Travel to Keystone with ski insurance from Essential Travel

Keystone’s famous night skiing, along with its proximity to Denver, explains why it’s the fourth most visited ski resort in the United States.

Home to four hotels and some 2,000 condominium rooms, Keystone ski resort also hosts the largest conference centre in the Rockies. The resort turns it on at night, with over 30 restaurants, bars, clubs, regular outdoor concerts and, of course, night skiing.

Keystone’s three mountains, Dercum, North Peak and The Outback provide a near endless assortment of different runs. Dercum offers wide, gentle runs for beginners and families; North Peak offers steep, challenging runs for the more advanced; while The Outback offers less crowded, tree-lined skiing. There are 24 lifts servicing 116 trails in total.

The official season runs from October through until June, with the first and last weeks of the season offering the cheapest rates. The most convenient way of getting here is via shuttle bus from Denver International Airport, 1 hour, 30 minutes east of Keystone via I-70.

Skiing in Keystone

Three majestic peaks, offering trails of varying difficulty and style with an area of 901 hectares in total, cater for skiers at Keystone, the largest resort in Summit County. The resort’s popularity lies in its accessibility, range of facilities, and awesome night skiing.

There are 116 trails, with a longest run of 4,828m. Twelve per cent of the runs are rated easy, 29 per cent intermediate, five per cent difficult, and 54 per cent are for experts only. Up to 24 lifts are available during peak times; while snowmaking facilities cover around 243 hectares. The Cross Country Center maintains 16kms of prepared trails and 57kms of ungroomed trails through White River National Forest. In addition to the three mountains accessible from the Keystone Village base area, a fourth peak, known as Arapahoe Basin, is a 10-minute shuttle ride up Loveland Pass.

The ski season runs from October until June, with the best conditions occurring from around December until March/April. The cheapest time to go is from April 3 until close, while bargains can also be had from opening until November 23. The most convenient option for getting here is to take the Colorado Mountain Express, which provides a door-to-door service between the resort and Denver International Airport.

Après-ski in Keystone

Lodging ranges from budget to luxury; while the resort’s myriad restaurants include the award-winning Keystone Ranch. Extensive shopping is also on offer, with everything from gift boutiques to outdoor gear stores. The kids will enjoy the Glow Bug Skate Night, while mountaintop gondola rides, a fitness centre and indoor tennis provide an enjoyable alternative to skiing.

A short drive to the west is the town of Frisco, bordered by the shores of Lake Dillon and offering diverse shopping and dining; its snow season is famous for overnight dumps of snow followed by sunny, azure skies. Lying not far northwest is Silverthorne, best known for its 70 brand-name factory stores – a shopper’s paradise.

Recent investment has drastically improved the resort’s dining and nightlife options to complement the town’s festivals, outdoor concerts, and night skiing. Keystone is also home to the largest outdoor maintained ice-skating facility in the United States. Also on offer are sleigh rides, snowmobile rentals, tubing, snow biking, wine tasting and indoor tennis.

Keystone ski resort provides all the modern facilities you’ll ever need on your winter escape, including accommodation to suit all budgets, cuisine from around the world, extensive shopping, ski hire and lessons; while its state-of-the-art conference and meeting facilities are among the largest in the United States.

Transportation to Keystone

Keystone ski resort is an easy drive from Denver (1 hour, 30 minutes on I-70) and the resorts of Avon and Vail, while an express door-to-door shuttle service to and from Denver International Airport means you can take in the stunning views instead of watching the road.

Denver International Airport is one of the busiest in the world, servicing flights from all major US cities as well as direct connections to and from London Heathrow Airport with British Airways. From the airport, you can take an express shuttle service direct to the slopes of Keystone resort; alternatively, you can hire a car and drive yourself. Chauffeured transport from Denver International and Eagle County Airport is also available.

Amtrak offers train service to Denver from around the country; from the station, you can transfer to the resort via car. Greyhound Lines offers bus connections to Silverthorne transfer station, from where it is necessary to catch the free Summit Stage to Keystone.

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