Winter Travel Guide: Steamboat Springs
Steamboat Springs isn’t known for its rowdy terrain, fancy restaurants, or rocking nightlife. What it is known for is snow—and lots of it.
Tucked into a corner in Northwest Colorado between the Flattops, Elkheads, and Rabbit Ears ranges, Steamboat traps storms until they’ve dropped feet upon feet of what the resort has trademarked “Champagne” powder. The terrain is suited for it, too, with glades stuffed with secret alleys you could spend a lifetime discovering. The steeps are legitimately steep (albeit painfully short), but most of the mountain is mellow enough to send it through blower pow and then disappear into the trees when the open runs get tracked.
But the best thing about Steamboat is that it’s still a real town where people live and work. While the locals grumble about the creeping poshness, but they’ll happily share their secret stashes and chat in the lift line. It’s rare, and it’s real.
Ready to plan your trip? Here's where to ski, après, eat, and sleep—and repeat.
Where to Ski
Intermediate
For the blue-square groomer set, head straight up the newish Wild Blue Gondola to access the aptly named Sunshine terrain. This south-facing zone has lovely rolling blues like Sunshine Liftline and Flintlock, and even some trees on the side where aspiring experts can practice their off-piste skills. Don’t miss Buddy’s Run off Storm Peak (be sure to pole-tap the statue of local Olympic legend Buddy Werner at the top for good luck) and Vagabond off of Thunderhead.
Advanced
Groomed doesn’t necessarily mean easy. Three O’Clock, Rolex, West Side, and Concentration are all usually freshly pressed and steep enough to make your eyes water, even in goggles. For those who want low-consequence trees, Longhorn, off of the Pony Express, has mellow shots to dip in and out of all along skier’s right. Triangle 3 off of Storm Peak also boasts perfectly spaced trees; they may be bumped up, but they’re north-facing so the snow stays chalky.
Expert
If it’s a powder day, Closets and Shadows off the top of Sunshine Peak is a never-ending playground of powdery trees. You can lap this all day and never ski the same line twice. For steeps, the Chutes off of Morningside are awesome but short, with the runout being the longest (and slowest) part, and the Morningside liftline can be brutal (you’ve been warned). For a little more vert, hike up to the top of Mt. Werner and hit Christmas Tree Bowl, No Names, North St. Pats, and East Face, where you’ll find some small cliffs to drop if that’s your thing. For even more adventure, head to Mahogany Ridge, Steamboat’s newest terrain pod. Here you’ll find tight trees, cliff drops, and a long traverse back, depending on where you go.
Where to Après
While no trip to Steamboat would be complete without a stop at the rowdy T-Bar, an old patrol shack turned bar, there are certainly some more relaxing spots to quaff a pint. Storm Peak, Steamboat locals’ favorite brew pub, recently opened a taproom and kitchen at the “Bus Stop” location at the base of the mountain. If you want an upscale vibe, hit Truffle Pig or Saddles, located in the Sheridan. Come spring, order beers at the Slopeside bar and bring them out to the Adirondack chairs outside.
Where to Eat
After the lifts stop spinning, most of the dining action happens in town—with the exception of Steamboat’s finest restaurant, Café Diva, which is right at the base of the mountain. Run by award-winning chef Kate Rench, it features carefully crafted dishes that are thoughtful yet never pretentious. Produce grown by small family farms, premium meats, and sustainably sourced seafood elevate every dish—you just can’t go wrong.
The Laundry, on the west side of town, is another local favorite. Housed in a cozy historic brick building that used to be a dry cleaning business from 1910-1977, it serves killer cocktails and creative dishes, like crispy rice flour shrimp with spicy aioli and pickled ginger or fried chicken with pickles and citrus basil ranch. Don’t miss the blue claw crab dip and bison carpaccio for starters.
For tapas with a mountain twist, head to Besame on Lincoln Avenue. The bar area in the front is the coziest spot as long as you don’t mind high tops, so be sure to note that in your reservation. Favorite dishes there include sweet plantains, gyoza al pastor, and mussels in a coconut cream broth with saffron, lemongrass, and kafir lime.
On the more casual side, Mazolla’s serves up Steamboats best Italian fare, Vaqueros dishes authentic Mexican, and Salt & Lime offers “progressive” Mexican.
Where to Stay
Most of the hotels and condos are located on the mountain side of town, which is convenient for obvious reasons. A free bus runs back and forth at regular intervals (every 10-20 minutes, depending on the route), so getting around is easy and you won’t have to look for parking. If you prefer to stay in town, the classic Rabbit Ears Motel and the Hotel Bristol are both walking distance to everything.
Regardless of whether you stay at the mountain or in town, the beauty of this place is that everything is within a roughly 15-minute radius. Which means you have more time to enjoy the reason you came: the snow. Go get it.
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Article by Kimberly Beekman
Kimberly Beekman is the former editor-in-chief of the late, great Skiing Magazine (RIP), and a longtime editor of SKI Magazine before that. She currently uses the title of “freelancer” as a beard to ski powder all over the world. She lives in Steamboat, Colorado, with her wonderful daughter and terrible cat.
