Silverton Mountain

Since January of 2002, Silverton Mountain has served the needs of skiers and snowboarders in southwestern Colorado. Located in the rugged Suan Juan mountain range that is part of the Rocky Mountains, the ski resort is a few miles north of the town of Silverton.

The ski resort is 6.5 hours outside of Denver and over 5 hours from Albuquerque. Drivers will use US Route 550 to drive into Silverton, while flyers can use the regional airports in either Durango or Montrose, the closest airfields to the mountain.

A New No-Frills Mountain to Explore

Silverton Mountain began service on January 19, 2002. Since then, the ski area has built a reputation (and following) among rippers and shredders alike. What it lacks in frills and amenities it makes up for with attitude. The mountain has one lift and has a vibe that combines heli-skiing, snowcat skiing, and resort skiing all-in-one.

A lack of lifts, along with the ungroomed backcountry skiing, makes it a destination to get away from the crowds one finds at other resorts. It is not a destination for beginners or intermediate skiers. The mountain offers ski bums black diamond skiing outside of trails and groomed bowls.

As guests explore quality snow in backcountry settings that are not groomed or patrolled, they will attack the mountain in a group with a guide. A full day of skiing may see between three and six runs, but quality gnar is bound to make up for the lower quantity of trips down Silverton Mountain.

Anyone thinking of visiting Silverton Mountain will need avalanche gear, and they can plan for hiking from 5 to 60 minutes after getting off of the lift. The farther one goes, the more access to natural bowls and steep chutes made for bombing down.

Wide Open Backcountry Fun

Silverton Mountain offers guests up to 26,819 acres of skiable terrain, all of which rate as advanced. The limited staff here means that groups are available from Thursday through Sunday only. A typical ski season starts at the end of December and goes through the second week of March.

Silverton Mountain gets large amounts of snow each year, averaging over 400 inches. The powder is not guaranteed all season long, but plankers should find plenty of it after fresh dumps.

Each group of eight will meet with their guide at a base elevation of 10,400 feet. The peak of the chair access sits at 12,300 feet, while the peak elevation for those hiking rests at 13,487 feet. Vertical drops range from 1,900 feet to 3,887 feet.

Those planning a trip to Silverton Mountain need to be experienced and in shape. If a guest lacks either or is fatigued to the point of endangering themselves or others, they will have to sit out the rest of the day. A steep run at most ski areas is about 30-degrees; the easiest run here is 35-degrees.

Rippers and shredders going to Silverton Mountain need an avalanche beacon, probe, shovel, and pack. Equipment rentals are available.