After months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Breckenridge Ski Resort, Keystone Resort and Copper Mountain have all set dates to open for summer operations in upcoming weeks. Arapahoe Basin Ski Area plans to reopen as well although a date has not yet been set.
First to open will be Keystone on Friday, June 26. While the Keystone River Course and outdoor play at the Keystone Tennis Center are already operating, rides on the River Run Gondola, hiking trails and prepackaged food and drink options at the Summit House will become available on Friday.
The Keystone Bike Park will remain closed. Keystone Communications Manager Loryn Roberson said running the bike park “would require significant adjustments to operating protocols and our priority during this period of recovery is getting the basic planning and execution right.”
Keystone will operate Fridays through Sundays throughout the summer. Breckenridge will open July 4 with rides on the BreckConnect Gondola, scenic chairlift rides on the Colorado SuperChair, hiking trails, the Alpine slides, the Gold Runner Coaster and prepackaged food and drink options will be available at Ski Hill Grill. With certain activities like the golf course open again, Roberson said things are so far going well and that everyone seems to be happy to be outside doing the activities they love. She said the resorts have asked guests and employees to “take on an additional level of personal accountability to ensure the safety of our mountain communities,” similar to the Skier Responsibility Code.
Roberson said that while it is difficult to speculate what kind of demand the resorts will receive, the resorts are confident they can “accommodate all visitors this summer” given the expansive outdoor settings.
“We think that guests are looking forward to getting outside and enjoying the resorts again. We’re fortunate that our resorts provide outdoor settings to experience nature and practice physical distancing so that our guests can return to the activities they love,” Roberson said in an email.
Both Breckenridge and Copper will open for summer activities on July 4. At Copper, Copper Creek Golf Course will open on July 3 for 18 holes of golf. On July 4, the mountain will offer hiking, mountain biking, scenic chairlift rides, the Rocky Mountain Coaster, weekend yoga and limited dining options. On-snow lessons in Woodward’s Central Park begin July 5 and will serve as sport-specific day lessons rather than the usual residential summer camp. Lift-served mountain biking off of Woodward Express, which was first available last summer, will continue again this year.
