The review Keystone was created by Skiresort.info, the world’s largest test portal for ski resorts.
Altitude difference
816 m (Valley 2835 m - Mountain 3651 m )
Lifts/ cable cars
14 · Cat-skiing
Number of lifts to get from one end of the ski resort to the other
→ 4 ← 2
Slope offering, variety of runs
Run location
just above tree line, under tree line
Number of ski lifts
14 · Cat-skiing
Total capacity
30500 Passengers / hour
Length of all lifts
20.7 km Total
Worth knowing
- Artificial snow-making
20 % of the slopes have snow-making capabilities
- The valley run is practically always open.
Season 2009/2010
155 Days open
155 Days when valley run open
Season 2010/2011
158 Days open
158 Days when valley run open
Season 2011/2012
144 Days open
144 Days when valley run open
The slope preparation is excellent.
Tip: By new snow, an optimal slope prepartion is not always possible, even with a large effort. In addition, the new snow can not combine with the snow lying underneath and moguls are created quickly. For safety reasons, usually no slope preparation is possible during operating times.
Access via Highway 70 Denver-Grand Junction, Ausfahrt Silverthorne
Peru Express (Keystone), Entry suitable for day visitors
Distance: 12 km · approx. 11 Minutes driving time
Roads: Main street, Side road, well-developed, without significant incline
Parking spaces: usually enough available,
Tarred parking lot, Stone parking lot,
for a fee
River Run Gondola (Keystone), Ideal entry for day visitors
Distance: 13 km · approx. 11 Minutes driving time
Roads: Main street, Side road, well-developed, without significant incline
Parking spaces: enough available,
Tarred parking lot,
free of charge
Orientation (trail map, information boards, sign-postings)
Environmentally friendly ski operation
Public transportation/ on-site mobility
- No direct train connection
- Comprehensive ski bus network
- Scheduled busses
Mountain restaurants, ski huts, gastronomy
6 Mountain restaurants & Ski huts
Gastronomy tip
Accommodation offering directly on the slopes and lifts
Ski-in/Ski-out
There are many accommodations with direct access to the slopes and to lifts (Ski-in/Ski-out)
Towns/villages
- Keystone
Distance to ski resort fewer than 0.5 km
Guest beds 8100
- Silverthorne
Distance to ski resort 10-20 km
Note: For the evaluation, only the accommodations which are located directly on the slopes and lifts, or have very easy access to the ski resort have been considered.
Information for families and children
- Kid's Land/ separated area for children
- Beginner's lifts near the valley
- Beginner's lifts in ski resort directly at the feeder lift
- Tubing slope with own lift
Information for beginners
- Easy and manageable slope offering, which is easy to achieve
- Special slopes for slower skiers / beginners
- Beginner's lifts near the valley
- Beginner's lifts in ski resort directly at the feeder lift
Advanced skiers, freeriders
Information for advanced skiers, freeriders
- some freeride / deep snow areas
Slope offering advanced skiers
Note: Always mind the avalanche warnings and barriers, please. Never ski into a closed and unsecured area.
Information for Snowboarders
- some freeride / deep snow areas
Snow parks
A-51 Terrain ParkKeystone’s A51Terrain Park is ranked in the top 10 parks in the country by both Freeskier Magazine and Transworld Snowboarding Magazine. A51 offers features for all skiing and riding abilities and is the only terrain park in Colorado offering night skiing and riding.
Freda’s Incubator, The Alley, Park Lane, Main Street and I-70 are the five main areas of A51. Two Sled Road, on the way out of A51, boasts natural wood features in the trees. Freda’s Incubator is a beginner park that features funboxes, smaller jumps and easy rails while the Main Street jumpline and other areas of A51continue to grow in innovation and challenge professional athletes. On most days, you’ll see pro skiers and riders practicing in the park. One of the best places to watch the pros is from the A51 chairlift, Keystone’s dedicated park lift that provides a short lap time.
Offering snow parks
Cross-country skiing and trails
- Cross-country trail offering
Total trail length: 16 km
Conclusion
fast chair lifts, long opening times of the lifts on the front side, friendly and funny staff, good restaurant Alpenglow Stube at 11444 ft.
no chair lifts with covers, expensive beverages on the mountain, early closing of the runs on the back side 3 p.m., no restaurants at the Outback Express
Detailed description of the ski resort
You can reach the Dercum Mountain (11640 ft) very easy and direct from the River Run Village either with the River Run six-person Gondola or the high speed quad Summit Express. From the Dercum Mountain you can take the other six person gondola Outpost to the restaurants below the North Peak or you can ski or ride the runs Mozart, Diamond Back or Mine Shaft on the backside of the ski resort. You have a nice view to the slopes of Breckenridge. From the La Bonte´s Cabin you can take the high speed quad Santiago Express up to the North Peak (11660 ft.). Some swings and you reach the restaurants (The Outpost Lodge, Timber Ridge, Alpenglow Stube and Fondue Chessel) or you can take one of the three intermediate runs to the high speed quad Outback Express, which takes you up to the ultimate and highest point at an elevation of 11980 ft. Here you will find a lot of advanced and gladed runs as well as intermediate runs. Back to the front side you have to take the quad Wayback up to the North Peak and then you have a lot of possibilities to ski down to La Bonte´s Cabin. Less advanced skiers and riders prefer the intermediate run Prospector. The high speed six person chair Ruby Express lift you up very quick to the Dercum Mountain and now you can ski or ride the hole front side. Either you take the wide well groomed easy to intermediate runs down to River Run Village or you swing down to Mountain House from where the high speed quad Peru Express starts to the A-51 terrain park. The park has everything to offer and the double chair A-51 open up the terrain, too. The high speed quad Montezuma Express is another connection to the Dercum Mountain. The runs on the front side are mostly easy to intermediate and you will find some steeper spots, too. All the runs leads through forst aisles back to the valley. For beginnes is the triple chair Ranger at Dercum Mountain and the double chair Discovery in the valley at Mountain House, as well as some surface lifts within the resort. Between 4 pm and 5 pm some runs are closed for grooming so you have perfect conditions for night skiing. The River Run Gondola, the Peru Express and the A-51 double chair are open until 9 pm during the season and the Montezuma Express is open until 6 pm. The Outpost gondola is open until 11 pm to bring the dinner guests from the Alpenglow Stube back to the valley. Nearly the hole front side is lighted and you can ski or ride from the morning until 9 pm without a break. At River Run Village a lot of cozy restaurants and bars invite you during or after skiing or riding. There are also a lot of après ski activies.
Test Report issued on 2012-03-22
Highlights
Accommodation offering directly on the slopes and lifts
Top ski regions • Tips for the ski holiday