The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Arapahoe Basin's summit reaches 13,050 feet, dropping 2,530 vertical feet to a base at 10,518 feet across 147 runs spread over 1,428 acres near Dillon, Colorado. Terrain splits 49 per cent advanced, 24 per cent expert, 20 per cent intermediate and 7 per cent beginner, with average annual snowfall of roughly 350 inches. The resort carries Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective affiliation. Eight lifts, including four quad chairs and one six-person chair, serve the mountain alongside one double chair, two surface lifts and one t-bar.
Arapahoe Basin, affectionately known as The Legend, holds the distinction of being the first ski area to open in Colorado after the Second World War, and its genuinely high-alpine, largely above-treeline terrain has built a devoted following among serious skiers. The resort markets Colorado's longest season, often stretching from late October into June.
10th Mountain Division veterans Larry Jump and Sandy Schauffler, hired to survey Colorado's winter sports potential, founded A-Basin, with Jump investing his life savings of 25,000 US dollars. Local forestry professor Max Dercum and his wife Edna, who also owned Colorado's oldest guest ranch, the Ski Tip Ranch, joined the effort alongside Thor Groswold and Dick Durrance, purchasing an 80-acre parcel for 3,000 US dollars and opening the resort in December 1946 with a single mid-mountain rope tow after just five months of preparation.
A-Basin was sold in 1972 to Joe Jankovsky, then to Ralston Purina in 1978, before Vail Resorts purchased the resort in 1996. Department of Justice antitrust action forced Vail to divest a year later, and Dundee Resort Development of Canada, now known as DREAM, acquired A-Basin in 1997. Adult daily tickets run from 79 to 139 US dollars depending on weekday or weekend timing.
2,530ft
Vertical
147
Runs
1,428 acres
Skiable
29ft
Annual snow
Ikon / Mountain Collective
Pass
The Terrain
147 runs across 1,428 acres skiable
Arapahoe Basin spreads 147 runs across 1,428 acres skiable of terrain. It leans advanced at 49%, with 10 beginner runs to find your feet and 107 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
147
runs
147 runs across 4 grades
Beginner10 runs · 7%
Intermediate29 runs · 20%
Advanced72 runs · 49%
Expert35 runs · 24%
Time it right
When to visit Arapahoe Basin
The 2025-26 season at Arapahoe Basin ran from 25 October 2025 to 14 June 2026, an exceptionally long roughly thirty-three-week season, among the longest in Colorado, supported by average annual snowfall of around 350 inches. This marketed longest season reflects the resort's considerable elevation and reliable early and late-season conditions.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to A-Basin's advanced-and-expert-weighted terrain. As an Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective resort, A-Basin draws substantial visitation from pass holders alongside dedicated local skiers seeking its genuinely high-alpine character and famously late spring skiing season.
The resort's above-treeline terrain and Montezuma Bowl expansion continue to draw experienced skiers throughout the season, particularly during the extended spring period when few other Colorado resorts remain open. School holiday periods bring some family visitation, though the resort's advanced-weighted terrain skews its visitor base toward more experienced skiers.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Since Dundee Resort Development's 1997 acquisition, A-Basin has continued building on nearly eight decades of history since its December 1946 founding as Colorado's first post-war ski area. The Legend's long season and high-alpine terrain remain central to its identity each year.
Season 2025 - 2026
25 Oct 2025
Opens
14 June 2026
Closes
232
Days open
29 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Arapahoe Basin, and where to stay
Arapahoe Basin sits near Dillon, Colorado, along the Continental Divide, with a base elevation of 10,518 feet and a summit at 13,050 feet across a 2,530-foot vertical drop over 1,428 acres. This considerable elevation places A-Basin among the highest-elevation ski areas in North America.
Dillon and the broader Summit County region offer substantial lodging, dining and services within a short drive of the resort. Denver, Colorado's largest city, lies within a reasonable drive as well, making A-Basin a popular day-trip destination for Front Range skiers.
US Highway 6 provides direct access to the resort over Loveland Pass. Winter driving conditions on this high-mountain route can include significant snow and ice, and travellers should carry appropriate equipment given the pass's considerable elevation. There is no direct public transport service to the resort, though regional shuttle options connect from Summit County.
Denver International Airport, roughly a two-hour drive away, is the primary gateway for visitors flying into Colorado, with A-Basin's proximity to Denver supporting strong day-trip and weekend visitation from the metropolitan area.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Arapahoe Basin, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.
4 Sept 2026
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured
An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.
28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do
A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.
27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September
Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.
26 Aug 2026
Arapahoe Basin Webcams
6 live angles across the mountain. Tap any camera to go full-screen.
About Arapahoe Basin's live webcams
Check live conditions across Arapahoe Basin with 6 real-time webcams showing snow, weather, and lift operations, updated every 10 minutes. Check high-elevation cams for powder visibility and base-area cams for crowd levels before you head up.
