Ski Cooper

We had a GREAT time at Ski Cooper this week. There was a lack of snow all over Colorado, we were staying near Vail and Beaver Creek, and happily made the 45 mins drive here for 3 straight days. The drive is beautiful, but be warned it can be scary if you are not use to driving in the Rocky’s. If you are driving up from Leadville/Buena Vista, that drive is very easy and not scary. There was plenty of snow on this mountain due to the high elevation. It even snowed at Ski Cooper on Christmas Day which made it so magical for us (was only raining in Vail & Beaver Creek). Ski Cooper has wonderful bunny slopes and green trails for beginners. They have much more difficult terrain as well, something for everyone. I LOVED it here! I felt at ease, it wasn’t crowded, the runs were so wide, just tons of room. Everyone was so nice and encouraging. I can’t stress enough how amazing spending time here was for our family. It was just the perfect place for us and this will be MY spot to bring my family for many years to come. Their bunny slope was the most comfortable spot to fall and to not feel incredibly ridiculous and out of place. On our last day there I had decided to get a hamburger, but I went too late, the kitchen was closed. When I was walking out the door I was stopped by a gentleman who worked there. He said he saw me looking and that although the kitchen was closed, he scrounged up a cheese sandwich and wanted me to have it to eat! I was so moved by this, it was beyond thoughtful. And FYI, their entire menu is incredibly affordable, I wish I had been in there sooner and would have eaten here daily! This entire facility is staffed with excellent people, everyone is so friendly and made us feel at home. We had not skied in 8 years (all complete ski novices as well). My 12 and 14 yo kids wanted to learn to snowboard, so my husband and I decided to attempt it as well (42 husb & 45 me). We took lessons with Mike. He did such a wonderful job. Words can’t adequately describe how amazing he was, we really lucked out. My kids and husband were picking it up rather quickly, I needed a lot of help (I am NOT in shape at all). He was so encouraging and cheered for us! Mike was so patient, he made the experience of busting our bums for 2 hours a lot of FUN. He is a great teacher for all ages and ability levels. My 14 yo son was ready to quit after day 1, frustrated that he was as having issues standing up, however we didn’t let him quit. We got both kids another lesson with Mike on day 2, and it helped tremendously. It was just what he needed, by day 3 he was the best snowboarder in our group. My son is not in any sports, has never been a very athletic kid, Mike whipped him into shape so fast. That extra lesson made all of the difference for him, it sparked confidence and a desire to keep snowboarding! I 100% recommend private lessons with Mike for anyone that wants to learn snowboarding the right way (he also teaches skiing). He’s super knowledgeable, friendly, encouraging, and was able to get us to the point where my husband and kids were making it down the bunny slope alone on day 2. If you don’t ski or snowboard, please take lessons, it makes all of the difference! And to top it all off, the view coming down the mountain is gorgeous (snow peaked caps!). Thank you Ski Cooper and Mike for making this a very memorable Christmas trip for my family! This is my 1st time ever reviewing something on google…so that should tell you something.

First time snowboarding and we had an amazing time! Ski Cooper was a very nice place. The workers were very kind! Near the end of trip my friend got hurt and took awhile to come down the slope so I went to go find help. At the store, Tammy (I think that was her name) was very helpful and kind!

We got a chance to Ski Cooper today for the first time. This is an excellent independent mountain for Intermediate and Beginner skiers. It was also a bargain for the two of us to ski here relative to what day tickets cost at the major I-70 resorts. While Colorado is having one of the worst December's ever for snow in 2025 we still had a great time crusing down the front side groomers for a few hours. We would definitely come back again when the Tennessee Creek Basin is open which is the backside of the mountain and where all of the expert terrain is at.

We spent the day at Ski Cooper after a friend recommended it. We had an amazing day. It was our daughter’s first time skiing, and her instructor Dean was amazing. She was very nervous, and he did a great job making it fun and exciting for her. We can’t wait to go back!

