Eldora

Terrain:

Eldora’s terrain is divided into four different sections and abilities. The furthest left side of the mountain is just for beginners and is the only area with green runs. This is the perfect place for beginners to learn because only beginners tend to ride in this area. Thus there is no pressure on people learning to ski or board. They can simply focus on practicing their new skill. 

Just right of the beginner area is the main section of the Woodward terrain park. Woodward in my experience makes some of the best and most creative parks in Colorado and are my favorite kind of parks to ride in. Eldora’s park has a great M/L jump line and a wide variety of rails and features for all park rider levels. If I just want to ski a park day, Eldora is one of my go to resorts. The park covers a few runs and there is an extra hike park at the base of Alpenglow Lift as well, which gives park riders a wide variety of options and features to choose from. The park crew also changes the features in the park quite regularly, so riders are not hitting the same features every single time they go to Eldora.

Then the terrain next to the park is for the intermediate skiers and boarders. This part of the resort is filled with blues and a few blacks here and there for intermediate skiers and boarders. These runs are mainly off of the Alpenglow and Indian Peaks lifts. Eldora is nestled in the front range area of Colorado, which means that there is not much snow and it is very windy so the runs can be icy and cold quite often.

The furthest right part of Eldora is aimed more for the advanced skiers and boarders. The runs off of Corona Lift are almost all blacks and double blacks. Again these runs tend to be more icy, like east coast skiing. Although, if you catch Eldora on a powder day and you’re lapping the Corona Lift, then head to Salto Glades for some fun tree runs. There are also some hidden cliff jumps that you’ll have to do some exploring to find near here. Overall, Eldora has something for every level of skier and boarder, packed into a smaller resort.

Base Elevation – 9,200 ft

Peak Elevation – 10,800 ft

Number of Lifts – 10

Number of Trails – 65

Total Terrain – 680 acres

Easiest Terrain (Greens) – 18%

More Difficult Terrain (Blues) – 43%

Most Difficult Terrain (Blacks)  – 18%

Expert Terrain (Double Blacks) – 20%

Resort Hours – Mon-Fri 9am-4pm and Sat-Sun 8:30am-4pm

Atmosphere and Locals:

Due to Eldora’s proximity to Boulder, the majority of the locals tend to be Colorado University of Boulder (CU) students and those who live in Boulder. There are also plenty of locals from the surrounding towns including Netherland and Ward. These are some true mountain people who like to ski here. In fact one of the infamous locals is called Coyote Carl who skis at Eldora almost every day. If you go to Eldora, look out for Coyote Carl, he will be easy to spot as he always wears various fur garments while he skis. Another local who skis at Eldora every morning before work, has been known to hand out stickers and they call him Mountain Man John; arguably the most famous local at Eldora.

In addition to the awesome locals, the lifties and park crew employees are super friendly and welcoming. They do a great job of making your experience at Eldora fun and safe. For those living in Boulder, Eldora is a fun place to get a few laps in before or after class and work.

Accessibility and Parking:

There is free parking at the base of the resort, but parking is limited. On very busy days at Eldora, they have been known to turn people away or have them park at the nearby school and bus people to the resort. I recommend getting there early on weekends if you want a good parking spot or arrive midday because more parking spots may be available. 

Eldora is 40 minutes away from Boulder through Boulder Canyon. Boulder Canyon often has construction going on, so prepare for some traffic on your way to the resort. This road is a classic winding mountain road, which can often be icey due to minimal sun exposure in the winter. Be careful and drive the speed limit!

Pricing: $$

Lift Tickets –

Adult Full Day (ages 16-69): $139

Junior (ages 5-15): $99

Child (4 & Under): $19

Senior (70+): $99

Active Duty Military: $79

Associated Season Pass – Ikon Pass, Power Pass

Lessons – 

Kids Lesson( 4-6 & 7-14): $219 

Private Lesson: $239 (2 Hours), $289 (3 Hours), $519 (4 Hours)

Friends & Family Private: $289 (2 Hours), $364 (3 Hours), $619 (5 Hours)

Adult Lesson (15+): $219 

Rentals – 

High Performance Ski Package: $69

High Performance Snowboard Package: $69

High Performance Skis: $54

High Performance Snowboard: $54

Sport Ski Package: $54

Sport Snowboard Package : $54

Skis only: $39

Sport Snowboard: $39

Child Sport Ski Package: $39

Child Sport Snowboard Package: $39

Child Sport Skis: $19

Child Sport Snowboard: $19

For more information visit https://www.eldora.com/