Copper Mountain Resort is located 75 miles west of Denver and 20 miles east of Vail right off Interstate 70. If you are coming from Denver in the winter, one of the advantages of the area is that you don’t have to cross over a second mountain pass (Vail Pass), as you do traveling to some of the resorts further east on I-70.
Copper Mountain is aptly named, as it’s history is steeped, like much of Colorado, in the mining days in the mid 1800 hundreds. A settlement was established in the area that is now Copper Mountain since it was located at a unique junction between the Gore and Ten Mile mountain ranges. There’s still a few old historic buildings scattered around the area, but they are dwarfed and hidden by the more recent development of the area over the past 30 years. As such, Copper is much more the modern resort community – if you are looking for a historic town, you’ll be disappointed.
But you won’t be disappointed by the new Copper Mountain – in fact, from all indications, it is probably the local Coloradoan’s favorite ski resort area. Copper is family friendly, and has activities galore – and with the recent multi-hundred millions spend on improvements and new developments, Copper Mountain is growing into a modern mountain village in its own right. You’ll definitely want to check out the new Village at Copper Mountain – a very compact village with restaurants, shops, and activities right at the base of the lifts.
One of the reasons Copper Mountain Resort is a great destination area because there is so much to do, and almost anyone can have fun because the activities are not limited to skiing or snow boarding. Copper has a wonderful winter alternative – snow tubing. Believe it or not, there is a lift that hauls you up the hill on your tube, and there are a variety of grades to suit everyone’s need for speed. You can choose to have a horse drawn sleigh ride, or a cowboy dinner in an authentic 18th century miner's tent. Some of the more unusual opportunities are to try some winter fishing in one of the Rocky Mountain’s crisp, clear streams, or if you are really daring, you can do tandem paragliding with a certified pilot over Copper’s fantastic mountain’s scenery. The last time we went skiing at Copper Mountain we saw 5 people parasailing, and it was a spectactular sight watching them cruise gently against the deep blue Colorado sky.
Of course, there’s always the other traditional winter alternatives such as snowshoeing, snowmobiling, cross country (Nordic) skiing, and hot-tubbing! If you’re looking for something a little warmer & indoors, there’s always the CopperCade (arcade) , the Athletic Club, or a swim in one of the pools.
