Howelsen Hill Ski Area

This has been a proving ground for both Alpine and Nordic competitors for many years. I was fortunate to spend some time with “Moose” Barrows on the hill, a true gentleman. If you get a chance to visit in the winter, head to Howelsen Hill to watch the ski jumpers. Priceless!

Great value, lots of fun for kids of all ages. Note that everyone must ride in their own tube. I got all the way to the top with my granddaughter expecting to have her ride with me and was told she had to ride by herself. Had to ask the staff to watch her while I went down to get a second tube. Please get larger tubes so that small kids can ride with parents. Water parks do this and it works well.

This has so many cool biking and hiking trails in the summer! As well as free concerts on Saturdays in the summer as well. Great vibes!

Excellent place to learn to ski with friendly staff and good food to eat while resting. I haven't skied much but I wanted to give it another shot and learn from my friend who is local to the area. This ski area isn't overly crowded and is less intimidating than the more popular ski areas. The lifts are well maintained and the ski runs are fun yet manageable. Overall great place to learn and hone your skiing skills.

Nice place to visit. Tubing was fun and reasonable. Enjoyed that it used to be not over crowded here and my daughter was able to teach my grandson how to snowboard. Food is ok. A warmed up hot dog in the microwave and chips.

Lady at the counter was playing games. We showed up at 2 for snowboarding, and she told me the hill for snowboarding specifically closes at 4, which is fine. I asked her about skiing, and she said hill closes at 7. We went back to exchange the equipment, go back to the hill only for her to tell me they close everything at 7, and she said they close on 7 on Friday? I never asked about Friday, why is she claiming she said gave me Friday’s hours. Online hours are inaccurate. No one picks up the phone, and the lady at the front desk is straight out rude. My sister flew in from Chicago, my husband and I drove from California for 3 days just to snowboard. She ruined our entire trip. Even when I was salon for help she was giving me sass and attitude. Never coming here again

What an amazing place! My son had an absolute blast learning to ski. The experience was made even better with delicious cookies and hot cocoa. The Hawlsen Ski Free Sunday program is such a wonderful gift—it’s incredible to have the opportunity to try skiing while only paying for the rental. Highly recommend!

Yesterday, I decided to try out Housen Hill Ski Ramp, a more budget-friendly alternative to the pricier Steamboat Resort. As a skiing enthusiast, I was curious to see how it stacked up, and despite a few hiccups, it proved to be a worthwhile experience that I’d recommend, especially for families. Atmosphere and Experience Housen Hill has a welcoming, laid-back vibe that feels like skiing with a tight-knit community. The staff and fellow skiers were kind and approachable, adding to the charm of the place. It’s not as polished or grand as larger resorts, but it has its own appeal, offering a cozy and unpretentious environment. One unexpected setback was the malfunction of the main lift to the top of the mountain. It was a bit frustrating to switch to an alternative lift, which turned out to be quite challenging to navigate. I even had a less-than-graceful fall while attempting to use it—definitely not my finest moment! That said, I appreciated the resilience of the staff who worked hard to keep things moving despite the breakdown. Skiing Highlights Once I made it to the top, the effort was well worth it. I managed to enjoy the mile-long trail twice, and it was pure bliss. The snow conditions were excellent—smooth, fast, and perfect for an exhilarating ride. Even without the high-end amenities of larger resorts, Housen Hill delivered an authentic skiing experience that felt just as rewarding. Family-Friendly Perks Housen Hill is an amazing spot for families, and this is where it truly shines. Kids ski free every day, and they offer free skiing for everyone on Sundays—a rare and thoughtful touch that makes skiing accessible to all. Families looking to introduce their children to skiing without breaking the bank will find this a fantastic option. Pricing Perhaps the biggest advantage of Housen Hill is the price. Compared to Steamboat Resort, it’s significantly more affordable without sacrificing the joy of skiing. While there’s room for improvement in terms of guidance and infrastructure, the price point makes these issues easier to overlook. Final Thoughts Housen Hill Ski Ramp may not have the bells and whistles of high-end resorts, but it has heart and affordability on its side. With excellent snow, welcoming people, and unbeatable family-friendly deals, it’s a fantastic choice for a fun and budget-conscious day on the slopes. Just be prepared for some minor inconveniences and a bit of adventure getting to the top! Recommendation: If you’re looking for an affordable ski spot with good snow and a relaxed atmosphere, Housen Hill is worth a visit. Families, in particular, will love the free skiing options for kids and Sundays. I’ll certainly be back—but next time, I’ll be better prepared for those tricky lift alternatives!

Tubing was ok. Nowhere near as good as Yeehaw at Saddleback Ranch. Long wait lines. They put too many mats down to slow your tube. I only made it to the bottom of the run 1 out of 4 times in an hour. Then had to walk a long way back to magic carpet lift.

