Ski and Snowboard Slopes Near Highlands Ranch, Colorado

If you love to ski or snowboard, you know access and amenities will make or break your day on the mountain. If you're looking for a great ski resort near Highlands Ranch homes for sale, you’re in luck. Echo Mountain, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, and Eldora Mountain Resort are within convenient reach of Highlands Ranch and offer some of the best value and experiences in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.

Located near Idaho Springs, guests of Echo Mountain enjoy some of the best scenery on the Front Range while still being close to major metropolitan areas. The crisp mountain air, lush forests, and snow-capped peaks are ideal for outdoor enthusiasts.

Echo Mountain’s highest point is at 10,400’, providing excellent views of nearby Denver. Famous for its skiing and snowboarding (offered day and night), Echo Mountain is an especially great spot for beginners and intermediates—though there are runs for advanced skiers and boarders, too. Echo Mountain’s resort does, however, bill itself as a “mostly intermediate mountain,” and the resort warns that their Green Circle runs are more advanced than beginner runs at other resorts. Tickets must be purchased online before your visit — you cannot purchase them on the same day.

Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, or “A-Basin” as it’s commonly known, is one of Colorado's highest elevation skiing and snowboarding options. The resort is perfect for skiing and snowboarding in the spring and sits adjacent to Loveland Pass on U.S. Highway 6.

Skiers and snowboarders looking at homes for sale in Highlands Ranch are sure to enjoy A-Basin for its high elevation runs. In fact, it's the fourth-highest resort mountain in North America, at 13,050’ with a base elevation of 10,780’. With over 1,400 acres of terrain along the Continental Divide, A-Basin is popular with the advanced and expert skiing crowd due to 75% of the landscape marked as black or double-black. Beginners are still welcome, and all visitors benefit from the runs down both sides of the mountain, which usually guarantees at least one side of excellent turns per day. Note that lift tickets must be purchased in advance.

It takes about an hour to get to Arapahoe Basin Ski Area from Highland Ranch. Arapahoe Basin Ski Area has plenty to offer aside from the slopes if you're not a skier. In the spring, it’s not uncommon to see folks picnicking at the tables in the parking lot while watching skiers having fun on the mountain. The summer months are great for enjoying the area’s Aerial Adventure Park, hiking, mountain biking, or disc golf.

Another great option for skiing or snowboarding near Highlands Ranch real estate is Eldora Mountain Resort. Eldora Mountain Resort is approximately 60 miles from the Highland Ranch neighborhood and sits along the east side of the Rocky Mountains in the Roosevelt National Forest. It’s near the ghost town of Eldora, for which the ski resort is named.

Eldora Mountain Resort was founded by Gabo Cseh and friends, who formed the Lake Eldora Corporation. The resort expanded in the 1990s, which saw the addition of multiple chairlifts to help ferry skiers up the mountain. With ten chairs, lift lines are usually kept to a minimum.

Eldora Mountain Resort offers 61 runs across eight terrain parks for all skill levels—from absolute beginner to expert. With 18% of the mountain devoted to beginners and 48% to intermediate snowboarders and skiers, it’s unsurprising this resort is a fantastic place to learn. The resort is popular with cross-country skiers for its 25 miles of groomed trails. The highest point on the mountain is at 10,600’. Depending on weather conditions, Eldora Mountain Resort is open from mid-November through mid-April. Eldora Mountain Resort lift passes can be purchased online.

Eldora Mountain is just a 90-minute drive from Highland Ranch homes for sale, but as one of the smaller resorts in the area, parking is limited on weekends—though visitors can easily find parking on weekdays. When you're not skiing at Eldora Mountain Resort, there are many other things to do. The town of Nederland is a short drive away and offers a variety of restaurants, shops, the Carousel of Happiness, and a movie theater. You can also go hiking or snowshoeing.

For those looking to list or purchase Highland Ranch homes for sale, reach out to trusted local realtor Brian Grimm for expert guidance. Let Brian find your next dream home in beautiful Douglas County!