10/10 for me. Went on weekdays and was lucky to hit some fresh snow. Easy parking, no lines at lifts, well maintained wide open trails, friendly skiers, and ample seats in lounge. Lost my key fob on a trail when skiing (100% on me) and the amazing staffs got it back for me on the next day! Shout out to Shawn the kind bartender who gave us a ride the on the day I lost my key so we weren’t stranded on that day. Tremendous appreciation to people who are running Ski Cooper.

About 40 minutes past Copper and well worth it. I am a new skier and still felt like I could challenge myself here. It was so much fun. Went on a Monday, there wasn’t too many people and it was $45 lift tickets. It was a great deal. Views are amazing!!!! Stopped in the pub inside, food was good and service was quick!

We had an INCREDIBLE experience at Ski Cooper last week. There were four families and we had 7 kids in ski lessons and each and every instructor was kind, attentive, and instilled a love of skiing for all ages ranging from 3 to 10. Coco, Mehow and Keith taught our kids and went above and beyond to make sure their first time was a positive experience. Also, in a very dry winter, the slopes had fresh snow and it was less crowded and less expensive than the larger lodges. All around 5 star experience and have already recommended to several people.

My first day skiing in over 12 years, came on a powder day. Great little resort and very friendly employees. Had an amazing time. Didn't do any repeat trails and could easily come back for a second visit. Loved timberbash and powerline

I finally got to Ski Cooper! I love this old school resort. It was easy to rent skis and pick up your life passes. Plenty of green & blue runs to keep me entertained. Good food on mountain at a reasonable price. Not crowded and nice wide runs. All the staff was very friendly and seemed to like working there. I wish the lifts ran a little faster. Best value in Colorado.

I didn't realize that this review that I started 2 years ago hadn't posted. I hadn't skied in 35 years so started with a lesson. Eric was an awesome instructor, he asked what I knew before we started and I said to ask as if I'd never been on skis until I proved worthy of more. After some instruction we made our way up the magic carpet, tow bar and then the chair. As we went, between his tips and some muscle memory I felt totally comfortable on skis and then was ready to join my friends on the mountain. As far as the mountain...Loved it! I've been back and still loved it. not too crowded, It offered plenty of runs and just enough challenge.

This place was amazing and so decently priced. This was our first time skiing and we definitely enjoyed ourselves. The staff was nice, the food was good we had their smoked wings. The atmosphere was great and very welcoming. We plan to come back before the year is out to do ski lessons.

Very low angle. A few steep trees off the back, but that's it. Not a challenging mountain at all. Good for beginners.

We absolutely LOVE Ski Cooper! No over-the-top resorts, fees, crowds, etc. Just wonderful skiing with the friendliest staff around. There's enough runs for everyone and it's not crowded like so many other places anymore. Great lodge, restaurants, parking, rentals. Everything you need. It snowed about 5" the night before our first day there and our van simply couldn't make it up the small hill into Ski Cooper but within minutes, someone on staff arrived and helped us get on snow chains and we were off and skiing in no time. Absolutely wonderful. We're now contemplating buying a house not too far away so we can make Cooper a normal part of our life.

The last resort in Colorado I haven't skied and now after my first time, I'm hooked. I don't need anymore pics at the top of Vail or Breck and my favorite, Loveland was just too windy this trip. Cooper is an hour drive from central Summit County where I usually stay. The drive alone on a clear day is worth the trip. Cooper is a small, no frills, no bs, purist skiing destination. Old school lifts like I enjoy and gorgeous runs perfect for teaching kids without fear of out of control skiers. Most of the mountain is in between a blue and a green, again perfect for learning but also for relaxing cruising in excellent snow. No lines on what we were told was a busy day. As others have noted, the place is over the moon friendly including the skiers. My only complaint was the food selection and lack of healthy choices, I'd liked to have seen some pre-made salads and an expresso/coffee machine. There's a nice pub (don't drink and ski) but a pretty small apres crowd. Free small tubing hill next to the parking lot the kids love. Leadville is the closest town, it's what Frisco was 25 years ago but the world is finding it. Next trip we will rent a cabin there and only ski Cooper, it's that good.

