If You Know, You Know: The Colorado Mountain That Attracts The World’s Best Skiers

by admin in RSS Social News. Posted October 7, 2026

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Colorado is one of the most talked-about destinations for skiers, and we all know the names of the major resorts, but if you were to ask the best skiers in the country, “Where do you go when you want a real experience and adventure?” odds are they would answer “Silverton”.

Silverton is a mountain, not a resort. With one old double chair, 100-ish people a day, 26,819 acres of backcountry-style terrain, and a helicopter idling at the base ready for anyone with $199 and the legs to back it up, it’s become an annual pilgrimage for big mountain, no-frills skiers searching for the real thing.

Skiing at Silverton can be intimidating from afar, but the entire experience caters to skiers who believe the mega-resort experience has lost its soul. Translation: you. Silverton is made for you.

Want to ride the chairlift that unlocks 1,900 vertical feet of 100% advanced and expert terrain and 0% beginner or intermediate? Silverton has you covered with professional guides that will lead you around ungroomed, natural terrain.

From late December to mid-March, all skiing and riding, whether in the heli or not, is guided with groups of eight guests per guide. From mid-March through mid-April, self-sufficient experts can ski without a guide (guided options are still available).

Skiers seeking more vertical can extend their runs and find even more challenging terrain by boot-packing up from the top of the lift. Silverton’s guides will show you the way, and hike-to terrain can be reached in as little as five minutes, or as long as 60+ minutes. The more you work for it, the better the payoff.

Skiers and snowboarders boot packing at Silverton.

Cam Hammond

Silverton Hours of Operations, and How To Spend a Weekend

Silverton’s chairlift runs Thursday through Sunday, with select Mondays throughout the season. It’s important to remember this in planning a trip. Here’s how a typical skier spends their time at Silverton:

Arrive Thursday or Friday and ski the weekend.
Book a place in town. Silverton does not have on-mountain lodging.
Day One: Purchase a Guided Lift Ticket in advance online. Be prepared to boot-pack to fully appreciate the ski area’s terrain. Bring your fattest setup with resort bindings, or rent a pair at the mountain. No touring gear needed.
Day Two: Add a single Heli Run (or two, or three) to your guided day.

Silverton is where many skiers try heli-skiing for the first time because of its affordable prices and easy access, and they keep coming back for more. Keep reading for how a typical heli skiing day at Silverton shakes out.

Parkin Costain at Silverton.

Manhattan Wood

Silverton Heli Skiing: Tips, Stats, and Pricing

Silverton, with its $199 heli laps, is the easiest place in America to try heli skiing, but don’t let the low price fool you; this is a true, big mountain experience you can’t find anywhere else.

Silverton’s heli tenure is expansive at 29,000 acres, and with a maximum altitude of 13,487’ (the highest ski mountain in North America) and 400+ inches of annual snowfall, it’s hard not to have an amazing day, even when the rest of Colorado is struggling with snow.

Adding 1-3 heli laps at $199 each to your Guided Lift Ticket is simple (just check in at Silverton’s base area or, better yet, book well in advance to guarantee a spot) and is the only product of its kind in North America. Skiers who want more have options, too. Silverton offers a 6 Run Heli Day product, and Private Heli packages are available for groups looking to go all-out.

Heli-skiing can seem luxurious and frivolous by nature, but Silverton uses the same no-frills base area as the chairlift. Meaning, there’s no fancy lodge, exorbitant fee, or unnecessary perks that skiers need to wade through. Book the heli. Go heli skiing. It’s that simple.

If you’ve never been heli skiing, don’t worry, Silverton’s professional guides have you covered with the necessary gear (beacon, shovel, and probe) and will make every call in regard to terrain and snow safety. All skiers are required to carry a beacon, shovel, and probe at Silverton, whether taking the heli or the chairlift.

Silverton Heli Skiing Tips, Tricks, and Recommendations

Book early at silvertonmountain.com or call (970) 387-5706. Heli spots go fast!
Fly into Durango (52 mi) or Montrose (50 mi), then drive into the San Juans, or drive with a car full of friends from Denver or SLC to Silverton for the weekend.
Don’t have the gear? Rent premium avalanche and backcountry gear from Silverton’s Demo Bus.
Want the full thing? Book The Peak package: 6-Run Heli, Guided Skiing. It’s the best way to access Silverton for a long weekend with the best mix of everything, starting at $2,230.