Where a Front Range rider actually goes

Every resort page quotes the mountain's own stats page, names the pass it sits on, says which road gets you there, and carries the date we checked. Where a resort's site would not serve its pages to us (the Vail Resorts mountains), the page says so rather than guessing. Snow reports, the traction law, and the avalanche forecast live on the conditions page.

Eldora

680 acres, ten lifts, seven Woodward parks. The one you reach without the interstate, by RTD bus if you like.

10,600 ft top · Ikon · 21 mi from Boulder on CO 119

Echo Mountain

Three lifts, seven runs, one park, and the only lights on this list. Small, close, and open after work.

Night riding Wed to Sat · Indy · 36 mi from Denver on CO 103

Loveland Ski Area

1,800 acres to a 13,010-foot summit, more than 380 inches a year, free parking, and no corporate pass.

2,210 ft vertical · Independent · 53 mi on I-70, exit 216

Arapahoe Basin

1,428 acres, 73 percent advanced and expert, a 13,050-foot summit, and Colorado's longest season.

2,530 ft vertical · Ikon · US 6 over Loveland Pass

Winter Park

3,081 acres, 3,060 feet of vertical, 23 lifts, seven parks with a superpipe, and Mary Jane's bumps.

12,060 ft summit · Ikon · 67 mi, US 40 over Berthoud Pass

Keystone

Three peaks, five bowls, more than 3,000 acres, and Colorado's largest night-skiing area by Vail Resorts' own account.

Night skiing · Epic · US 6 from Silverthorne, exit 205

Copper Mountain

2,538 acres sorted by difficulty from east to west, 24 lifts, Woodward parks and a superpipe.

2,738 ft vertical · Ikon · 75 mi on I-70, exit 195

Breckenridge

Five peaks, nearly 3,000 acres, more than 180 trails, and North America's highest chairlift.

Projected Nov 6 opening · Epic · CO 9 from Frisco, exit 203

How the roads sort them

Eldora and Echo skip I-70 altogether. Loveland Ski Area, Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, Copper, and Breckenridge share the interstate and the winter traction law, with Loveland the only one before the tunnel. Winter Park is its own road, US 40 over Berthoud Pass, which closes in the storms that make it worth going.

Not covered: Vail (5,300 acres, 100 miles, Epic; the resort's own pages would not load for us), Steamboat, Aspen, and everything else beyond a comfortable day trip from the Front Range. Ask at the counter; we have opinions.