Steamboat Travel Guide

Steamboat is a hugely popular holiday resort boasting a wide variety of options for families of all skiing levels, and topped off with rustic cowboy charm. Its reputation and quality has earned it the nickname 'Ski Town USA'. The resort is located in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on Mount Werner in the Park range. With almost 3,000 acres of varied terrain, reaching a height of 3,668 feet (1,118m), and encompassing 165 trails including mogul fields and tree runs, there's bound to be enough for everyone. The Steamboat resort is incredibly popular for holidays due to its rich Olympic heritage and friendly atmosphere. It's also perfect for families, accommodating beginner skiers and snowboarders quite comfortably with experienced instructors at the ski school.

Skiing

Steamboat gets reliable dumps of some of the finest 'Champagne Powder' (a term coined in Steamboat) in the world. There are about 165 named trails spread out over 2965 acres (1200km) across five mountains. There's something for every level of skier but most runs fall in the intermediate and advanced categories. There are 18 lifts in total, ensuring a rapid delivery of skiers to the top of the runs. Steamboat also has the longest Superpipe in North America, which is an absolute dream for freeriders.

Shopping

There are plenty of shops throughout Steamboat selling everything one could possibly want for a skiing and snowboarding holiday. Apart from regular groceries and food supply stores and the ubiquitous outdoor apparel shops, determined shoppers will find a variety of speciality stores selling things such as collectibles, arts and crafts and high-quality clothing.

Restaurants

There are more than 75 bars and restaurants in the Steamboat area, ensuring a broad offering for visitors. Live country music is the order of the day in many bars, enhancing the traditional cowboy appeal of Steamboat.

Nightlife

There's something for all tastes in Steamboat, with numerous bars and restaurants staying open late when the beer, wine and tequila flows a lot freer. Happy hours, live music and beer on tap is never hard to find, but travellers shouldn't expect a large variety of nightclubs.

Holiday activities

There's no shortage of holiday activities to keep one entertained in Steamboat, including hiking, snow-shoeing, hot-air balloon rides, helicopter tours, tubing, and horse riding. The region is famous for its hot springs, which can be enjoyed at Strawberry Park, a stunning location just seven miles (11km) out of town.

Any negatives?

In recent years the big reputation has left some advanced skiers disappointed with the over-hyped terrain.