Mountain Review: Steamboat
MOUNTAIN SCORE
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN
See our criteria
8
Snow:
8
Resiliency:
8
Size:
7
Terrain Diversity:
7
Challenge:
7
Lifts:
4
Crowd Flow:
7
Facilities:
5
Navigation:
6
Mountain Aesthetic:
GOOD TO KNOW
On-site Lodging: Yes
Apres-ski: Extensive
Pass Affiliation: Ikon Pass
Recommended Ability Level:
+ Pros
Distinctive glade terrain
Snow quality
Lively local town
– Cons
Frustrating lift logistics, especially to and from the base
Underwhelming bowl terrain
Difficult-to-reach expert terrain
MOUNTAIN STATS
Lifts: 18
Trails: 165
Beginner: 14%
Intermediate: 42%
Advanced/Expert: 44%
VIDEO
Mountain Review
Located in a prominent mountain town hours away from Denver and the continental divide, Steamboat has long been a go-to alpine destination. The resort doesn’t offer the bowl skiing, size, or extreme terrain that the best Colorado mountains are known for; instead, it provides acres of tree skiing and mogul runs. The resort offers plenty of enjoyable terrain, but issues with lift and crowd flow logistics, although recently addressed in part, degrade the overall experience.
Snow quality is a strong point. Steamboat gets as much snow as the best resorts in Colorado and regularly sees powder each season. Since Steamboat is northwest of most of the popular mountains in the state, it can get hit by storms that never even make it to the Front Range—although the opposite effect can happen as well. It takes less time to acclimate to the altitude than you might expect here; the resort tops out at only 10,568 feet, thousands of feet lower than other Colorado ski areas. Steamboat’s long vertical drop means that lower-elevation trails see more variable conditions than the rest, but extensive early season snowmaking operations ensure a resilient base layer throughout the season.
The snowfall contributes significantly to Steamboat’s strongest asset—its top-tier tree skiing. On-site woods—of which there are an abundance since most of Steamboat is below treeline—tend to have enough snow and spacing to consistently work as glades throughout the season. There are glades for skiers of multiple abilities here, from gently sloped blues to consistently steep blacks. It takes a long time for the snow here to be tracked, and it’s possible to find powder stashes in the trees even days after a snowstorm.
Steamboat’s aspens, which line trails and make up a sizable chunk of glade terrain, give the resort a distinct look. These light tan trees are widely spaced and don’t have as many low-hanging branches as pine trees, making them easier to navigate and carve lines through than typical glades.
Outside of the trees, Steamboat boasts a mix of beginner to advanced slopes that many groups will appreciate. Steamboat’s beginner experience has always been on the better side as far as Colorado resorts go, as its Sunshine Peak area boasts upper-mountain green terrain—something that many competitors lack. But the resort’s beginner experience has seen a significant upgrade this winter, with a new isolated mid-mountain learning area that’s served by a dedicated carpet and brand-new high-speed quad.
Steamboat offers a range of blue trails in essentially every mountain area. These runs boast moderately steep pitches and often feature some of the best views at the resort. Steamboat also features a blue-black trail rating, where runs are a bit steeper than typical blues, but not quite up to an advanced-level pitch or technicality.
However, grooming on Steamboat’s blues can be hit or miss depending on when you visit. On some days, carvable groomers are ample in quantity, while on others, groomed blue terrain is nary a sight—with some degree of bumps really difficult to avoid. It generally seems that fewer runs get groomed if it’s snowed, even if accumulation numbers are small, but for an in-advance trip, it’s hard to predict when grooming will be good or not. This can be especially frustrating given Steamboat’s family-friendly reputation.
Speaking of bumps, Steamboat’s advanced-level trails tend to have them in spades. These runs are reasonably steep and demanding, and repeat laps will wear down typical guests. Visitors will want to check out the Storm Peak, Sundown, and Pony Express for the best black runs, and many of these trails are directly adjacent to the best glades at the resort. If conditions permit, some of the blacks off Sunshine Peak and near the bottom of the mountain receive grooming, allowing for some serious speed runs.
Steamboat’s terrain footprint starts to show its shortcomings in the high-alpine department. The back bowls at Morningside Park feel also-ran for what you might expect from a resort of this caliber. Snow quality tends to be good, but above-treeline skiing continues only for the first few turns, and steep slopes only continue for the next couple after that. After that, you’re subject to flat terrain that on powdery days requires a catwalk. Once you get to the bottom, you’re stuck taking the slow, fixed-grip Morningside lift back up.
The Christmas Tree Chutes and a few hikable areas north of them are the only areas of the resort with true expert terrain, including cliffs and some dangerously steep pitches. While thrilling for experts, they are very difficult to find—you have to travel to the top, ski down the backside, and take the Morningside lift just to get there—even though they’re on the front face of the mountain. In addition, just as at Morningside Park, the expert-level terrain doesn’t last very long. Many other big Colorado resorts offer more.