It is not my first time at Ski Cooper but it is my first review. I had a snowboard class with Spencer on 1/23 and OMG, he is absolutely fantastic and everything I needed in a instructor. He is patient, clarified all my questions, gave me great insights and, above all he kept believing I could do what he taught me and his attitude inspired me! I also had other instructors whom gave me the basis for boarding but I can definitely say that Spencer is off the charts :)

I like skiing in Colorado, but there's something about the huge mountain resorts that gives me anxiety. Let me see...what is it.... Oh yeah. The cost. I'm a moderately mediocre downhill skier, so I have a difficult time justifying paying tons of money when I can't ski black diamond runs. That's why I often enjoy skiing smaller places, like Ski Cooper. Fewer amenities, sure. But lower cost, and family-friendly. My family and I had a good time at Ski Cooper last weekend. The mountain is right across the street from the excellent Tennessee Pass Nordic Center, so there's lots of opportunity for winter fun. My daughter prefers snowboarding to skiing, and unfortunately, their snowboard lessons were pretty meh. There was a bunch of confusion on the part of Ski Cooper on which lesson she and her friend were in, leading to her lesson being cut short by 1/2 an hour. We did receive a small refund for that, and they were apologetic. The mountain is beautiful and looks out onto Tennessee Pass and Chicago Ridge. It's great for beginners with plenty of easy runs. Even on a holiday weekend, it wasn't too crowded. A true Colorado locals kind of place. Had a good time, despite the lesson snafu. Would definitely come back.

Love, love, love the resort. Wide runs, good powder. Friendly staff. Good family ski resort. Will definitely return.

It's true what I've read about Cooper. It's really staffed by nice, helpful and considerate staff. Moving to CO and having decided to lean how to ski gave me an excuse to try every ski resort. As with every beginner my ski trip would consist of good days and bad days but mostly a lot of fun! And to top that off some days I can slow myself downhill and some days I'm like a torpedo heading down- just down. No real destination. Straight and really fast! I would sit on my behind if I'm about to hit someone! A good friend who's an expert skier is always with me. We had fights over his frustration over my slow learning curve. But wait... This was until I met Bob last week on a Thursday. He taught me and showed me in ways only a great instructor can. In 15 minutes I was able to slow myself downhill by turning left and right! It just clicked! Not everyone can teach. Especially not everyone that ski can teach. A wonderful instructor and an awesome run in a highly recommended resort even in a whiteout day didn't stop this writer from finally "getting it!" I know it's an extra hour more drive past Copper but it's so worth it! No lines over 5 minutes wait!

Hidden gem outside of Leadville. Went for 10th Mtn. Division Day and had a wonderful time. 6" of new powder, wide open trails, no crowds! While the lifts are slow, you can ski right up and load. No lift lines even on a busier day. Can't wait to go back someday!

This place reminded us of our ski co-op in Reno, Nevada. It's quaint and small, but has everything you need without the crowds or pretentious fur coats. Shoot, they even have a microwave if you want to bring your own cup'o'soup or popcorn. We loved it. The weather conditions were pretty tricky, but the place itself was worth our drive. We have been skiing at Copper Mountain all week on our 3-day reciprocal pass, but on days where the conditions aren't as ideal, we check out other mountains locally that are free for us as well (with our reciprocal pass from AZ Snowbowl). Cooper is on the list in addition to Loveland and Copper. They have a pretty spacious parking area for a small resort and all the terrain you need. The most impressive part is the bunny hill-- it has one of the longest magic carpets we've seen in awhile. It allowed our daughter to finally kick the lease and gain her confidence. She spend the rest of our time at Copper skiing greens all on her own. I attribute that to Cooper! If you're all about the 'gram and just want to post that you've skied Breck, Keystone, Vail... this won't impress. But, if you want to ski a pretty decent mountain on a budget and are cool with eating at their Irish Pub or bringing your own picnic basket, you will love this place. We're happy we made the drive.

We moved from Miami to Leadville this year and I cannot recommend Ski Copper enough! It's a great mountain for getting back into riding, and rarely seemed to packed. There's pretty varied terrain and it has a few perks over the big mountains as on powder days, it takes a while before you can't ride fresh tracks. The food at the yurt is great, all of the staff is friendly and as someone that had Covid and knows how rough it can be, appreciated how seriously staff took making sure everyone had a mask and kept it up.

