11 resorts with more affordable lift tickets spread around Colorado

From paying for equipment and passes to buying lunch and driving to the mountains, skiing and snowboarding can be expensive hobbies. Among all the variety Colorado has to offer, however, comes several resorts that offer lift tickets that are more affordable.

Here are some Colorado ski resorts that sell tickets that won’t break the bank:

1. Loveland Ski Area

Loveland Ski Area is located only 53 miles away from Denver, near the town of Georgetown. Adults can purchase all-mountain lift tickets for $145 – keep in mind that some lift tickets cost upwards of $300 in Colorado – children get their passes for $45, and those under five get free lift tickets. Loveland also tends to offer great lift ticket packages at the beginning of the season that cut down that cost much more.

2. Sunlight Mountain Resort

Not only does Sunlight Mountain Resort sell cheap lift tickets, but the resort promises skiers and riders will “walk to the lifts, and never stand in line.” Adult lift tickets are sold for as cheap as $70 on some weekdays, but they are usually between $90 and $100 on the weekends. Kids’ lift tickets are between $45 and $49.

3. Wolf Creek Ski Area

Perched on the Continental Divide, Wolf Creek Ski Area also provides cheap (sometimes even free) lift tickets. An all-day adult lift ticket costs $91, a children’s (ages 6-12) costs $45, and a senior’s (ages 65-79) costs $60. Children five and under can ski all day for $6, and those 80 and over ski for free.

4. Echo Mountain

Echo Mountain is the closest ski resort to Denver – and also one of Colorado’s cheapest. Only 36 miles from downtown Denver, online advance lift tickets for adults (ages 16-64) range from $50-83, and children’s (6-15) cost $30-50. Children under six get one free ticket with the purchase of one adult pass.

5. Ski Cooper

Located in the same central mountain region as Vail, Beaver Creek, and Breckenridge, Ski Cooper offers cheap lift tickets. Day passes at Ski Cooper range from $35 for ages six to 14 to $110 for ages 22-74. And ages five and under and 75 and over can purchase season passes for $10.

6. Monarch Mountain

Adults can get lift tickets for as cheap as $69 at Monarch Mountain on most weekdays. Weekend lift tickets are a bit more expensive, ranging from $129 to $134.

7. Eldora Mountain Ski Resort

Eldora Mountain’s prices can be a little more expensive than the others on this list, but are still cheaper than a lot of the ‘big resorts.’ Lift tickets at Eldora range from as cheap as $99 on some weekdays to $179 on some weekends. The resort is located near Nederland, which is only about a 30 minute drive from Boulder.

8. Howelsen Hill Ski Area

According to the ski area’s website, Howelsen Hill is Colorado’s oldest continuously operated ski area, open since 1915. An adult lift ticket (ages 19-64) costs $49, and children (ages 5-18) and senior (ages 65 and older) lift tickets are $36. Children four and under ski for free.

9. Arapahoe Basin Ski Area

A-Basin’s daily lift tickets range from $56 to $160 during peak ski season, which is usually February to March. The resort is located south of Loveland Pass in Summit County and is known for its extended season and extreme terrain.

10. Powderhorn Mountain Resort

Adult all-mountain tickets at Powderhorn Mountain Resort, located in Mesa, are $89 Mondays through Thursdays and $99 Fridays through Sundays. Junior tickets, for ages six to 12 are $39 from Mondays to Thursdays and $49 for Fridays through Sundays.

11. Purgatory Resort

Located in the Durango area, Purgatory offers some of the cheapest lift tickets around thanks to their dynamic-pricing model. Tickets start at just $9, though most are in the range of $40 to $70.

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Wolf Creek Ski Area. Photo Credit: MCCAIG (iStock). (MCCAIG)
Wolf Creek Ski Area. Photo Credit: MCCAIG (iStock). (MCCAIG)

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