The lift and navigation logistics at Steamboat suffer from a few other shortcomings. Access to the resort comes from just one base area, and all visitors coming from the base have to go through the same midpoint—the Thunderhead Lodge—to get to any other area of the resort. The 8-person Steamboat Gondola offers the only direct service from the base to this midpoint; while a capacity upgrade this season has significantly reduced congestion, the lift is still often subject to long lines. The more indirect Christie Peak-to-Thunderhead Express lift setup requires a time-consuming detour between lifts but is typically less crowded—although even if lines are short at the Christie lift, things can still jam up at Thunderhead, which just delays the bottleneck. If you’re not looking to spend your day at the base lifts—and most people won’t be due to the large crowds—it’ll take a while to get to the runs you want to do.
For the 2022-23 season, Steamboat installed the first leg of its 10-passenger Wild Blue Gondola, a crucial lift that will eventually extend all the way to the top of Sunshine Peak. But for now, the lift only extends to the new learning area mentioned earlier. The first stage of the gondola doesn’t really solve Steamboat’s chokepoint issues at this point in time, but it does provide a slightly more direct, insulated route from the base to Thunderhead, and frees up the Christie Express lift for race training and freestyle use.
Steamboat’s lower-mountain lift setup also causes problems getting back to the base. Ski-out access is notably limited. If you’re north of the Thunderhead Lodge, you either need to take a long, flat green trail to get down or take the Burgess Creek lift to Thunderhead to get down a more enjoyable way. If you’re south of there in the Sunshine Peak area, there’s no intuitive direct option to get down to the base—if you’re not an advanced-level skier and you don’t know exactly what you’re doing, you’ll be forced to take the Elkhead Express lift to get to Thunderhead. This lift provides a phenomenally better experience than the fixed-grip lift it replaced, but be prepared to wait in very long lines if you’re stuck there at the end of the day. Don’t think of taking a leisurely last run in the area at 3:30pm and risk missing the last chair up.
But getting around Steamboat isn’t all bad. It’s easy to lap most of the resort’s signature tree terrain once you get to it. In addition, all mountain areas besides those served by Morningside benefit from available high-speed lift service. And thankfully, mid-mountain lodges allow you to catch a break during the day without heading all the way down to the base.
Steamboat’s mountain aesthetic generally impresses, although the flat summit areas won’t match the tops you’ll find at other Colorado resorts. Upper mountain runs offer picturesque views of the valley and neighboring peaks, and you won’t find the same aspen tree landscapes anywhere else. While Steamboat Village is fairly built up, the fairly inset rest of the mountain doesn’t have much development on it.
The town of Steamboat is also notable for the number of olympians that it produces, and the resort has long been a training ground for alpine athletes. According to multiple locals, it’s common to see former olympic athletes on the slopes here. It’s also worth noting that Steamboat offers night skiing on a small portion of its terrain. While it’s only 5 trails, it’s better than nothing and a useful option for those wanting to hit the slopes later in the day.
Lodging
Steamboat offers multiple lodging options both on-site and in town. Most hotels and condos at the base come with hot tubs and pools. Some nice options near the base are reasonably priced and within walking distance of base village attractions. Lodging in the town of Steamboat Springs is economical, charming, and centrally located for nightlife, but more than a mile away from the base; buses to and from the resort run every 20 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes in the evening.
There is some free public parking at the resort, but in most cases, you either have to walk a few minutes to get to the slopes or take a shuttle bus. In the case of the Meadows parking lot, there is a pulse gondola nearby, but its low capacity results in long lines that often make it slower than just waiting for the shuttle. Steamboat’s free lots fill up on busy days, so if you get there after 10 on a weekend or holiday, prepare to shell out money for a paid spot.
Aprés-ski
Steamboat really stands out as a ski town destination. Steamboat Springs is a real town—it’s not an artificial village that was constructed with the resort—and it offers multiple bars, breweries, and small clubs, with options ranging from casual to lively. You can find live music and dancing most nights of the week, but the best partying happens on weekends.
But you don’t have to do directly into town to have a good time off the slopes. The Steamboat base boasts an excellent aprés-ski climate, with multiple slopeside happy hour bars that offer sweet food and drink deals. The resort often features live music at the base after the mountain closes, especially closer to the spring.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the town of Steamboat Springs does have real hot springs. The Strawberry Park springs offer incredible scenery just outside town, while the Old Town hot springs are more built up but conveniently located downtown. Both venues stay open until at least 10pm every night, making them a great relaxation option after a long day of skiing. Oh—and Strawberry Park is clothing optional after dark, so maybe don’t bring your bathing suit.
Verdict
Steamboat offers a bustling town, enjoyable slopes, and world-class tree and mogul skiing. However, other mountains in Colorado provide more diverse terrain, better resort logistics, and significantly easier access from Denver. As a result, a lot of vacation-goers, especially experts and those looking for bowl terrain, may want to go elsewhere.
Another reason to avoid Steamboat is the resort’s absolutely insane ticket prices. For the 2022-23 season, ticket rates top out at $275, among the highest anywhere in North America. Tickets can be had for less than $200 if you buy really far in advance for an off-peak weekday, but with a starting rate of $177, they’re by no means cheap.
Steamboat’s ticket rates might be a little easier to justify if it had the best terrain in North America, but with its lacking expert and bowl terrain and not-insignificant crowding problems, the resort has no business charging such astronomical prices. Steamboat is on the Ikon Pass, and these days, it’s really only worth visiting if you have such a product.
