Colorado, renowned for its majestic mountains and world-class ski resorts, is a paradise for skiers of all levels. For those starting their skiing journey, finding the best beginner skiing in Colorado is crucial for a great experience.
This guide highlights some of the best green runs in Colorado, offering new skiers a chance to hone their skills while enjoying breathtaking views and fun features.
Beaver Creek: A Beginner’s Dream
Beaver Creek is a haven for beginners, offering a range of green runs with some of the best groomed snow, that are perfect for those looking to progress from greens to blues.
- McCoy Park: At the top of the Strawberry Park Express and Upper Beaver Creek Mountain Express lifts, you'll find incredible views, a mellow bowl-like environment, and the perfect terrain for progression. All designed specifically with beginners in mind.
- Cabin Fever: Starting at the top of Bachelor Gulch Express lift, take a right and wander into the woods on a perfectly smooth slope that eventually opens into a sea of glades, speckled with small jumps and fun forest tributaries. As the slope widens, the pitch steepens, going from green to blue before flattening and finishing in front of the Ritz-Carlton.
- Intertwine: This is one of the longest trails on the mountain and is the go-to run for a scenic tour of Beaver Creek’s woods. Starting from the top of Bachelor Gulch Express Lift, it’s a flat, tree-lined path that meanders under the Elkhorn and Strawberry Park Express lifts, finishing at the quieter side of Beaver Creek Village.
- Red Buffalo: Tucked into the top corner of the resort at nearly 11,500 feet, Red Buffalo offers serene views and often untouched corduroy. Accessible from the top of Red Buffalo Express Lift, it’s a wide, gentle slope perfect for beginners seeking tranquility and beauty. It also includes Jack Rabbit Alley, a favorite set of tree adventure trails for children.
Breckenridge: Where Beginners Thrive
Over it's Five Peaks, Breckenridge has terrain to challenge everyone. Among those, some of the most family-friendly slopes and green runs in Colorado, Breckenridge is great for beginner for beginners.
- Frontier: Ideal for first timers, on Peak 9, it’s located under Ten Mile Station—just take a right off of the Quicksilver SuperChair. It passes by Ripperoo’s forest—a magical ski adventure for kids, flecked with ski-through teepees and back-to-back whoopty-doos.
- Red Rover: Also accessed from the top of Quicksilver SuperChair—this time, take a left of the top, pass Ten Mile Station, and pass the base of Falcon SuperChair. Red Rover is a peaceful, tree-lined run that crosses the busier parts of Peak 9, offering a steeper pitch, wider lane and access to A-Chair, Peak 8 Superconnect, and Beaver Run.
- Twister: A quiet run, located on Peak 8, alongside the Goldrunner Coaster, Twister starts at the top of the Snowflake lift, offering a mild and peaceful cruise perfect for beginners.
Keystone: Family Skiing at Its Best
Keystone’s Schoolmarm and Endeavor runs are ideal for families and beginners, with gentle slopes and fun features. For those seeking to learn, Keystone tops the list for beginning skiers and snowboarders.
- Schoolmarm: Designated a family ski zone, Keystone’s Schoolmarm is the ideal place for any type of ski or snowboard lesson, private, group or self-taught. Spanning the full length of Dercum Mountain—2,000-plus vertical feet—it winds down from the Summit House, offering access to tree trails with skiable, teepees, and forest adventures, before finishing at the Mountain House base area.
- Endeavor: The first section of Endeavor even has a “magic carpet ride,” that gently transports you up to the top of the slope. Short but adventurous, Endeavor features beginner-friendly detours along the forest boundary. Murphy’s Mine is also nearby—a short twisty trail that takes you along a sparsely forested route right through a tunnel. And there is always Scout, if you're looking for a little more of a slope with a real chairlift.
Vail: Beginner-Friendly Slopes in a Vast Terrain
Vail’s Sourdough, Lost Boy, and Swingsville runs offer beginners the chance to experience skiing in a vast, diverse terrain.
- Sourdough: One of the best-kept secrets for beginners and families wanting a quiet corner of Vail’s vast terrain to call their own. A quiet run with a gentle pitch, features great snow and fewer crowds. Just take Timberline Catwalk from Mountain Top to Sourdough Express Lift (Chair 14). It’s a solid green, until the last 50 yards of Whiskey Jack, which is a more challenging steep face that returns to the base of Chair 14.
- Lost Boy: Named after a 14-year-old Eagle Scout who lost his way on the mountain in 1964, this delightfully long green run tours the top perimeter of Game Creek Bowl. Follow the trail for a vast, cruising highway, with exits to blue and black runs if you’re feeling it. By the way, getting lost would be difficult these days.
- Swingsville: Accessible from Mountain Top—where chairs 4,5, and 11 converge—Swingsville is a broad beginner ridgeline expressway, featuring a consistent pitch, a few islands of pines, and a handful of hidden tree trails.
Colorado's top ski resorts offer some of the best beginner skiing in the Colorado Rockies. With green runs that cater to all introductory levels, you’ll be sure to find the perfect slope to start your skiing journey at any one of these resorts.
Whether it’s the serene trails of Vail or the family-friendly runs of Keystone, each resort has something special for beginner skiers looking to improve their skills and find adventure in the mountains.