Being such a family friendly ski resort, Steamboat gets understandably busy during the US school holidays, and accommodation prices increase around this time. To avoid the crowds it is best not to travel around Thanksgiving, Christmas, Martin Luther King Day Weekend (the third Monday in January), President’s Day Weekend (the third Monday in February) and spring break in March. Quieter times on the slopes of Steamboat are early in the ski season, between Thanksgiving and Christmas; late in the season, around April; or avoiding the national holidays in January and February. Skiing mid-week means you’ll avoid some of the local crowds too.
Flying to Steamboat
The closest airport to Steamboat ski resort is Hayden, a spacious and modern facility around 22miles west of Steamboat Springs. There are direct flights to Hayden 3-4 times a week from LA, Houston, Chicago, Denver (4 per day), Atlanta, Dallas and Newark.
Airport transfers to Steamboat
For the most economical option skiers tend to fly in to Denver Airport and take a shuttle or transfer service to Steamboat from there. The journey takes around three hours and you’ll get to enjoy an American road-trip too (always a bonus). British Airways have direct flights from London to Denver and Crystal Ski often has good offers on flights.
Driving to Steamboat
If you’re driving to Steamboat from Denver it’s an easy three hour journey (157m/250km) through the Eisenhower Tunnel to Silverthorne. From there you take exit 208 and follow the CO 9 North to Kremmling, then west on US 40 to Steamboat Springs. However, considering that the use of a car is not at all necessary in Steamboat, most people choose a shuttle or transfer service for convenience sake (see our resort services section for details).
