Arapahoe Basin
Arapahoe Basin ski area, or A-Basin as its otherwise referred to is a ski resort that is located high in the mountains of Summit County, Colorado. The resort first opened to the public in 1946 and has been operating for 75 years. Whilst the resort is known globally for its challenging inbounds expert terrain there is something for everyone at Arapahoe Basin.
Thanks to its high altitude which ranges from 10,780ft to 13,050ft Arapahoe Basin is known for being home to one of the longest ski seasons each year in North America. Arapahoe Basin will typically open as soon as possible in October and then remain open as long as possible which sometimes sees the resort operating into June, depending if the resort has seen above or below the average 350” of snowfall during the season. Arapahoe Basin has a total skiable footprint of 1,428 acres which isn’t huge for Colorado but when 73% of your terrain is Advanced and Expert it changes the perspective quite a bit.
At Arapahoe Basin you will find 145 marked trails which range from beginner all the way through to expert difficulty plus the resort has an impressive vertical descent of 2,270 ft or 771m, that is of course from the summit of the expert only hike to terrain. If you are to look at the “normal” vertical dop of Arapahoe Basin its 1,687ft or 514m which is from the summit of the Zuma lift back down to the base, of course you can ride this whole descent in one trip.
Arapahoe Basin is home to 9 lifts in total which range from high speed 6 person and 4 person lifts, some fixed grip quads, a double lift and a collection of t-bars and magic carpets. The most famous chairlift at Arapahoe Basin would be the Pallavicini Double which exclusively serves access to 26 marked expert trails as well as access point to The Steep Gullies.
Unlike many of the other mega resorts in Colorado you will not find a central town, village or really anything at the Arapahoe Basin base other than the A-Frame Base Lodge which houses a few stores for rental and tuning, restaurants and also the parking lots. Arapahoe Basin is not all about the glitz, its about the skiing and riding. Those looking for the best accommodation options for Arapahoe Basin would be best to look at the village at Keystone resort, which is just down the road, or better yet you can stay down in Silverthorne, Dillon or Frisco which will all have a range of accommodation options plus the required amenities for a great ski holiday.
Arapahoe Basin Live Cams
Stay informed of the current snow conditions at Arapahoe Basin ski area with our collection of shots from the Arapahoe Basin web cam. These cams are positioned all over the resort and are updated live every few minutes.
If you want to check out the snow depth, see how much fresh snow has fallen during the latest storm or see if it will be a bluebird day check out the Arapahoe Basin web cams below.
Arapahoe Basin Web Cam | Summit
This Arapahoe Basin web cam is located at mid mountain and looks back towards the summit and the legendary East Wall.
Elevation: 12,447ft (3,794m)
Arapahoe Basin Lift System
Arapahoe Basin Resort Stats
- Summit Elevation: ft / m
- Base Elevation: ft / m
- Vertical Drop: ft / m
- Beginner: %
- Intermediate: %
- Advanced: %
- Expert: %
- Number of Runs:
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- Avg Annual Snowfall: " / ft / cm
- Resort terrain: acres / ha
- Pass Type:
Seasons
OPENING AND CLOSING DATES -
The official opening and closing dates for , CO for current and past seasons. These dates are subject to change at Ski Resort discretion based on weather and snowfall. Estimated dates are based on historical averages or advice from the resort and retrieved from the resort website.| Season | Opening | Closing |
|---|---|---|
| 23/24 | ||
| 22/23 | ||
| 21/22 | ||
| 20/21 | ||
| 19/20 | ||
| 18/19 | ||
| 17/18 | ||
| 16/17 | ||
| 15/16 | ||
| 14/15 |
*Closed early due to COVID-19
Where is Arapahoe Basin Ski Area?
Arapahoe Basin is tucked deep into the front range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains which is situated on the Continental Divide. The ski resort is on the side of Highway 6 which connects from Loveland Pass through to the nearby Colorado towns of Keystone and Dillon. Coming into the resort from the aforementioned towns is an easier drive than over from Loveland Pass especially during winter storms.
On a typical traffic day Arapahoe Basin can be accessed from Silverthorne in around 20-25 minutes and from Denver the drive will take typically 1.5 - 2 hours depending on how busy I-70 is operating at. Fold in a powder day on a weekend and it’s known for I-70 to become a parking lot with the drive taking anywhere from 3-6 hours.
Distance and time to Arapahoe Basin Ski Area
From Silverthorne: 13 miles / 25 minutes
From Vail: 43 miles / 50 minutes
From Denver: 65 miles / 1. 5 - 2 hours
From Salt Lake City: 470 miles / 7.5 - 8 hours
Driving in the winter season in Colorado always comes with its risk as the mountains and the snow are the ones in charge, its recommended that you drive to your ability, have a 4WD with snow tyres and pack extra fuel, blankets, food, and water in case you get stuck in a storm, which is not uncommon in the peak of winter.
Arapahoe Basin Snow News
The 23/24 winter season was the polar opposite to the 22/23 season in by way of the fact that there was far less snowfall across the whole country. We take a look at which resorts in United States saw the largest snowfall during the 23/24 winter season. All the total snowfall reports have been taken directly from the ski resort websites as of the 25th of April 2024.