Ski Cooper is a great ski resort. I originally skied at Copper but after moving to Denver and my Dad living near Leadvill we come to Cooper for a great experience. This place is a great Ski resort to learn at as there is little to no people and large slopes. Cooper also offers good snow and decent food. I would recommend not renting skis here as they are old and not in good shape if you are to rent go to place in Frisco.

LOVE SKI COOPER!!! My sis and I haven't skied in about 20 years...Cooper was perfect for us! Definitely worth the extra drive time. Smaller resort but not crowded! We felt like we were alone on some runs. No wait for the lifts!!! Super affordable, like unheard of prices! $30 for a Thursday, Amazing! We also rented our gear there. Very convenient and the gear was in excellent condition. We bought our lunch at the cafeteria and it was what we expected, nothing too fancy. Everyone was very friendly too. Thanks Ski Cooper! We'll definitely be back!

great place to ski ..never crowded..good food at cafe...easy parking..our new favorite spot

Book online and ski for $40/day ski lift pass. The best value we could find ANYWHERE. No service for Verizon on the mountain so wait for each other if you want to stick together. Not as fancy as other resorts, but definitely everything you need. Concessions were as good as other places, but still cost like any resort. Quality staff and the coffee shop right next door was a huge hit! Free sledding/tubing right outside for anybody not wanting to ski and just hang out and enjoy the area.

I've been skiing here for 10 years and it's always been "family friendly" and fairly priced -- until now. I bought a four pack for last season which was cut short by the pandemic. I hadn't used any of the passes. I assumed I could use them this year, at least for some sort of discount. Well, not only did they not let me use them, the walk up window price is now $80 per person, even if you don't ski! Make sure you buy your passes online before you go. They are $40 for anyone 15-74. And forever you could bring your own food; but not anymore. Ski Cooper went from "family friendly" to "all about the benjamins". Time to find another ski area, or at least a reasonably priced activity, for this family. :(

Spectacular snow, no lift lines, 1/3 the cost of Summit county ski areas. This place is like the places I skied as a kid: friendly, unassuming, down-to-earth. It's a great place for families to ski because of the cost and the size. The food is good and affordable, but lacks the variety you might get at a larger area. There is a cozy bar at the base for aprés ski, with live music on Thursdays and Saturdays. What have you got to lose?

Family oriented, low key resort with extremely friendly and helpful staff. My wife lost her hat and gloves. She called them and staff said they found them. We received the gloves and hat today. No charge for mailing.

If you are looking for a GREAT place to ski with all the locals, head over to this place! If you are looking for a GREAT deal on a ski lift ticket and you are an out-of-towner, go on Tuesday or Thursday! Seriously, this place is surrounded by breathtaking slopes, great skiers, and plenty of locals! They rent equipment, you can buy tickets just as a walk-in without a long line to wait in, and you can ski for 6 hours--virtually uninterrupted! They offer all levels of skiing and snowboarding and keep the slopes well-groomed. They offer ski classes a couple times a day OR you can do like I did and listen and watch their instruction with others and mimic what you see and hear! They also offer rental equipment and a lounge/lunch area with indoor and outdoor seating. This resort is great for children and beginner skiers/snowboarders. Their instructors are very personable and patient! Just watching them coach the various classes was encouraging to me! The necessary/locker room was extremely well-kempt and clean. You could rent a locker for your personal items, but as others have suggested, if you get there early enough, you can park and practically ski right to the door of your vehicle! I chose option B here and was able to have a picnic lunch in the hatch of my rental vehicle, which I brought with me. WIN-WIN! I will definitely be returning to Ski Cooper. I loved the resort and all of the nice staff. And for a ski day around $100 for 2, I'd say I got a pretty SWEET deal!!