Great place to learn. All the way to the right of the ski hill there is a magic carpet. This will save your back from having to carry your child half way down why not at the end of the day. My daughter loves looping this magic carpet. Sundays are free for all! Just remember to get your ticket in the lodge.

We made reservations to go visit Howelsen today for a group of teens and a couple of adults. 6 of the folks opted to go downhill skiing and the other 2 went x country skiing. You need to display your pass regardless what you opt to use. Currently reservations are only for 2 hours each because of covid. The reservations were easy to make, but needed to be made about a week in advance. Steamboat just got fresh snow over the weekend and the snow and powder were great today! There was hardly anyone on the slopes for our time slot of 10 to noon but there was definitely a lot of cars showing up when we were leaving for the noon to 2 slot. The 6 who did the downshill skiing had a great time. And the 2 that tried the cross country skiing also had a great time. The xcountry ski paths however once you got higher up were not super well marked. We got lost and stuck on an endless sea of loops at the top. There were several other areas that there were forks and no signs. So be sure that you are watching where you are going so you dont end up somewhere you dont want to be. There is also no mileage listed on the cross country ski trails. They are groomed though. they have all levels of ski trails and it was quite lovely. We had sunshine weather and not much wind. What a beautiful place to ski!

This attraction is a must do while in Steamboat Springs. The kids had so much fun coming down and the staff are absolutely wonderful. Great way to enjoy some spectacular views while having a blast.

We didn't get to ski here but we definitely will be coming back to ski soon. We did stop by and visit the area and it's such a great low key place to enjoy away from all the hustle and bustle and tourists. Doesn't get very busy as the other hills in the area. And... all the wonderful olympians we've had have trained here too!! Has a lot of history at this place. Also if you want to grab a bite to eat or a beer after, go to the brewery afterwards!

I stopped by here on Saturday mornign before going on a hike and this is a one-stop shop for active people. The guy at the front desk was very helpful and knowledgeable of things to do in the area and gave me directions on where to go. Clean restrooms and a snack bar! The parking lot is huge so you shouldn't have any issues with parking too.

While skiing Steamboat, we got to share a chairlift with a local who gave us some tips on the area. We wanted to take a little break from the hardcore sessions we had been doing and this seemed like an opportunity to explore around. This is a small but steep hill with 2 lifts and a small lodge. It is run by the city and is home to their Ski Club. This is where they farm and cultivate this area's winter athletes. Kids are brought here after school where they ski, snowboard, cross country ski or ice skate. This place even has an official long ski jump training facility which is not open to the public. It was fun watching all these little tykes tear it up with no fear, definitely Olympic material. On the weekdays, if you get there before 4 pm (before the kids get there) you will have a whole hill to yourself. There will only be 1 lift running however and it is not a chair. Its a pomma lift, where you get towed by grabbing onto this pole and somewhat sit on it. It was strange at first but I got used to it after a couple of times. Great fresh powder, zero lines to get up and all for a whopping $7. We skied from 2-4pm and we almost got 20 runs in before the kids got there and we were tired. Not bad for what we planned as a "half day" after partying heavily the night before. The little lodge also bakes fresh cookies in a little home oven and the aroma after coming in from the snow is absolutely irresistible. For a little over a buck you can turn yourself into one of those little kids with frosty cheeks and smeared chocolate chips around the mouth. If that's not 5 star material then I don't know what is.

I love this place, great skiing conditions. Wonderful service. theres always some powder to shred. There aren't that many runs to ski but they do have a ton of xc skiing trails. open really in the season.

Greatest place to be a kid or adult on earth. Enough said. Ok Yelp wants more- Alpine skiing, Cross Country skiing, ski jumping, terrain park, riding, tubing, cheap food, trail running, mountain biking, BMX track, tennis, Rodeo, alpine slide, ball fields, sand volleyball, skate park, Ice skating rink, playgrounds, BBQ / picnic areas, horse rides, fireworks, horseshoe pits, free summer concerts, most productive training center for the Olympics in the country, greatest city park on earth!

A premier ski training facility, very close to downtown. Alpine slide in summer. Jump training now occurs year-round.

Was a little disappointed with the service that we got from here. The first time we stopped in we asked about tubing and prices. We were told tubing didn't start until 4:30pm -8pm and that they ran 1hr sessions. It was 3:30pm when we first arrived. We decided to go eat and come back. The second time we arrived it was 6:10pm and we were told they were done with tubing for the night. As could imagine we were disappointed. I wish they would have told us we needed to be there at 4:30 of we planed on having a chance to actually tube. They never said anything about it closing early. So it looks like a lot of fun but make sure to ask questions if you're planning to do anything.