Beaver Creek

Closed
Heather Burke
SnowPak Local Insider
Heather Burke
Pros
  • Beaver Creek is the best ski resort for the ultimate getaway experience with upscale dining options
  • It doesn’t suffer from the same crowds as its bigger sister Vail
  • Top-notch grooming and superb upper terrain for beginners
Cons
  • Relatively expensive compared to other Colorado resorts

Overall

4

Welcome to Colorado’s newest ski resort, the one and only Beaver Creek, where luxury comes as standard. Everything at Beaver Creek is posh, planned and near perfection – it’s the Deer Valley of Colorado. Owned by Vail Resorts, Beaver Creek opened in 1980 modeled after Europe's best ski resorts St Moritz in Switzerland and Italy's Cortina, it's like Vail's classier sister - not quite as popular, less approached, but that's what makes it so precious.

Best month to go

January and March

Avoid

December and February

December is ideally not the month to go Beaver Creek as the weather is far too cold to be enjoyable. Although it is still rather cold, January is a better month to visit Beaver Creek as it sees fewer crowds than Christmas and February. Crowds tend to scatter throughout March and April with the exception of Spring Break. For the best chance of a bluebird day, visit during March, just before hotel and flight prices become expensive in May.

FLY TO

Denver International Airport

DRIVE/SHUTTLE TO

Beaver Creek (2.5-3 hours)

Beaver Creak Village (Walk)

  • Main village with the most amenities, restaurants and activities
  • All lodging offer ski-in access
  • Variety of hotels, condos and B&B lodging

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Bachelor Gulch Village (Walk)

  • Offers access to Bachelor Gulch Express lift for green and blue trails
  • Lodging includes The Ritz-Carlton and vacation rental homes
  • The only other location for ski and snowboard school besides Beaver Creek Village

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Arrowhead Village (Walk)

  • Lodging is limited to ski condos only
  • Offers access to Arrowbahn Express lift for green and blue trails
  • Located furthest from Beaver Creek Village

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Avon (Walk)

  • Small town with free shuttle to Beaver Creek Village
  • Variety of hotels including Westin Resort and Spa
  • Riverfront Express Gondola provides access to the base of the mountain

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For beginners

Beginners can ski with ease here as they can meander down one of many groomed trails at Beaver Creek. Be sure to check out Stirrup, a long windy green that's also our favorite run! The runs off the Elkhorn lift also offer fantastic progression trails for those looking to take it to the next level.

For intermediates

Intermediate skiers and riders will also have endless choices at Beaver Creek with the terrain off Elkhorn lift being our top pick! For our favorite run, start off on Lamplighter from the top of Elkhorn lift, followed by Board's Skiway and then Boarder's Loop back to base.

For experts

Beaver Creek doesn't have the most challenging terrain around, but Grouse Mountain is packed with black diamond and double black diamonds making it the best spot for more advanced skiers and snowboarders and includes our favorite the Black Bear double diamond! For the experts, the Stone Creek Chutes is where the fun is at!

Find freshies

The Stone Creek Chutes and anything on the Grouse Mountain are the best spots to find freshies. These areas feature the most challenging terrain at Beaver Creek and therefore sees fewer skiers and snowboarders tracking the fresh powder.

Ditch the crowds

The Centennial Express lift is the most family-friendly lift in Beaver Creek, which also makes it the busiest one of all here. For advanced skiers and snowboarders, the runs off Grouse Mountain are the best for avoiding crowds as this area only offers black or double black diamond trails.

Non skiers

The Beaver Creek Village might be small but there's still plenty on offer for non-skiers. Beaver Creek is known for its pampering so why not check one of the many spas? If that's not high up on the non-skiing activities list then the Vilar Performing Arts Center offers everything from Broadway shows to epic ski movies from the late Warren Miller.

Families

As a purpose-built resort, the small and easy to navigate village along with the abundance of beginner and intermediate terrain make Beaver Creek an ideal ski destination for families. For families with different skiing abilities, the Centennial Express lift gives access to a variety of greens, blues, and blacks trails that all lead back to down to the village, making it easy to ride up together and then meet at the bottom.

