Keystone Deals & Travel Info
Keystone is often overshadowed by the reputations of its neighbors like Arapahoe Basin and Breckenridge. The skiing here is enjoyable by people with all levels of experience, although it does not have a reputation for extreme skiing. Families and beginners will stick to the front side of Dercum Mountain. Others will set the goal of getting over the top of the first mountain, onto North Peak, and heading further towards the back to find good snow among the trees. The Outback is aptly named, and this is the farthest mountain away from the base area.
The hike-to terrain that rises above the peaks of Keystone is relatively unintimidating compared to other resorts in Colorado. If you are hiking with your friends on a sunny Colorado day, you will likely find just as much enjoyment here as you would anywhere else. The area above The Outback is high in the mountains and far away from anything, so finding your way back here is a fun goal for your day of skiing at Keystone.
Keystone Ski Resort Highlights
One of the only major ski resorts with night skiing in Colorado and within easy driving distance of Breckenridge, Arapahoe Basin, Copper Mountain, and also Loveland. Many people will spread their vacation across these resorts, with Keystone and Breckenridge being the two most popular (both are Vail Resorts properties and the others are not).
- Night skiing
- 4 ski areas nearby
- Area 51 Terrain Park
- The Outback
Getting to Keystone
You can get to Keystone by taking Highway 6 from either side of the Continental Divide. Keystone is about a 15-minute drive from Silverthorne and 20 minutes from Frisco.
Most travelers that are flying here will fly into the Denver International Airport. The Eagle County airport is a bit closer, but there are far fewer flights into that airport. Driving to Keystone from DIA takes just under two hours, and driving here from the Eagle airport will save about 30 minutes.
Keystone, CO FAQ
Yes, it is world class. Area 51 is a fun park because it has a large number of features in the same area and a chairlift that is dedicated to serving the terrain park. This makes for a fun park atmosphere, and the large jump line is usually going to be placed right under the lift for spectators to enjoy.
Only the front side of Dercum Mountain is open at night and not all the trails will be open.
Both have top-notch terrain parks. Beginners will have more exploring to do across Breckenridge’s peaks than at Keystone, where all of the beginner terrain is found on the front-side of Dercum Mountain. The hike-to terrain at Breckenridge is a bit tougher, and the environment is also much windier on the high peaks there.
Go for the River Run Gondola Lot. This is huge and still free as of last check. If it overflows, follow the line of parked cars to the end. Parking is usually OK at Keystone, but no matter what you will be hiking through the pedestrian village to get to the lifts if you park in the main lot… not a big deal in the morning but at the end of the day it is a trek that you could often do without.
Parking at the Mountain House base area is easier, but there is less parking available. The paid parking at Mountain House must be approached on West Keystone Rd from Rt. 6. The free parking can be accessed from the same entry road as the River Run lot.
Tips for Skiing & Riding Keystone
Head towards the back for maximum Colorado. The farther you get away from the base area, the more of a real Colorado mountain experience you will enjoy. There is great skiing in the back with lots of trees and semi-challenging terrain, but nothing too extreme and a lot of stuff that is relatively tame.
Night skiing in Colorado is not like the east coast. The temperature drops off much more at night here and you can plan on it being freezing cold. The gondola does run at night, but the night skiing here is not as popular as you might think. The ski club environment does not exist here like it does on weeknights on the east coast.
Try hiking for your turns once. While this may seem incredibly unattractive at a resort full of lift-served terrain, this is a unique experience that you will enjoy if you are visiting from outside of Colorado with friends or family. Keystone’s hiking terrain is probably as mild as it gets and if there is deep snow you will be wishing it was steeper because it is just too slow.