Copper Mountain

Copper Mountain: Your Colorado Ski Dream Awaits

From its unique, naturally divided terrain and world-class terrain parks and halfpipes, to its many low-key restaurants and bars, lodging options, and family-friendly attractions, a Copper Mountain vacation will delight just about any skier. From first timer to expert, young to old, to those on a budget or those looking to splurge a little, Copper is a fantastic option. On average, most of Copper Mountain’s restaurants and accommodations sway towards laidback, rather than upscale, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of world-class experiences to be had on a Copper Mountain vacation.

Copper Mountain is only 75 miles from Denver International Airport, providing an easy and convenient escape for a happy holiday. With more than 2,500 acres of skiing terrain in 140 trails and 23 lifts, the resort offers a wide range of slopes for different skill levels. Its highest peak, Copper Peak, stands at an elevation of 12,313 feet, offering some long and exciting ski runs in Colorado. Guests have the opportunity to experience ice skating on West Lake and embark on a snowshoe excursion.

How to get to Copper Mountain

Copper Mountain is located just 75 miles west of Denver International Airport (DIA) via Interstate 70. The resort is also accessible from regional airports such as Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE) and Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE).

Getting around

Copper Mountain offers a complimentary bus service, making it easy for visitors to explore different areas of the resort without hassle. The shuttle runs seven days a week 6 AM - 11 PM. The shuttle offers service between East Village, West Village, Center Village, Alpine Lot and Far East Lot.

Skiing in Copper Mountain

Copper Mountain is conveniently, and naturally, divided into sections based on difficulty of terrain. Almost the entire looker’s right—West Village area—of the mountain is for beginner skiers, the middle area or terrain above the Center Village is intermediate and the runs above the East Village (furthest left on a trail map) are nearly all black runs. As you can imagine, all the above treeline and bowl skiing is expert to extreme terrain, with the exception of Otto Bahn, the lone blue run in Copper Bowl.

Beginners, especially first-time skiers, have terrain that allows for perfect progression from surface lift (magic carpet), and relatively flat slopes, to small chairlifts with slightly longer and more inclined trails, and so on and so forth, all the way to green trails from the top of Union Peak to the base area. Intermediates also have incredible access, from top to bottom pristine cruisers, to the Otto Bahn blue run’s breathtaking views of the expansive Copper Bowl and Tucker Mountain.

Expert and advanced terrain make up 54 percent of Copper’s skiable acres, so if it’s not your first rodeo, you’ll be pleased. Copper Mountain offers expert skiers and snowboarders four bowls, acres and acres of high alpine extreme terrain, technical glades, moguls and long, sustained black trails.

Beginner Skiing at Copper Mountain

Copper beginner skiing is exceptional if we do say so. With more than 20 percent of the Copper’s terrain designated as beginner, this mountain offers newbies incredible access, with green runs all over the mountain. Beginners can take just two chairlifts and find themselves atop Union Peak’s 12,313-foot summit, and then they can enjoy the 2,000-plus vertical feet of green runs on the way down. Plus, the entire lower looker’s right side of the resort is almost entirely green runs. And while Copper has tons of high alpine terrain options for beginners, it also offers an incredible “learn to ski” zone between East Village and Center Village.

The easiest Copper beginner terrain is situated around, and accessed by, the Gem surface lift (magic carpet), located between East Village and Center Village. There is also a beginner surface lift located next to the American Eagle chairlift, and three located at the bottom of the Kokomo lift. Once beginners can stop and make wedge turns it’s time for Pitchfork, which is ideal for first-time chairlift riders.

Once beginners have the hang of the chairlift, Kokomo lift and all the green runs beneath it are a great option. Copper is a great mountain to learn to ski because beginners can progress from one lift to the next and work their way up the mountain in a comfortable way. More experienced beginners have an overwhelming amount of terrain options off of the American Eagle, Union Creek, Kokomo, Lumberjack and Rendevous chairlifts.

Copper Ski School

There’s no better way to maximize your time on the slopes during your Copper ski vacation, or better acquaint yourself with the terrain, than taking a lesson. Copper Ski School offers private and group lessons for ages three and up. Copper Ski School organizes classes around age and ability level so everyone can learn in a comfortable, progressive manner

Expert Skiing in Copper Mountain

With 54 percent of its trails designated as black diamond to double black diamond, the overwhelming majority of Copper’s terrain is meant for expert skiers. Copper expert skiing offers tons of long, steep sustained runs, high alpine bowls and technical glades. The majority of black diamond runs can be found on the East side of the mountain, or looker’s left area if you’re in front of a trail map.

Depending on where you’re staying, expert skiers will want to start their day out at either East Village’s Super Bee six-person chairlift or Center Village’s American Eagle quad chairlift. If you opt for the Super Bee, you’ll find tons of long, sustained black runs. This is a great area to warm your legs up early in the morning. Head skier’s left off the chairlift for Far East or Too Much. From the top of Super Bee you’re perfectly placed to take advantage of Rendevous Bowl, one of Copper’s four bowls. In Rendevous Bowl you’ll find more sustained black runs, as well as the high alpine extreme terrain of Spaulding Bowl.

Copper Bowl Goods

The American Eagle chairlift provides experts access to the Excelerator chairlift and it’s fun black diamond runs like wide-open Hallelujah or steep Brennan’s Grin. Excelerator accesses Storm King chairlift and the Enchanted Forest, a double black high alpine area, as well as the upper reaches of Spaulding Bowl. The American Flyer quad chairlift gets experts to the coveted goods in Copper Bowl quicker than any other lift.

At the top of American Flyer head to either Sierra or Rendevous chairlift. Experts can access Copper Bowl from either lift, but the gnarliest terrain is accessed from the top of Union Peak. Experts can hike along the ridge line and drop into the bowl where ever their heart desires.

Family vacations in Copper Mountain

Copper Mountain is somewhat of a self-contained resort, which is nice for families. With everything—lodging, base village, shops and restaurants—conveniently located at the base of Copper Mountain, families will rejoice that all the guesswork surrounding coordinating ski school and equipment rentals has been taken out of their ski vacation. Plus, Copper offers an overwhelming amount of off-mountain, family-friendly activities, like The Tubing Hill, Critterland for little ones and Woodward at Copper, families will never want to leave the base village.

Copper Mountain has incredible family skiing. Its varied terrain caters to any and all skiers in your family. With green and blue runs amply dispersed all over the mountain, including at the summit, families have plenty of incredible photo opportunities. Copper has a plethora of blue and green runs that run from the top to the bottom, allowing the whole family to ski together. Beginner families also have an ideal “learn to ski area” between the Gem surface lift (magic carpet) and the Pitchfork lift. Similarly expert families have plenty of steep, mogul runs to explore together, including Copper’s free cat-skiing off of Tucker Mountain.

The village offers a variety of dining options from cozy cafés and family-friendly restaurants to fine dining establishments. The Woodward Copper Barn is an indoor playground with trampolines, foam pits, and indoor skiing and snowboarding. Visitors can also enjoy cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, ice skating, snow tubing, and scenic snowcat tours. Stroll through the village and discover charming shops, galleries, and boutiques or visit the arcade for family fun.