Echo Mountain
Closed
Pros
- Easily accessible - just under an hour's drive away from Denver!
- One of the most affordable places to ski near Denver
- Newly renovated base area
- Night-skiing available on the whole mountain
Cons
- Short vertical drop - only 600 ft
- Small skiable terrain - very limited range of runs
- Squaw Pass off the I-70 can get slippery and treacherous during winter weather
Just under an hour's drive away from Denver, Echo Mountain is the closest ski resort to the mile-high city! It might not have the scariest of slopes and the lack of terrain might disappoint but its close proximity makes it a convenient option for those looking to squeeze in a morning or afternoon ski. Best of all, it's got the cheapest lift tickets in Colorado!
January to February
FLY TO
Denver International Airport
DRIVE TO
Echo Mountain (1 hour)
Idaho Springs (10-12 mi)
- Quaint old mining town - 30 minute drive away
- A range of dining and nightlife options
- Affordable lodging
Evergreen (15-17 mi)
- Historic town - 30 minutes drive away
- A few dining and nightlife options
- A small number of lodging available
For beginners
Echo Mountain is great for never-evers to learn and practice on! It's a small resort with the perfect steepness that won't frighten beginners. First-timers can start off in the beginner's area where there's a magic carpet before moving onto Bernina's passage and Grady's. For a top to bottom run, check out Elsa's way!
For intermediates
Although there isn't a variety of blue trails at Echo Mountain, the runs still provide plenty of fun for intermediates to enjoy!
For experts
Echo Mountain can be quite disappointing for advanced skiers and snowboarders as the only expert terrain is in EJ's Glades and even then it's only sometimes skiable due to the snow.
Find freshies
Freshies can be found everywhere around the mountain and are rarely tracked out since the resort is never crowded!
Ditch the crowds
You won't find crowds here as most skiers and snowboarders visiting Colorado flock to the larger resorts further down the I-70!
Non skiers
Echo Mountain doesn't provide much to do for non-skiers to do but the resort is in the process of updating their uphill policies to hopefully allow snowshoeing in the future.
Families
Families will beginners will love Echo Mountain as they have to worry about being run over by advanced or experts zusshing down the mountain. It's also a great choice for families on budget, being one of the most affordable ski areas near Denver.
| Echo Mountain | Arapahoe Basin | |
|---|---|---|
| beginner | 10 % | 10 % |
| intermediate | 75 % | 30 % |
| advanced | 10 % | 37 % |
| expert | 5 % | 23 % |
| total runs | 7 | 109 |
| ski area | 60ac | 960ac |
| summit elevation | 10,650ft | 13,050ft |
| total lifts | 3 | 8 |
| child lift ticket | $34 | Free |
| adult lift ticket | $54 | $100 |
| uncrowded | - | |
| snow | - | |
| back country | - | |
| value for money | - | |
| average total snowfall | 24″ | 179″ |