From the Front Range
Loveland Ski Area sits 53 miles west of Denver on I-70 at exit 216, just below the Eisenhower-Johnson tunnels. It has nothing to do with the city of Loveland on the plains an hour north, which trips up more visitors than you would think. All parking is free, with free shuttles between the Basin and the Valley.
The mountain
Big, high, and close: 1,800 lift-served acres from a 10,800-foot base to a 13,010-foot summit, 94 trails, a longest run of two miles, and more than 380 inches of snow in an average year by the mountain's own count. Nine chairlifts (one high-speed quad, three quads, three triples, two doubles) plus surface lifts, with a new Lift 7 and a Rainbow Carpet announced for the Valley in November 2025.
Parks
One park, Love Park, on the Royal Flush and Straight Flush runs off Lift 6. Loveland notes that inverted maneuvers are not recommended and that parks are considered closed outside operating hours.
Season and hours
Mid-October through early May, by Loveland's overview page; the 2025-26 season opened November 8, 2025 and ran seven days a week into May. Lifts run 9:00 to 4:00 on weekdays and 8:30 to 4:00 on weekends and designated holidays. The 2026-27 opening had not been announced when we checked.
Rules worth knowing
- Uphill access needs a pre-purchased Uphill Access Pass ($50 for 2025-26, included with season passes), worn where it can be seen, on the one designated route to the top of the Ptarmigan lift, and never during operating hours (8:00 am to 4:30 pm). Headlamps are required between dusk and dawn.
- Loveland is not on Epic or Ikon; unlimited passholders get three tickets at each Powder Alliance mountain.
Everywhere in Colorado, the Ski Safety Act and the Responsibility Code apply, including the rule that every board carries a leash or other retention device.