Colorado vs Utah – Where’s The Best Skiing?

September 27, 2022

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Colorado and Utah are often hailed as two of the best skiing destinations in the world. They are home to world class snow, long ski trails, and massive resorts that cater to every type of guest. With some of the most iconic resorts based in Colorado, is the question of where the better skiing is up for debate? We are going to judge these two states on 3 major points. Total ski resorts, total snowfall, and average season length.

Park City Ski Resort
Park City Ski Resort

Who Has The Most Ski Resorts?

Options matter! Depending on the type of skier or rider you are, you might want to avoid resorts with a large learning crowd or might be looking for pockets of untouched powder. Regardless, you want to be able to take your pick.

When looking at the totals, Colorado is the clear winner here with 34 compared to Utah’s 21. This is a relatively large difference and it gives skiers in Colorado an advantage in terms of how far you have to go for some snow. One key difference is Salt Lake City’s proximity, being less than an hour from world-class resorts like Park City.

With those additional resorts, Colorado is able to have more than double the trails and total ski lifts. CO is also home to the highest chairlift in North America, the Imperial Express Lift in Breckenridge at 12,840 feet.

Utah’s Total Ski Resorts
  • 21 ski resorts
  • 1,082 kilometers of trails
  • 152 ski lifts
Colorado’s Total Ski Resorts
  • 34 ski resorts
  • 2,436 kilometers of trails
  • 330 ski lifts
Colorado Ski Resort at Night
Colorado Ski Resort at Night

Total ski resort info was collected from skiresort.info

Who Gets The Most Snow Fall?

Snowfall is huge for skiing. It helps increase skiable terrain, helps lengthen the season, and improves the overall experience. Luckily, these two states have incredible snow that is far superior to anything you will find on these east coast.

Total snow is not as clear when it comes to a winner. While Colorado receives more snow on average Utah is home to some resorts that get absolutely hammered by winter storms. Utah’s Alta resort can receive 100 inches more than some of Colorado’s top like Wolf Creek.

When talking about snow totals we are going to focus on the resorts and not the state as a whole. This gives Utah a slight edge since their resorts can receive more snow overall.

Utah Snow Totals

Total Average – 40.99 inches

Alta Average – 547 inches

Colorado Snow Totals

Total Average – 67.30 inches

Wolf Creek Average – 430 inches

Snow Buried a Snowcat in Colorado
Snow Buried a Snowcat in Colorado

Ski totals collected from usa.com

Who Has The Longer Ski Season?

When skiing in both Utah and Colorado you will have similarly long seasons. They typically run from around November to April. However, Colorado tends to start a few weeks earlier and even had Keystone open in October in 2021. Colorado is also home to Arapahoe Basin, a resort that can often stay open well into June and sometimes July. If you’re looking for a great late season ski party, look no further. Check out their Gaper Day parties that happen every April 1st. Just be sure to reserve a spot for the best action but not necessarily the best skiing.

This one is a no-brainer, with Colorado being the clear winner due to the slightly longer season.

Skiing Colorado on the Chairlift
Colorado Chairlift with Skiers

Which state has the best skiing?

Colorado! – Hopefully you weren’t expecting anything else as this was as clear as it gets. Sure, Alta gets more snow, but what good is another 100 inches if the season is just as long or shorter than Colorado? Let’s be clear, these are both amazing destinations that everyone should check out if they are any bit an avid skier or snowboarder. If you are going for a first time to either, Park City is often rated as the best in Utah and is the largest in the US. In Colorado, Vail is often rated the highest and they own a majority of the major resorts. Copper Mountain is also a local favorite.

If you are making the trip to Colorado’s mountains for some skiing, check out this guide for things to do between Breckenridge and Denver.