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Arapahoe Basin resort snow
Lat Long: 39.64° N 105.87° W
Ski USA - Colorado

Arapahoe Basin Resort Reviews

Weather Forecast for Arapahoe Basin at 3544 m altitude

Issued: 5 pm 07 May 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Next snow in Arapahoe Basin: 0.7 cm on Thu 7th  (after 9 PM)

Visitor reviews for Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort

Arapahoe Basin Ratings

Overall: 3.6. Based on 14 votes and 3 reviews.

Rate this resort

Snowsure: 4.9

  • Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing
  • Is often closed due to a lack of snow
  • Occasionally suffers from a lack of snow
  • Rarely suffers from a lack of snow
  • Arapahoe Basin is snowsure even in the poorest seasons

Variety of pistes: 5.0

  • The ski runs are featureless and unvaried
  • The ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week
  • Arapahoe Basin has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain

Off-piste: 4.2

  • No off-piste worth mentioning
  • Off piste is out-of-bounds
  • Some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days
  • A vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days

Scenery: 4.2

  • An ugly resort in a bland setting
  • Average mountain views and resort
  • A spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town

Access: 4.0

  • At least one overnight stop
  • Requires a whole day
  • Requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns
  • Arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon
  • There is a main airport within an hour of Arapahoe Basin

Public Transport: 3.0

  • There are no buses or taxis to Arapahoe Basin
  • There are slow or infrequent buses / trains available
  • Getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections

Accommodation: 3.2

  • No places to stay in/near Arapahoe Basin
  • A few places to stay in the resort
  • A wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets

Cheap Rooms: 3.0

  • No budget accommodation available
  • Just one or two hostels so book ahead
  • Several cheap hostels and pensions available

Luxury Hotels: 1.0

  • No luxury accommodation available
  • Just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead
  • Several up-market hotels in Arapahoe Basin

Ski in/Ski out: 3.8

  • The ski area is located far from any accommodation
  • A free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip
  • Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available

Childcare: 4.0

  • There are no child care facilities at Arapahoe Basin
  • The resort has limited child-care facilities
  • the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche

Snowmaking: 3.9

  • Arapahoe Basin relies entirely on natural snow
  • There are just a few snow cannons
  • There are snowmaking facilities on all pistes

Snow Grooming: 4.2

  • There are no snow groomers at Arapahoe Basin
  • Occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state
  • All the runs at Arapahoe Basin are groomed daily

Shelter: 4.7

  • There is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut
  • There are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close
  • Arapahoe Basin is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close

Nearby options: 1.8

  • If snow conditions are poor at Arapahoe Basin, it will be poor everywhere nearby
  • There are good alternatives within an hours drive
  • Other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions

Regional rating: 5.0

  • Arapahoe Basin usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region
  • Has average conditions for the region
  • Usually has the best snow conditions in the region

Lift Staff: 5.0

  • The staff at Arapahoe Basin are rude or unhelpful
  • Lift staff at Arapahoe Basin are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help

Crowds/Queues: 3.5

  • The resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues
  • It is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays
  • It is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare

Ski Schools: 3.2

  • No ski schools available
  • One or two ski schools but local language only
  • A few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors
  • Plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available
  • Excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors

Hire and Repairs: 4.2

  • Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex
  • There are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance
  • Good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible

Beginners: 2.8

  • Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard
  • A few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week
  • Vast areas of gentle terrain

Intermediates: 3.8

  • No intermediate terrain at Arapahoe Basin
  • Intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days
  • Vast areas of cruising runs

Advanced: 4.9

  • Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders
  • Enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste
  • Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week

Snow Park: 3.5

  • Not even a kicker at Arapahoe Basin
  • Average sized park quite well looked after
  • Huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails

Cross-country: 2.3

  • There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Arapahoe Basin
  • There are some cross country trails available
  • The area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails

Luge/Toboggan: 1.3

  • No designated luge or toboggan runs
  • There are toboggan runs that open quite often
  • Arapahoe Basin has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages

Mountain Dining: 4.8

  • Nowhere to buy food by the pistes
  • Some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive
  • There is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets

Eating: 4.7

  • Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop
  • There are a few places to eat in the resort but nothing special
  • A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants

Apres-Ski: 2.3

  • Nothing to do, not even a bar
  • There are a few bars in the resort but nothing special
  • Clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere

Other Sports: 1.2

  • No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts
  • Resort has just a small public swimming pool
  • Resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool

Entertainment: 1.2

  • Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here
  • The non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week
  • The resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports

Winter Walks: 1.5

  • Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails
  • A couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails
  • Extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities

Ski Pass Value: 4.8

  • A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available
  • The ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts
  • Ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area

Value (National): 5.0

  • Overall, Arapahoe Basin is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money
  • Overall represents average value for money
  • Overall offers the best value resort in the country

Value (Global): 5.0

  • Overall, Arapahoe Basin is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world
  • Overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries
  • Internationally the resort offers excellent value for money

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November 04, 2016
Duncan Cullman from Ski USA - California USA - California
Area is open but I have to hitchhike there from my motel (I am a destination tourist). Flew here and the shuttle bus does not start until Thanksgiving. It's Nov 4th so I give it two stars out of five.
May 16, 2015
Chris from Ski USA - California USA - California
A-Basin is a great resort that gets the best late season snow in Colorado, due to its high altitude 10,800 to 13,050. There are some good groomed runs, but most of the resort is steeps with bumps, bowls, trees, chutes and powdery hike to steeps. You can also traverse to fresh snow if you know where to go and are on your game. Skiing at A-Basin will make you a better skier if you are willing to put in the effort. The ski school, for all ages and skills, is excellent. Breakfast and lunch are great and very reasonably priced. Get there early on a powder day (lifts turn at 0830) because the parking lot will fill up. The best terrain is accessed via a hike called the North Pole. Try to have a way to carry your skis on your back and use your poles to help you climb. Completing this hike of about 500 ft of vert will reward you with deep powder, on challenging runs, that has been made safe by ski patrol. For me, the soul of skiing in Colorado is A-Basin. My two best powder days of the year were in April and May at A-Basin.
February 04, 2006
Derek from Ski USA - California USA - California
A-Basin is phenomenal for intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders!! I've ridden most of Summit County and still consider this place the best of them all. Great terrain all over the place!!! You can access a ton of really fun terrains by any lift. If you're up for a steep bowl, just get off the main lift and strap on your snowshoes! There's a great trail to the left that leads right up to a peak. This is great, steep and deep if you're up for it. Bomb the fresh snow or carve out some giant flowing curves. Very smooth ride. And if you're not up to it, at least you can watch others brave it in full view from the lift. In the Spring, a ton of locals just hang out in the parking lot and barbeque! It's like a beach party. In fact, they call the front part of the lot...what else?? THE BEACH! Kegs and foosball are a local delight on those beautiful Spring days. So pack 'em up and move 'em out! This place is usually open until July 4!!!!!