Where is Wolf Creek CO?
The
Wolf Creek ski area is in southwest Colorado, 84 miles east of Durango on highway 160. The ski area sits atop the Wolf Creek pass one mile east of the continental divide, between the towns of Pagosa Springs (24 miles away) and South Fork (18 miles away) within the Rio Grande National Forest.
Wolf Creek CO is 254 miles southwest of Denver. The remote location away from major airports helps to keep the crowds away and keep the powder hounds very happy.
Other Ski Resorts Near Wolf Creek
There are no ski resorts that are particularly close to Wolf Creek CO but there are some that are close enough to include on a road trip. Closest resorts are:
Flying
Albuquerque International Airport is 228 miles away (about a 5 hour drive) from Wolf Creek, 207 miles from Pagosa Springs, and 247 miles from South Fork. Colorado Springs airport is 192 miles to South Fork, and Denver International airport is 244 miles from South Fork. Lots of
rental car options are available at all three airports.
Regional airports include San Luis Valley Regional Airport/Bergman Airfield, 75 miles away from the ski area, with flights from Denver. La Plata County/Durango is 80 miles to the ski area, with flights from Salt Lake City, Denver or Phoenix.
Travel from the Airports to the Towns
Many visitors to Wolf Creek are from neighbouring states such as Texas, and they drive to get there. Consequently there’s little demand for shuttle services to South Fork and Pagosa Springs. Or maybe it’s a “chicken and egg” thing, where everyone drives to Wolf Creek because the shuttle services are not well established?
There are shuttles available from the Durango Airport to Pagosa Springs.
To travel from Denver to Pagosa Springs it’s possible to get a combination of Greyhound buses and shuttles, but it’s very messy and not advisable.
The best option is to
rent a car to get to your lodging in South Fork or Pagosa Springs, as you’ll want a car to get to Wolf Creek anyhow.
Driving to Wolf Creek from Pagosa Springs & South Fork
Driving to Wolf Creek from the west side of the pass (ie Pagosa Springs) takes about 30 minutes when road conditions are good. At times the highway is super wide and an easy drive even though it’s steep, whilst other parts of the road are very windy. During and after a storm, the road from the Pagosa Springs side is sometimes closed, which is incredibly frustrating knowing that the South Fork people are up at the ski area getting all the freshies.
The drive up from South Fork is much easier as it’s less windy, it only takes 20 minutes and the road is less likely to close. The scenery is also a fraction better, with stunning rock formations on either side of the road.
Considering the amount of snowfall in the area, a 4 wheel drive vehicle may be advantageous (but not essential) to get to Wolf Creek from either side of the pass. Commercial vehicles have to carry chains but not standard cars.
Parking at Wolf Creek is free. Once the upper parking lots fill you’ll need to use the lower and overflow parking lots, which are serviced by frequent shuttles.
Shuttles from the Towns to the Ski Area
From Pagosa Springs, Wilderness Journeys Pagosa offer a ski shuttle service which runs once a day from the Fairfield Activities Center and downtown Pagosa Springs. Custom departures can also be arranged.
From the South Fork side, there is no longer a shuttle service to the ski area.
Getting Around
Getting around Wolf Creek is easy as all the facilities are contained within a handful of buildings that are located next to each other at the base area.
Similarly South Fork is easy to negotiate on foot from a distance perspective as it’s only a small town. The only problem is that there are no sidewalks so walk carefully or copy everyone else and drive your car instead.
The town of Pagosa Springs is significantly bigger, and you’ll probably need a car to get around.