Keystone Local Guide
Although Keystone Resort does not gave the name recognition of some of the other ski resorts in Colorado, it has a lot of other benefits that you cannot necessarily get at some of the others. Keystone Resort is one of the closest places to Denver International Airport, making it one of the easiest resorts to get to if you want to take a ski vacation.
Summit County is home to an outdoor playground set high up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. With access to activities for everyone from advanced outdoor recreationalists to first time visitors, Summit County has a little for everyone that chooses to make this place their home or a vacation destination. In the winter, Summit County is home to four world class ski resorts, and endless other options like dogsledding, cross country skiing, skating, tubing, sleigh rides, to an excellent nightlife in Breckenridge. In summer, people can choose between hiking, mountain biking, road biking, climbing and horseback riding just to name a few. An easy 90 minutes on the highway from Denver International Airport and set at least 8,500 feet above sea level, Summit County allows visitors to experience the High Rockies and remote mountains easily, while also providing excellent amenities for those more interested in a day strolling main street or shopping while the rest of the family hits the slopes. The rest of this guide will dive deeper into recommendations from locals that will allow you to maximize your time visiting this special place!
Although Keystone Resort does not gave the name recognition of some of the other ski resorts in Colorado, it has a lot of other benefits that you cannot necessarily get at some of the others. Keystone Resort is one of the closest places to Denver International Airport, making it one of the easiest resorts to get to if you want to take a ski vacation.
In terms of the skiing you get at Keystone, there is something for everyone. The resort offers full service lessons for those who are beginners of who want to step up their game. The ski runs are broken up nicely with plenty of green beginner runs, tons of Blue intermediate groomers, plenty of above treeline skiing in multiple bowls accessed by lifts, hiking, or cat skiing, and seemingly unlimited tree / glade skiing. Keystone is also the only place in Summit County that offers night skiing, in which they light up a few of their ski runs for the evening hours so you can have a truly unique ski experience! In my humble opinion as a local, if I wake up and feel like skiing trees rather than groomers, Keystone Resort is where I go to since it is the best glade skiing in Summit County. On top of all these excellent reasons to try Keystone as your next winter destination, Ski Butlers offers our full suite of services for your ski rental needs to Keystone!
One unique aspect of Keystone Resort is that if offers services and experiences that some other resorts in Colorado cannot. For example, if skiing is not your thing or you need a day off the slopes, spend a day shopping 10 minutes down the road at the Silverthorne Outlets. This shopping center has awesome name brands at reduced prices, such as Nike, J Crew, Columbia, plus many restaurants, coffee shops, and breweries. Keystone also has the largest maintained outdoor ice skating area in North America! There is a full time zambino dedicated to making sure the ice stay in great shape, a skating area that offers skate rentals, and even a couple areas dedicated to hockey where pick up games happen regularly.
Keystone boasts a number of different restaurants and Apres spots to explore during your stay. If you are looking for a high end experience, try out the Ski Tip Lodge on the outskirts of the resort. This reservations only, american inspired 4 course menu style restaurant has won a multitude of awards, and was recently voted the best restaurant in Summit County. During the football season or any other time you need to catch a game, check out 9280 Tap House, where they have excellent bar style food and a huge selection of local beers on tap. My personal favorite restaurant in the Keystone area is Dos Locos, a locals’ favorite mexican cantina. Dos Locos is very casual, but is across the highway from the resort, so take a short walk and enjoy some delicious margaritas!
Want to avoid the process of getting a rental vehicle to get you from the airport to your accommodations? Use Summit Express, a shuttle service that offers free wifi and takes the hassle away by bringing you directly to your accommodations if you so choose. Once you make it into town, Summit County provides multiple free transportation services to guests and locals. The Summit Stage brings people between towns, as it is a free service provided from the county as a whole. This allows you to check out the rest of the county, such as Breckenridge, which offers a different experience than the resort community of Keystone. Within the town of Keystone, there is a free resort shuttle that allows you to get to anywhere in Keystone really easily.
