Colorado is a mecca for skiing. Summit County is the mecca within the mecca.

The mountainous locale off Interstate 70 is saturated with four world-renowned destinations: Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain and Keystone. The flavors vary. And, as in any good candy store, they can be hard to choose.

Here’s what to know:

Arapahoe BasinA-Basin is dedicated to a throwback dream, a time before parking hassles and long lift lines. That dedication was exemplified by the ski area abandoning Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass a few years back. Despite economic gains from pass holders, the traffic was deemed too great.

Evidently, A-Basin is banking on its reputation.

Famed for annually opening before any other operation in North America and keeping its lifts turning into June, the ski area is simply “The Legend.” That’s thanks to elevations starting at 10,500 feet and capping above 13,000 feet. Call it a big little mountain — the steeps and views visitors long for across acreage much smaller than its Summit County counterparts.

The East Wall calls to the experienced, high-alpine seekers. Montezuma Bowl is another extreme, breathtaking playground of chutes and bumps. The glades and gullies under the Pallavicini lift attain equal hype. Beginner and intermediate types opt for the Molly Hogan learning area and terrain below Black Mountain Express.

Everyone ends at the base’s 6th Alley Bar & Grill. Regulars know that nothing beats a Bacon Bloody Mary after a hard day on the hill.

BreckenridgeSummit County’s three other ski destinations can’t claim a town like Breckenridge Resort. There’s something to be said about starting and ending a day along Main Street, where mining history lives and a certain sense of place prevails in old watering holes and upscale eateries.

It’s the place for C.J. Mueller. He broke speed records in a Hall of Fame career. Nowadays, he catches the mellow runs. There’s a family run on Peak 8, Springmeier. “I really enjoy that,” he told us a couple of seasons ago.

Peak 8 is one of the five peaks that make up Breck. It’s the terrain smorgasbord you’d expect of that size. Peaks 6 and 7 are defined by long, rolling cruisers. The longest run is on Peak 8: the 31/2-mile Four O’clock Trail. That peak boasts the expert paradise of Horseshoe Bowl as well. More alpine glory on Peak 10.

To refuel later, will it be casual or fancy? For casual, Mueller suggests Fatty’s Pizzeria or Empire Burger. For apres: “I like the Hearthstone. The one thing I tell people you got to have there is the jalapeño-stuffed shrimp,” he says. “The Briar Rose, their creamed spinach is awesome, and their crème brûlée is the way it should be.”

Copper MountainCopper Mountain differentiates itself for its convenient layout. A beginner’s guide on the website calls the resort “the perfect place to build your skills.”

Beginners start at West Village, “and the terrain increases in difficulty level as you move east,” the guide explains, “so you won’t have to worry about getting mixed in with the experts.”

East Village, on the other hand, is the seasonal home of the U.S. Ski Team. Olympic hopefuls train on steep, tree-lined groomers near that base, which accesses powder-packed bowls called Resolution and Spaulding.

Center Village, meanwhile, offers blue terrain between the blacks and greens. Later in the season, from the Mountain Chief lift, explorers can board a snowcat to the highest, most extreme terrain on Tucker Mountain.

Non-skiers will find something fun around the resort. There’s a snowy “play zone” and tubing hill, along with a snow maze and alpine coaster. That’s not to mention all of the shopping and dining. Most of the bars and restaurants are clustered in Center Village.

KeystoneCovering 3,149 acres, this is the biggest of Summit County’s ski areas. While Breckenridge is Vail Resorts’ answer to the late season, this is the company’s answer to the early season. State-of-the-art snowmaking aims to kick off the season as soon as possible in October.

Hundreds of guests received free burritos at last year’s opening day. The rewards go beyond that.

Before it was a pride and joy of Vail Resorts, Keystone was the vision of a pair of local couples. Their names remain on Dercum Mountain and Bergman Bowl. Some lap the green and blue runs on the former, while fewer like to earn their turns by skinning up the latter — including the ski patrol director, Mike Daly. The Outback, the resort’s highest reaches, has been another must-hike for him when conditions are right.

“When you get in a storm cycle, the place is incredible because people don’t want to hike that much at Keystone,” he previously told us. “So you’ll be getting fresh turns every time for a short 10- to 15-minute hike.”

Later, he might catch music and a hearty meal at Snake River Saloon.