Cruise the Skies Above Colorado Ski Country

Do you prefer to see beautiful vistas and mountain resorts from above? Seeking the adrenaline rush of the bird’s eye view? Colorado Ski Country resorts are offering you the chance to rise above the resort and cruise the skies this summer.

Mountain Coasters

One of the most exhilarating ways to see Colorado mountains from above – and from high speed – is a ride on a Mountain Coaster. These alpine coasters take you on a wild ride of spins, dips and soaring heights that will take you high above the forest floor.

• Aspen Snowmass’ Breathtaker Alpine Coaster takes riders through over a mile of forest on an elevated track at speeds of up to 28mph.
• Copper Mountain’s Rocky Mountain Coaster is 5,800 feet long, making it one of the longest in North America, and descends 430 vertical feet on an average grade of 10.9 percent.
• Purgatory Resort’s Inferno Mountain Coaster, coming this summer, will zoom passengers through nine switchbacks, one 360-degree circle and multiple dips while covering over 300 vertical feet.
• Steamboat Resort’s Outlaw Mountain Coaster is the longest coaster in North America at more than 6,280 linear feet. The track near Christie Peak Express descends more than 400 vertical feet, rises to 40 feet above the ground and features dips, waves, turns and 360-degree circles.

Scenic Chairlift and Gondola Rides

Scenic chairlift and gondola rides, just as breathtaking and beautiful in the summer as they are in the winter, are another great way to take in the scenery of Colorado’s resorts from above.

• Arapahoe Basin offers scenic chairlift rides on Black Mountain Express lift to mid-mountain on Saturdays and Sundays all summer.
• Aspen Snowmass provides scenic rides on the Silver Queen Gondola at Aspen Mountain and on the Elk Camp Gondola and Chairlift at Snowmass.
• Crested Butte Mountain Resort has daily scenic rides on the Red Lady Express and the Silver Queen Express.
• Powderhorn Mountain Resort encourages guests to ride the ride the Flat Top Flyer for access to hiking and beautiful mountain vistas.
• At Purgatory Resort, guests can enjoy a scenic chairlift ride on Lift 1 or Lift 4. Ride round-trip or hop off at the top and enjoy the breathtaking views of the San Juan Mountains.
• Steamboat Resort offers scenic gondola rides on the eight-passenger gondola to the Oasis Sundeck.
• The Telluride/Mountain Village gondola is one-of-a-kind transportation system – the first and only free public transportation system of its kind in the United States. This 8-mile, 13-minute ride the ride offers incredible 365-degree views of the San Juan mountains.
• Winter Park Resort has a two-part scenic chairlift journey: Start on the Gemini Lift and take a short hike over to the Eskimo Lift, which will take you all the way up to an elevation of 10,700 feet.

Zip Lining

There are few activities in the world more exhilarating than zip lining. The thrill of zooming through the air at high speeds can be experienced at several Colorado ski resorts:

• Located in Aspen Snowmass’ Lost Forest, the Canopy Run Zipline Tour invites guests to soar above Snowmass with seven ziplines, three sky bridges, three rappels, and platforms mounted in the trees themselves.
• Get ready to scream across Copper Mountain’s West Lake on the two-person over-water zip line, reaching speeds up to 30 mph.
• Crested Butte’s summer zipline tours fly high above the base area with five ziplines ranging in length from 120 – 400 feet connected by features such as suspended wood bridges and towering platforms.
• Purgatory Resort’s zipline gives visitors the chance to plunge off the Purgatory Village Tower and glide the length of a football field at speeds up to 35 mph.
• Steamboat Zipline Adventures, hidden away in a valley just minutes from downtown Steamboat Springs, let you take to the skies for an exhilarating zipline activity.

Obstacle Courses and Adventure Zones

• Aspen Snowmass’ Lost Forest, tucked in among the trees and rocks at Elk Camp on Snowmass Mountain, features several aerial activities include the Treeline Trial Challenge Course, the Rugged Ascent Climbing Wall and more opportunities to see the beauty of Aspen Snowmass from above.
• Copper Mountain’s outdoor ninja obstacle course, The WreckTangle, features nine different sections of unique and fun-filled obstacles to conquer including cargo nets, balance beams, rope swings and more. Copper also offers guests the challenge of Colorado’s largest outdoor climbing wall.
•  Crested Butte’s Adventure Park features many opportunities to get airborne including the Zero Gravity BagJump, a bungy jumping trampoline, a rock climbing wall and more.
• Purgatory Resort offers a wide variety of activities designed to get your feet off the ground including a bungee trampoline, a challenging ropes course, a climbing wall, a big airbag jump and a bounce house.
• Located in Steamboat Resort’s base area, The Land Up includes the Kilimanjaro Climbing Wall, the Challenge Ropes Course, Boomerang Bungee Trampolines and a Flubber Kid’s Bounce House for guests who want to soar into the air during their visit.
• Telluride invites guests to push themselves to new heights on the suspended ropes course or tackle the bungee trampoline for an adrenaline-filled activity.

Hot Air Ballooning and Paragliding

If ballooning or paragliding is on your bucket list, some Colorado ski resorts are happy to help you check it off. Soar way above the resort and take in panoramic views with these activities designed for thrill seekers.

• Experience the thrill and freedom of flight with paragliding and hot air balloon tours at Aspen Snowmass.
• See Steamboat Resort from the clouds in a once-in-a-lifetime experience with Hot Air Balloon Tours offered by Wild West Hot Air Balloon Adventures. Steamboat also offers custom Helicopter Tours.
• Telluride offers thrilling Tandem Paragliding for guests seeking the adrenaline rush of soaring the breathtaking San Juan Mountains.