The Ultimate Beaver Creek Ski Mountain Guide
Beaver Creek is one of the premier skiing destinations in Colorado. Skiing in general is known for its high price tag, but Beaver Creek specifically gets a rep for being a more exclusive, expensive spot than its neighbor Vail.
However, we’ve found that Beaver Creek really isn’t all that much more expensive than some of the other Colorado Resorts, Vail included. We love to ski, but don’t have an enormous budget to plan a luxury ski trip every year. We’ve learned some essential tips to keep costs down so we can enjoy our vacation without worrying as much about the expense.
We love Beaver Creek. It tends to be on the quieter side as far as ski resorts go. We don’t find ourselves waiting in as long of lift lines as Vail and it’s just a more intimate experience overall since it is a smaller mountain.
This guide will help you plan your Beaver Creek trip so you can keep costs as low as possible. We’ve included some of our favorite places to stay, an overview of the mountain, where to eat and our best tips and tricks to have the best time without breaking the bank.
Heads up: Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you book at no cost to you. We only link to stays and experiences we'd actually choose for ourselves.
Where to Stay
In almost every situation, staying “on mountain” is going to set you back more than staying in a nearby town. When we first started going skiing as a couple, we did our best to find bare bones lodging in town rather than on the mountain due to where our finances were at the time. Over time, we migrated closer to the mountain. The following locations are just a few good options for the Beaver Creek area which are relatively inexpensive when compared to the rest.
Beaver Creek
The Pines Lodge
This spots close to Beaver Creek Village have been around for a while and feel more like condos than hotel rooms. There’s a rustic feel to them. The rooms are comfy enough but aren’t going to knock your socks off. For that, you’ll likely need to spend the equivalent of a mortgage payment each night at the Ritz Carlton. The Pines Lodge has a variety of king and queen rooms.
Avon
Westin Riverfront
The Westin Riverfront was built around 15 years ago and is an excellent mid-tier option. Though it’s technically in Avon (which neighbors Beaver Creek mountain), the gondola right out the back door makes this hotel feel ski-in/ski-out. We stayed here on our last trip to Beaver Creek and really enjoyed our stay. The convenience of the gondola plus the hotel’s ski valet right inside the door made the whole experience so easy. We also loved the infinity hot tubs to soak in after a day on the slopes.
The Christie Lodge
The most economical option (without slumming it) is the Christie Lodge. This is a large hotel with many of the comforts you’d expect but it’s definitely not fancy. We stayed here on our first trip to Beaver Creek and it met all of our needs. The rooms are styled in your rustic mountain lodge style plus we had a small kitchenette if we wanted to cook anything. It’s located in the heart of Avon and requires a short bus ride up to the base of Beaver Creek Mountain. The bus arrives frequently though.
Getting There
As Kansas Citians, we can always save money by road tripping it. Of course, that is not always possible if you live further away, but if you are within driving distance we definitely recommend it. It’s still a 10 hour drive for us, but we find it is worth the money saved.
If at all possible, your trip should be planned for weekdays. When the Colorado weekend crowd is leaving, you should be going. The traffic on I-70 can go from bad to hellish in a matter of minutes. Though it’s typically just under two hours to get from Denver to Beaver Creek, give yourself more time and always check the weather. Your journey on I-70 will ascend to more than 10,000 feet on two occasions (Loveland Pass and Vail Pass) and the weather can be unpredictable.
Lift Tickets & Rentals
Proactive planning means a day on the slopes could cost you $100 instead of $300. It’s an absolute must to sign up for Epic Rewards and purchase your “Epic Day Pass” well in advance. We typically plan our ski trips 4-6 months in advance. Epic typically starts increasing prices the closer you get to the season with cheapest lift tickets being obtained prior to Labor Day.