Camera guide
- Arapahoe Basin Snow Stake12,448ft
- Monitor fresh powder accumulation at Colorado's highest ski area with this essential Arapahoe Basin webcam positioned at 3794 meters elevation. This A-Basin live cam focuses directly on the official snow stake, providing precise 24-hour snowfall measurements essential for planning your adventure on The Legend's 1,428 acres of challenging terrain. Perfect for powder hunters tracking conditions at this legendary Arapahoe Basin resort that often operates until July 4th, this live snow cam delivers the crucial data needed to time your visit for optimal skiing on some of North America's most extreme slopes.
- Mountain Goat Plaza Base Area10,856ft
- Experience the bustling heart of A-Basin's operations from this strategically positioned Arapahoe Basin webcam at the Mountain Goat Plaza at 3309 meters elevation. This essential Arapahoe Basin live cam captures the resort's single base area and Black Mountain Express lift loading zone, where skiers and riders prepare for their ascent to the famous mid-mountain terrain. Monitor current conditions and crowd levels through this Arapahoe Basin web cam, perfect for timing your arrival at Colorado's legendary high-altitude destination that consistently delivers some of the state's most reliable snow conditions.
- Arapahoe Basin Summit12,448ft
- Witness breathtaking alpine perspectives from A-Basin's Snow Plume Refuge with this summit Arapahoe Basin webcam at 3794 meters elevation. This remarkable Arapahoe Basin live cam showcases the infamous East Wall - home to some of North America's most challenging expert terrain - giving advanced skiers a preview of the steep chutes and technical lines that define The Legend. Essential for assessing upper mountain conditions, this live snow cam reveals why Arapahoe Basin's reputation for extreme skiing was earned through decades of legendary descents on Colorado's most demanding slopes.
- Black Mountain Lodge Mid-Mountain11,545ft
- Survey mid-mountain conditions from the popular Black Mountain Lodge with this strategic Arapahoe Basin webcam positioned at 3519 meters elevation. This Arapahoe Basin web cam offers stunning views of upper-mountain terrain served by the Lenawee Express, providing crucial visibility across A-Basin's expert-only East Wall territory. Monitor live conditions through this Arapahoe Basin live cam where the resort's reputation for extreme skiing was forged, perfect for expert skiers planning their assault on some of Colorado's most challenging descents.
- Montezuma Bowl12,448ft
- Discover A-Basin's spectacular back country through this south-facing Arapahoe Basin webcam at 3794 meters elevation. This essential Arapahoe Basin live cam reveals conditions in Montezuma Bowl - affectionately known as 'Zuma' to locals - while offering spectacular views toward the 10 Mile Mountain Range. Perfect for checking coverage in this beloved powder playground that helped extend A-Basin's skiable acreage, this Arapahoe Basin web cam shows why this back bowl terrain attracts powder hounds from across Colorado seeking fresh lines long after storms have passed.
- Pali + Molly Lifts10,856ft
- Witness the dramatic contrast of Colorado skiing through this dual-purpose Arapahoe Basin webcam at 3309 meters capturing both the legendary Pallavicini double chair and the beginner-friendly Molly Hogan lift. Watch as experts load the iconic 'Pali' lift to access nearly all of A-Basin's extreme terrain, while newcomers find their snow legs on Molly Hogan. This strategic Arapahoe Basin live cam showcases how this historic resort serves everyone from first-timers to professional athletes, making it a unique destination where all ability levels can experience authentic Colorado skiing at altitude.
Arapahoe Basin snow cams FAQ
How often do Arapahoe Basin snow cams update?
All Arapahoe Basin snow cams and webcams update every 10 minutes with fresh images showing current mountain conditions. This frequent update schedule ensures you have access to near real-time conditions for planning your ski day at Arapahoe Basin.
Which Arapahoe Basin webcam shows the best powder conditions?
The high-elevation Arapahoe Basin Snow Stake webcam at 3,794m provides the clearest view of powder conditions and snowfall. These Arapahoe Basin webcams capture fresh snow accumulation and visibility better than base area cameras.
Can I see Arapahoe Basin lift queues on the webcams?
Yes. Multiple Arapahoe Basin snow cams specifically show lift queue areas and chairlift operations, helping you time your arrival and avoid peak queue periods.
When is the best time to check Arapahoe Basin snow cams?
Check Arapahoe Basin webcams early morning (7-8am) for overnight snowfall assessment, and mid-afternoon for current crowd levels and weather. The live cams are most useful after storm events to assess fresh powder.
How can I check current conditions before buying Arapahoe Basin lift tickets?
Use our Arapahoe Basin webcams alongside the live snow report to assess conditions before purchasing lift tickets. The webcams show real-time visibility, snow quality, and operational status.
Do Arapahoe Basin webcams work on mobile devices?
Yes. All Arapahoe Basin snow cams and webcams are optimized for mobile viewing, so you can check live conditions from anywhere using your phone or tablet.
More Arapahoe Basin intelligence: snow report, lift tickets, trail map, resort overview.