Colorado Ski Country on Thursday announced the state’s ski areas hosted 13.8 million skier visits for the 2024-25 ski season, marking the third-busiest season ever.
The nation’s ski areas counted 61.5 million visits in 2024-25, the second highest showing for American resorts. The record ski traffic affirms a hope that an uptick in outdoor participation following the pandemic could be permanent. Since 2021, the U.S. resort industry has counted four of its five busiest seasons ever. Similarly, the last four seasons have been the busiest ever for Colorado ski areas.
Colorado Ski Country, a trade association, counts visitation from its 21 member resorts and estimates of visitation to Vail Resorts’ five Colorado ski areas.
Vail Resorts, the largest resort operator in North America, in April reported a 3.1% decline in visitation in 2024-25 compared to the previous season, when its 35 North American ski areas hosted 15.8 million visits, roughly 20% of all ski resort visitation in the U.S. and Canada.
Last year Vail Resorts said its Breckenridge ski area was the most-trafficked ski area in the country, followed by its Vail ski area at second. The company’s Keystone ski areas ranked ninth for skier traffic and Beaver Creek ranked 11th. Based on historic traffic reported before ski areas stopped releasing individual visits, the company’s Colorado skier resorts — including Crested Butte Mountain Resort — likely log around 6 million visits a year, accounting for more than 40% of the state’s skier traffic.
Vail Resorts does not break out visitation to individual resorts and its resorts are not members of Colorado Ski Country.
Colorado Ski Country attributed the heavy skier traffic to a robust roster of events and innovations at its member resorts. Ski Cooper saw record traffic in response to its $45 lift tickets. Aspen Snowmass bustled with the Winter X Games and the debut of the new Snow League contest. Arapahoe Basin hosted the Freeride World Tour and Copper Mountain the USASA National Championships.
“Across our member resorts we saw people carving their first turns, reconnecting with annual traditions and finding their place on the slopes,” said Colorado Ski Country president Melanie Mills in a statement. “In a chaotic world, skiing remains a meaningful touchstone for so many.”