Quaint, friendly, and cheap! It's a smaller mountain than some of the other resorts and a bit more of a drive from the cities but it's always worth it. The parking is free and close to the lifts. The longest I've ever waited in a line is less than 5 minutes. They have super reasonable prices including an option for beginners. There is a base lodge with a cafeteria, Irish pub, and they have live music during the weekends in ski season. Everyone was really friendly and there was a very positive, relaxed atmosphere. I don't get cell service there but there is free WiFi at the base lodge that works pretty well. It's off the beaten path and gives a pure feel of being in the mountains. It's also a great place to learn how to ski (I learned here when I was a kid and have brought several others here to learn). This place will always have my vote!

When an Arizona Mexican wants to ski....ski Cooper was it (unless your on the Mexican ski team, which they have). Small but Zero lines, great snow, great runs. Loved it!

Ski Cooper was great!! I am an intermediate skier and had a private lesson with Tristram and it was SO. Trrr morning OO helpful!! There were no lines. Decent food prices. As a Minnesotan, Ski Cooper was amazing!! Absolutely gorgeous views. And you can't beat the price.

I am a very big dummy for waiting so long to experience Ski Cooper. I chose to visit Ski Cooper on a Sunday to avoid the crowds at the other mountains. I was not disappointed! There was virtually no one there on a bluebird day. I got in more vertical than expected on some fantastic cruising terrain on the front side. I was definitely challenged in the trees on the backside. For $60, this was a total steal. Oh yeah, and the people were old school Colorado friendly and not the too-cool-for-you crowd at many other nearby places. I highly recommend and I plan to revisit.

Great beginners and families with small kids. Has only a couple of small lifts. Grooms are wide and with lots of trees and the views are incredible.You can almost ski to your car and depending on where you park you can. Staff was friendly and looked clean inside and out. Really layed back atmosphere on and off the slopes. My first experience consist of the Resort losing power for the first time ever and a 15 minute wait on the lift. Then they had to give us a coupon to come back so then i had to go back. Unfortunately it was after the heat wave and slopes were icy and it wasn't as great as i know it could have been. That being said I'm definitely going back next season with my family.

Alright, so Ski Cooper is about a two and half hour drive from C Springs, which is perhaps why I've been here so many times. From Denver it is longer, which means you probably should hit the one of the bigger mountains. The appeals of Ski Cooper are mainly based around the fact that it is smallish and off by itself, which means it is cheaper than the other ski areas and is generally fairly empty. This is more of a beginners mountain, which nonetheless I have found memories of. This place is especially good for the kiddoes, so that's a plus. If you aren't a hardcore skier or snowboarder and are looking for an easy day, then Ski Cooper is for you. If not, try Copper, Monarch, or if you have some green to spend, Vail.

Great place for first time skiers or snowboarders. Very kid friendly also, plenty of variety for rentals and items to buy. Great food when you need a break, magic carpet on the bunny slope. Lift to the top of the mountain was kind of fast but they will slow it down when you wave them down. Not too difficult either, our six year old did the lift to the top and rode down and he is a first time skier.

Ski Cooper is a really cool little mountain. It has a laid back kinda vibe comparable to A-Basin, but it's a lot less crowded and the lift tickets are half as expensive. Of course, the trade off to this is the fact that there is not much vertical incline. Picture an East Coast sized mountain but with Colorado snow. The runs are fairly short, the lifts are very slow. They don't make any snow (au natural, baby), and consequently, don't have a terrain park either. Despite this, it's a fun place to come. It's definitely ideal for people who are just learning to ski- why spend $100 to go down a bunny hill at Copper, when you can spend $45 to go down a bunny hill at Cooper? Even if you are an experienced skier, it's still worth a trip if the conditions are good and you're in the area. It's totally worth the price of a lift ticket for a crow-free day of cruisin around. And, we had one of the best powder days I've had in years here!