Save up to 37% when you book a Beaver Creek package!

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Beaver Creek Reviews

Fabulous 4.5 / 5
based on 100 reviews

How well the resort caters for beginner skiers / boarders

Beginners

How well the resort caters for intermediate skiers / boarders?

Intermediates

How well the resort caters for advanced skiers / boarders

Advanced

How accessible and convenient it is to get to this resort from a major destination

Accessibility

Quality of the off-piste terrain

Side/Backcountry

Overall value for money of the resort

Value for money

Quality of lifts, lift speed and lift layout in the resort

Lifts

Quantity and quality of the snow

Snow

How uncrowded is the resort

Uncrowded

Après ski and dining options

Town

Services and facilities e.g. child care, tubing, health care, equipment hire

Facilities

How family friendly is this resort?

Family Friendliness
Good!3.9 / 5Nov 24, 2017
MGMatthew G.
expert snowboarder
Been enjoying Beaver creek since I was 2 years old! 5th generation born in Colorado!:) I'm to broke this season for a pass this would be epic;) the cookies and the trees are why I love the beav ... More
Very Good!4 / 5Nov 24, 2017
DJDaniel J.
expert snowboarder
The Beav! Fun but can get very crowded, as is with all Vail owned resorts. The one thing is they have higher prices than the rest of the CO owned places so at times you can miss some of the crowds that Vail and Breckenridge gets. If you get to the top early you can usually miss some of the crowds. Had killer parks that were EMPTY, but they may have... More
Fabulous!4.5 / 5Nov 21, 2017
CJCollin J.
advanced snowboarder
Beaver creek is a unique experience. It's the place to go if you have money to burn, or a girlfriend whose family has a condo that they'll let you stay in. The snow was good, and the spa at the Ritz Carlton was top tier.... More
Superb!4.8 / 5Nov 20, 2017
JFJessica F.
beginner snowboarder
Great! We love Avon and beaver creek but passes were too much this year. Hook me up lol. I'll still be up there with friends. It would be nice to get a pass as the buckaroo is helpfull for beginners ... More
Very Good!4 / 5Nov 20, 2017
BMBrad M.
advanced snowboarder
Best tree runs in all of Colorado and no one seems to ride them. We were still getting fresh tracks at 4pm and the quality of the powder was also second to none... More
Superb!4.6 / 5Nov 19, 2017
EBEric B.
expert skier
I grew up skiing at Vail and Beaver Creek. Beaver creak is by far the best resort in the state. From the cookies at 3:30 to the vast amount of family friendly activities. I will be teaching my son how to ski here for one reason and one reason only Family Friendly every day every night. ... More
Superb!4.8 / 5Nov 19, 2017
JFJoe F.
intermediate snowboarder
Fantastic! Great snow, great beginner areas and places to explore. Love arrowhead and bachelors gulch. Good snow. I need 30 words to submit so now I'm just bs-ing until that... More
Good!3.8 / 5Nov 18, 2017
JVJason V.
advanced snowboarder
I love the resort but it is starting to get more crowded recently. I has a wide variety of terrain and the village has a very cosy feel. Can't beat a ritz carlton on mountain either. I hope they continue to improve the resort but not over expand.... More
Fabulous!4.5 / 5Nov 17, 2017
JSJim S.
advanced skier
This is my go to resort. Most people will stop at Vail so of you're willing to make a little but longer drive you can get the same quality without all the crowds. Huge runs, wide open, nothing better.... More
Superb!4.9 / 5Nov 17, 2017
BJBrandon J.
advanced snowboarder
I visited Beaver Creek the season before last when the huge snow storm came in springtime and shut down the Denver Airport. I stayed for an entire week and skied for 4 days and absolutely love the variety of terrain the massiveness of the mountain and just overall the most beautiful scenic images I have ever seen in my life. Almost 2 feet of snow... More