Along with cheaper lift tickets, you’ll also be able to find discounts and promotions for your lodging as well as on-mountain food. Here’s the catch. An Epic Day Pass has some blackout dates (MLK Day, Presidents Day, Christmas/NY and mid-March for Spring Break), but we wouldn’t recommend going on those dates anyways. You’ll find lodging exorbitantly expensive during these dates and the slopes will be packed.
You are also locking yourself into a ski trip knowing there’s a possibility for a bad snow season. The new reality is that you can’t assume the whole mountain will be open due to rising temperatures and lower snowfall. This is why we like to shoot for a late February trip.
If you’re renting skis or a snowboard, we strongly recommend picking up your gear in or around Denver before you get too far into the mountains. The prices are much more reasonable than what you’d get in any mountain town. Our go to in the past was Larson’s Ski & Sport just west of Denver right off of I-70. They have reasonable prices and good customer service.
The Mountain
Grouse Mountain
Grouse Mountain is the area of Beaver Creek you go to if you're an advanced skier looking for a challenge or to get away from the crowds. The lift serves only advanced terrain (though there is a Black run called Raven Ridge which is typically groomed and not much harder than a typical Blue) so plan accordingly if your ski partners need an easier way down.
Larkspur and Rose Bowls
Much of Beaver Creek’s runs are flanked by dense forest and not all that wide. The primary Blue runs of Larkspur and Rose Bowl give you plenty of space to explore the slope. If you’re lucky enough to get fresh snow during your visit, make one of these bowl areas your first destination.
McCoy Park
McCoy Park is a newer addition to the mountain and is the place to go if you’re a beginner. Unlike the boring Green runs at the bottom of the slope, McCoy Park is located higher up on the mountain and is a much more enjoyable skiing experience due to the length of the runs and scenery.
Bachelor Gulch and Arrowhead
Off to the right side of the map are Bachelor Gulch and Arrowhead. The two areas have a good variety of terrain but where they both shine is with intermediate terrain. The crowds are usually a little more manageable on this side of the mountain so it’s easy to fit in a lot of laps. Beware of warm weather though. When the sun's out and the temperature is above freezing, the snow gets slushy much quicker on this side of the mountain.
Birds of Prey World Cup Downhill
Based on the fact that Beaver Creek is not known for its expert terrain and is more of a family friendly resort, you might be surprised to know it’s home to one of the more technically challenging downhill courses on the World Cup circuit.
Golden Eagle is a long (sporadically groomed) double black that’s perfect for advanced skiers looking for a challenge. You can enter the run from either the top of the Birds of Prey Express Lift or (if you’re more daring) start at the very top of the mountain off the Cinch Express lift. Don’t be fooled by the Green start to Golden Eagle. The steepest part of the run is located immediately after the upper Green portion of the run and is typically a sheet of ice.
Where to Eat
We’ve found our favorite places to eat are actually located in the surrounding towns about a 10-15 minute drive away. Whether you are looking for a casual spot to satiate your appetite after a long day on the mountain or a more romantic setting with elevated cocktails we’ve got a couple of great picks to end your day.
The Rose
This small cafe style restaurant along the riverwalk in Edwards has a small but mighty menu. The cocktails are good and the atmosphere is intimate, but not stuffy. The menu rotates but their Bahn Mi and Ramen have been on there each of our three visits and never disappoints.
Craftsman Brew Co.
When that craving for a burger inevitably hits, you’ll want to go to Craftsman in Edwards. The fries are great as well and there are plenty of good drink options. We loved the lively atmosphere and enjoyed sitting at the bar where you could see into the kitchen.
Final Thoughts
Don’t discount a ski vacation just due to the price point. There are definitely ways you can find to save money. While it’s still going to be on the higher end of vacations, if you plan in advance and utilize the right deals you’ll find it might not be as expensive as you thought.
Be flexible with your dates and you’ll find even more opportunity for saving money. We often just open up the calendar for wherever we want to stay and look for the cheapest prices. It may not be the exact time you want to go, but you may find it’s worth it to keep costs down and also fight less crowds on the slopes.
Happy skiing!
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