The employees here are AMAZING! We are from Texas and we were staying in Colorado Springs and it is like a 3 hour drive to Leadville but definitely worth it. We purchased the 2 day tickets on Wednesday and you can use the second day, the following day or skip a day and go the next day. For our second day we decided to go on Friday and unfortunately we couldn't make it because the snow was really heavy and we didn't have snow tires. We called and the staff was super nice and allowed us to change our second day for Saturday instead free of charge. The rental staff is so helpful especially George and DJ they were super helpful and went out of their way to make sure our boots fit comfortably. Love this place and 100% recommend to anyone

Best snow for the $$$ Lunch for a family of 5 can still be under $65 ..... good luck staying under $120 on the i-70 corridor Our family has enjoyed this location for ~22 seasons , the staff is great, the ski school program has instructed ~26 of our friends to ski over the years Great history as the home of the 10th Mountain Division. .... birth of Special Forces

If you plan on going to sit and watch everyone ski, be prepared to pay $80 for a guest pass. One of the workers there said they were free and then denied it when questioned. the slopes are great though, just not happy about the guest pass...

My bf, friend and I went here for 2 days. My friend has been there before and told us we should go again since it was less crowded and cheaper than the other big resorts in the area. We went on a Wednesday and a Thursday. Wednesday was very quite, no lines at the rental. Thursday was a bit of a mad house, apparently they were a bit under staffed due to some issues that came up and the rental line was super long. I started off snowboarding. I had never been but figured it was easy. I tried my luck on the bunny hill first and spent 20 mins falling down the hill. I then took 2 hours of lessons with my bf, 5 others and our instructor. He taught us a bunch of good stuff but I was still terrible. After the lessons were over I tried my luck at the bunny hill a few more times but it literally took me over 20 mins each time to get down it. I fell so much and was in a lot of pain. I had put my snowboard was using on reserve for the next day so I didn't have to go thru the rental process. I think this part of the resort is a really great option. You don't have to wait in line again. I had put it on reserve before I realized that I was completely terrible at it. For Thursday I went there assuming that I would just switch to skis since I knew how to do that. But when I got there the rental line was ridiculous. So I attempted my fate at snowboarding once more. And shockingly I was still terrible. So I stood in line to switch to skis ( they let me do this with no problem and no extra charge). The line was really long and once people in front of me knew what I was doing, I was able to go to the middle of the line. I was in like for over an hour though (hence the reason reserving your rental equipment is a good idea). I did eventually get my ski gear and tried out the bunny hill again. I was amazing at the bunny hill on skis, or at least to my standards I was. So I went with my friend down one of the green hills. It was a success. I will be going back, just not trying snowboarding and I will make sure to have the right gear on reserve so I don't have to wait in long lines again. I had changed my gear so often that they knew my name, I originally returned some defective snowboard boots, then I changed my snowboard to goofy footed(thinking that was why I was bad), then I changed to skis so they were quite familiar with me :)

I almost don't want to write about this resort as it is a hidden gem. We skied here in January 2014 and had a great time. The town is an awesome little ski town and the mountain is awesome. I told my wife that this is a place that god loves it to snow. Every day fresh thick powder. Wide open runs and some nice trails. If you want to have the great Colorado skiing without tons of humans, go here. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

I had so much fun at cooper. This rating is entirely for the quality of snow, some of the best i have ever seen. It was fresh powder amazingness, really dry and light snow. As one of the ski patrolers put it the mountain is all green no matter what its marked. I didnt mind because apparently not going for 3 years makes cruising greens really ideal. They have an irish pub, rentals, and rates are less expensive then corporate places.

Cold! Coldest major ski resort in the rockies. Lots of powder! A winter storm dumped 2 feet of snow. The mountain doesn't have and double blacks but the powder made up for it. Slow ski chair system but worth the wait. What made this a 5 star review was Sean who works in the rental shop. Came in with a board from another shop, had loose bindings and asked to use some tools to fix it. Turned out the binding just sucked so returned the board and came back the next day to rent from Cooper. Much better boards with better service and Sean really hooked me up with something for the deep powder. Thanks again.

