instead of the ski area base).
  • Dog policy: No dogs allowed.

Kendall

  • Cost: Free
  • Route(s): Uphill skiing is allowed only when the lift is not running (permitted 4 p.m. to 11 a.m. daily).
  • Dog policy: No dogs allowed

Keystone

  • Cost: Free (no pass or armband required)
  • Route(s): Users must call the mountain’s Uphill Access Hotline at 970-496-4033 for information prior to access. Uphill travel is permitted on designated routes from 30 minutes after the lifts close until 15 minutes before the first chair starts spinning.
  • Dog policy: No dogs allowed.

Loveland

  • Cost: Included in cost of current Loveland Ski Area Season Passes; otherwise, $50.
  • Route(s): Uphill access is permitted before 8 a.m. and after 4:30 p.m. via Route A, which goes to the top of the Ptarmigan Lift. Uphill access at Loveland Valley is not allowed.
  • Dog policy: Dogs are allowed before and after operating hours.

Monarch

  • Cost: Free for current Monarch season passholders; otherwise, $59 per season.
  • Route(s): Uphilling is allowed 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. During pre-operational hours from 6 to 9 a.m., take Little Mo Route; during operational hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., take Barrel Loop, Pano Route, or Mirk Route; during post-operational hours from 4 to 10 p.m., guests may take other trails not marked as closed.
  • Dog policy: No dogs allowed.

Powderhorn

  • Cost: Free to regular Powderhorn Season Passholders; otherwise, $19 for a day pass or $59 for a season pass.
  • Route(s): During operating hours, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., remain on hiker’s right of Dude, Tenderfoot, Red Eye, Maverick and Greenhorn to the bottom of the Wonderbump race course; outside of operating hours, from 4 p.m. to 9 a.m., remain on Bill’s Run.
  • Dog policy: No dogs allowed.

Snowmass

The Power of Four ski race 2024

FILE - Two female ski mountaineers skin uphill during the Power of Four ski mountaineering race Saturday, Feb. 10 at Snowmass Resort in Aspen, Colorado.

Courtesy, Jeremy Swanson

The Power of Four ski race 2024

FILE – Two female ski mountaineers skin uphill during the Power of Four ski mountaineering race Saturday, Feb. 10 at Snowmass Resort in Aspen, Colorado.






  • Cost: Free to all Premier Passholders; otherwise, $69.
  • Route(s): Uphilling is permitted between 5 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. Take one of five routes: Two Creeks, High Alpine Restaurant, Sam’s Knob, Elk Camp, or Campground.
  • Dog policy: Dogs are welcome at Snowmass before 7:45 a.m. and after 4:45 p.m.

Steamboat

  • Cost: $39 per person
  • Route(s): Uphilling is allowed before 9 a.m. or after 4:30 p.m. via four routes. Uphill access from Wild Blue Way to Shortcut to Vogue is unavailable during night skiing operations.
  • Dog policy: No dogs allowed.

Sunlight

  • Cost: $10 for a day pass or $50 for a season pass.
  • Route(s): Take either the easier green route or the more difficult orange route.
  • Dog policy: No dogs allowed.

Telluride

  • Cost: Free
  • Route(s): Uphill access is allowed along the Sunshine (Lift 10) Pod from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., except for Sundance Trail. Uphill traffic is permitted to the top of Lift 10 and no farther.
  • Dog policy: Dogs are welcome from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Vail

  • Cost: Free (no pass or armband required)
  • Route(s): Users must call the mountain’s Uphill Access Hotline at 970-754-1023 for information prior to access. Only available after hours from 4:30 p.m. to 8 a.m.
  • Dog policy: No dogs allowed.

Winter Park

  • Cost: The pass is free, but you must purchase a $25 armband.
  • Route(s): Uphill access is permitted from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. on specific trails open that day (or, in the case of early-morning access, open the day before) within the Winter Park, Mary Jane, Parsenn Bowl, and Vasquez Ridge areas.
  • Dog policy: Dogs are welcome 4 to 7 a.m. and 5 to 8 p.m.

Wolf Creek

  • Cost: $5 for an annual uphill pass
  • Route(s): Uphill traffic is allowed from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. during operating hours. Take Kelly Boyce Trail, but remain on the side of the runs.
  • Dog policy: No dogs allowed.

(Contact Denver Gazette Digital Strategist Jonathan Ingraham at jonathan.ingraham@denvergazette.com or on X at @Skingraham and Instagram at @Skingraham311.)

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