As one of the closest major ski resorts to the Denver area, Keystone's appeal lies as much in its slopes as in its convenience. Don't let that fool you into a one-day visit however. The resort's night time skiing options are some of the best in the country, making it well worth an overnight stay. In peak season, catch the sunset and ski until 9 p.m. in Colorado's only night park – and one of the country's largest. Keystone boasts the longest ski day in Colorado, giving lazy late risers ample time on the slopes and ski enthusiasts over five extra hours of ski time on their lift ticket. Below its three towering peaks, the Keystone resort village surrounds a picturesque frozen lake, ideal for ice skating and a great option for kids. Keystone's convenience, beginning level slopes and wide services make it a common pick for families, so be prepared for little ones zooming down the slopes.
The peaks, each located behind the other, include Dercum, North Peak and The Outback. Dercum is full of beginner and intermediate terrain and has some expert glades on the back. The peak has a few cruiser runs (Paymaster, Wild Irishman, Frenchman, and Flying Dutchman) that have excellent twists and natural steeps. The other peaks just have blue and black terrain, and the most challenging terrain is on The Outback, with a variety of open bowls, trails, and glades; including two short black-diamond bowls only a 10-minute hike from the peaks summit. North Peak is not as wild as The Outback, but a great area for working on steeps and technique, including black-diamond bump runs. Keystones steeps are mainly moguled, which may be a downside for advanced snowboarders. But the night-riding and top-rated terrain park, A51, tend to compensate. The park features a challenging 18-foot superpipe in the expert area and a number of rails and funboxes.
22 lifts including 5 surface lifts, 12 chair lifts and 2 gondolas.
$$$$ (Very Expensive)116 runs - 19% beginner, 32% intermediate, 49% expert. Longest run is 18,480 feet.
18 km of Cross Country trails.
Mountain Statistics: 3,128 feet vertical drop, 12,200 feet summit elevation, 1,861 acres, average annual accumulation 230 inches.