Went there yesterday and while it was a bit windy and snowing it wasn't bad. At one point I didn't know if I was even moving as the wind was blowing so hard uphill and with the fresh snow blowing at the ground level it was hard to distinguish movement!! The hill has two lifts that parallel a ridge basically and you ride down on either side of this ridge so while there are some flat areas I ended up running a lot on my heel edge while riding on the backside of the hill, wouldn't have been bad but I haven't been snowboarding in a few years so my legs started to burn after a few runs and I had to switch sides of the hill (or revisit riding goofy, just not my first time in years). Ate food at the nordic cross country lodge as the wife was towing our little one around in a sled. The food there was decent, I had a pulled pork sandwich and the wife absolutely LOVED their quiche and said the mocha coffee was quite good as well. All the folks working the bottoms of the lifts seemed friendly whenever I talked to them and the lines were almost non-existent. Once I had to wait about a minute as there was some issues with people getting on or off the lift so it was slowed down a few times. They seem to decorate some trees under the lifts with beads at this location which keeps it family friendly but cheap 50 cent beads all in the trees looks kind of worse if you ask me. All in all I'll come back when they get more snow as the tickets are cheaper and the place is nice and cozy and a lot less touristy.

Cooper Mountain has got to be one of my favorite places to ski in Colorado!! Cooper is set away from the tourist clogged I-70 resorts (not that any of those are bad, they're just tourist clogged...). It literally costs HALF the price as the bigger resorts and benefits from an equal half the crowds! I'm also pretty sure it cost me a whopping $12 to rent ALL the equipment! There are a couple drawbacks about Cooper though. It is a much smaller (though no less STEEPER) mountain in terms of trails, so by the end of the day you'll be kinda bored with what they've got. For the price though, I'm not complaining. Especially since they have trails for every difficulty level (I skied my first black diamonds here!!) The other disadvantage, which actually leads TO the advantages, is the location. It's kinda far from the highway so for a quick day trip it kinda sucks. We have a place in nearby Leadville so we normally just stay up there as well. But again, thanks to the remoteness of the mountain, the crowds are few and you never have to wait too long for the ski lift!

If you are looking for good skiing at a smaller resort with not a lot of people, Ski Cooper is your place. Located in Leadville, CO it is a day skiing only resort. You can get lessons, rentals, lunch, and a reasonable all over lift ticket. My husband had never skied before in his life so instead of giving him a lesson where there would be a million other people around, we headed here on our first day of our ski trip. Our lesson was semi-private, meaning the two of us took it together (me for a refresher, hubby for a first timer) and Wayne did a great job introducing my husband to the sport. We were up on the green slopes in no time. Lunch at a resort can be pricey, and this was no different, but they have a good selection and a great area to sit and view the other skiers as you fuel up. Their trails range from easy green to hard black and there is something for everyone when at Ski Cooper. Be sure to ride the Magic Carpet at least once so when people reference it, you will know what they are talking about. This is also the home of the 10th Mountain Division, dating back to WWII. There's something for everyone at Ski Cooper...can't wait to go back!

As a family we've spent two winters at Ski Cooper- skiing & boarding. This is a smaller ski area that is fantastic for families. Reasonably priced, relaxed atmosphere, & still pretty easy to get to from Denver. We really liked the ski school. For $80 your 5+ year old gets equipment, lunch, & a 3-5 kid group lesson from 9 am until 3 pm. The instructors were fun and good. Season passes are around $75 for a child. Did I mention that the surround area is beautiful & Leadville has a lot of charm? This is going to be our family resort for some time!

Out of the way, never crowded, perfectly priced, small mountain atmosphere, tailgate BBQ types, and decent skiing. Just starting out with a family of little ones? This is your resort. Want a back country adventure without the helicopter? Try the snowcat tour! Not a favorite, but worth at least a visit.

Just had the most amazing day on the mountain. Today was 2fer Tuesday...my husband and I spent $56 total for both of us to ski today. Yesterday, we went to vail and spent $400 for the day. Ski cooper is a much smaller mountain but there were no crowds, no lift lines, amazing snow, and great terrain. The runs cater to all skill levels. Would highly recommend if you are a beginner as well. No double blacks here...if you looking for the expert terrain rent a cat ski for the day or go somewhere else. Will definitely be back here!!

Great place at a great price! Forget about the other expensive ski resorts. I just discover this one and love it every second. It is the best for the best price! Long rides, no lines, and is family oriented. They also have military discount!

An affordable ski resort that Colorado seems to have less of with every passing year. A delightful mountain with plenty of runs for beginner and intermediate skiers. However, it lacks variety and the lifts are fairly slow. Overall, a splendid place to ski.

