Skiing in July in Colorado

Can you ski in Colorado in July?

No, not in any normal sense. By July every Colorado ski resort has closed for the season, the lifts are stopped, and the snow has melted off all but the highest shaded couloirs. The state's traditional last resort standing, Arapahoe Basin, is renowned for Colorado's longest season and has on rare big snow years pushed all the way to a July 4 closing, but even in good years it typically wraps up in late May or June, and in recent low snow years it has closed well before July.

What remains in July is backcountry only and for experts. A few permanent and near permanent high snowfields in the mountains hold patches of snow into summer, and dedicated ski mountaineers hike to earn a handful of turns on them, but this is a strenuous, hazardous, no lift pursuit with real avalanche and rockfall risk, not a resort day. For all practical purposes, lift served skiing in Colorado is over until autumn.

What happens to Colorado ski resorts in July?

July is full summer in the Colorado high country, and the resorts have transformed. The same mountains run lift served hiking and mountain biking, alpine slides, scenic gondola rides and festivals, and the resort towns are at their warm, green, lively summer peak. Wildflowers carpet the high meadows, the days are long and warm, and the mountains that carry the winter crowds become superb summer playgrounds.

For a skier, July is the off season to plan around rather than ski. It is, however, the time when resorts promote next season's passes and early deals, so the practical ski value of July lies in booking a winter trip while early pass pricing is live, then enjoying the mountains in their summer form on the same visit. The high altitude that makes Colorado such reliable winter snow country is also why July evenings stay cool and the air feels thin and fresh, so a summer scouting trip doubles as a gentle way to acclimatize before you commit to a hard skiing week at the same elevation later in the year.

When does the Colorado ski season actually start and end?

Colorado runs one of the longest seasons in the country, just not into July. The first lifts spin in October, when high areas such as Arapahoe Basin and Loveland race to open on an early top to bottom ribbon of snow, the major resorts roll out through November, and the whole state is open by mid December. At the other end, most resorts close through April, with a few high areas hanging on into May and Arapahoe Basin usually the very last, into late May or June.

So the season effectively runs October to early summer, with the deepest, most reliable snow in January and February and the best all round spring conditions, sun, soft snow and low prices, in late March and April. July sits squarely in the gap between close and reopen.

What should you do in Colorado in July instead of skiing?

July is one of the best months to be in the Colorado mountains, just on foot or two wheels rather than skis. Hiking among wildflowers, mountain biking lift served trails, fly fishing, riding scenic gondolas and exploring the festival filled resort towns are all at their summer peak, with long warm days and cool high altitude evenings. The high terrain is spectacular and far less crowded with skiers than in winter.

For the ski focused, the productive play is to treat a July mountain trip as scouting and booking: enjoy the summer, scope the resort and lodging, and lock in a winter or spring week while early season pass deals are live. Save the actual skiing for the October to April window when the lifts are running and the snow is real.

July in Colorado: the case for and against

Where to ski in Colorado in July

For July we would point you first at these, each with our full review:

• Arapahoe Basin. Colorado's longest season resort that has historically skied to July 4 in rare big snow years, though it usually closes by late May or June, and the first to watch reopening in autumn.
• Breckenridge. Closed for skiing in July, but a high resort with a lively summer town worth booking now for an early opening winter trip.
• Winter Park. Closed in July for skiing, but an easy reached resort from Denver with strong summer mountain biking, ideal to scout and book for winter.

Common questions