We visited Ski Cooper recently, and it was the perfect resort for us to go to. Small, uncrowded (not a single wait at the lifts) and personal attention are the hallmarks of this resort just north of Leadville. We have two small children, and their ski instructor was fantastic. He really related well to the kids, and they enjoyed their first time on skis. There is a good mix of runs, from straight forward green runs to challenging black ones. To top it off, the cost is reasonable, and it really delivers good entertainment value for your dollar. We will be coming back!

Very nice small ski area in CO, perfect for beginners and families. Has snowcat skiing for advanced which looks very good. Best feature: it's $30 lift ticket (if bought at grocery store) and zero crowds. This is also the home of the 10th mountain division which in itself is pretty cool.

We had our wedding reception at Ski Cooper in their Lodge after having our ceremony in the field at the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center and we could not have asked for a more wonderful place to have our perfect day. The whole event and catering team at Ski Cooper: Dana, Monica, Scott and all of the Food & Beverage Staff worked tirelessly to make sure that our wedding day was everything we hoped it would be. Not only is the land and property at Ski Cooper beautiful, the food and the hospitality of the lodge was everything we desired. Scott helped us decide what food made the most sense for our budget, and was an incredible resource along the way as we planned out our wedding reception. Dana and Monica helped us stay organized and were extremely communicative with us about our details and preparation. The weekend of the wedding the team was available to help us and to walk us through all of the details of the day. They worked with our other outside vendors and our family and friends to make the day perfect. The food was incredible--we had steak and chicken fajitas, and they even allowed us to bring our own home brew and served it at the bar. They worked very hard to meet all of our needs and made the day perfect. We were even blessed with the leaves starting to change in early September and spectacular views of Mt. Massive and Mt. Elbert all day. Thank you Ski Cooper for helping make our wedding day everything we could have ever wanted.

We had an extraordinary Saturday at Cooper. Blessed with almost a foot of fine mid-December Colorado powder. With only a handful of patrons to share the slopes we found untracked descents until they closed the lifts. I am a Colorado ex-pat who returns as often as possible. I had never ventured to Cooper Hill but avoiding the crush of the first big snow weekend at Vail seemed like the best strategy. Plus my ski buddy had a cousin who lived in Leadville. The snow was a bonus. My skis, better suited to California hardback proved difficult to keep afloat I went to the rental shop. I especially appreciated the knowledgeable and thoughtful staff in the rental shop who assessed my skiing acumen and the snow and fitted me with a pair of of wider all-mountain boards. The only downside was that my camera managed to escape my shirt pocket some time during the day. I reporter my loss at the service desk thinking about the new camera I would be shopping for. I was regretting not downloading all the photo memories from vacations and a recent grand kids' birthday. Calculating the odds of finding the camera, as next to impossible I accepted the loss. However call from Cooper's lost and found several days later was the lost sheep had been found and a akin to a miracle. And, the camera worked and memory card were undamaged. Skiing is simpler at Cooper, more like the skiing I remember as a kid growing up in Colorado in the 1950s. On the way back to Dillon, we took a quick tour of Leadville to size up the many nearby lodging options. If I could pick a ski area to introduce my grandkids to skiing, Ski Cooper is the place. It is a welcome relief from the maddening crowds of most other destinations. Based on my interactions with the staff and what the local season pass holder we skied with told me, I expect that all the instructors are first class. After our experience on these gentle slopes I understood that the Army had in fact created the optimal hill to teach skiing during WWII. While Summit County and Vail resorts have also tried to claim the 10th Mountain Division, I felt the spirit of those brave souls at Cooper, just south of plot of now abandoned land where Camp Hale once prepared troops for the hardships of winter war.

This is a great mountian for beginners and intermediate skiers. It is a cute little place. The mountian is mostly flat and there are only a few step runs. Also I find the ski patrol to be very disturbing. I left my skis out because I did not know that you had to rack them. So the ski patrol took my skis and separated them so I could not find them and put the bases touching the rack witch ruins the ski. But besides that this place is awesome.