Wolf Creek Ski Area Colorado
The Wolf Creek ski area in Colorado is a magnificent powder hound destination. Wolf Creek is commonly faceshot heaven with a relative lack of crowds, great tree skiing, and splendid powder. The powder falls in abundance at the Wolf Creek Ski Resort with an average of 430 inches per season, which is the most snow in Colorado - music to a powder hound’s ears!
Wolf Creek is not a destination resort and is predominantly trafficked by locals. The facilities are basic in comparison to the glamorous
Colorado ski resorts, so it’s not surprising that some tourists don’t make it to Wolf Creek. The exception to this is the discerning powder hound who knows they are onto a good thing at Wolf Creek.
Wolf Creek is ideal to include on a road trip of southwest Colorado that includes
Taos New Mexico in the mix.
Pros & Cons of Wolf Creek Colorado
Pros
- The quantity of the snowfall is a highlight, and the quality is well maintained considering the aspect and elevation.
- Off the beaten track somewhat, Wolf Creek is one of those hidden gems that only the locals and powder connoisseurs know about, so there’s a general lack of crowds and it’s reasonably easy to find freshies after a snowfall relative to the high profile Colorado ski resorts.
- The Wolf Creek Ski Area offers some great tree runs.
- It is incredibly laid back and super affordable. Lift tickets, equipment rentals and ski lessons at the resort are inexpensive (especially for beginners), and in the nearby towns the lodging and dining are cheap as chips.
- Wolf Creek CO is usually one of the first US ski resorts to open each season and it’s a great pick for early season snow.
Cons
- There is no on-mountain accommodation.
- It takes a decent commitment to get to Wolf Creek CO and you’ll probably need a car.
- There are various flat spots in the main advanced zone that can be problematic for snowboarders when the snow is really deep, and even on the cat tracks, a degree of skating may be required.
Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective
- Wolf Creek is partially an old school throwback with no-frills amenities. If you want fancy, this place is not for you.
A major part of the Wolf Creek ski resort is only serviced by one slow chair lift so long cat tracks are often a necessity, and most of the expert terrain can only be accessed with a degree of hiking. Laps take a long time.
The steep expert terrain at the top is rather short lived.
Wolf Creek Ski and Snowboard Terrain
The fantastic snow blankets the 1,600 acres (647 hectares) of
ski terrain at Wolf Creek. The main part of the resort where most of the beginner and intermediate terrain can be found is only 600 acres (243 hectares) and serviced by 6 lifts (and a 7th lift occasionally). With only 1,604ft of vertical, the ski area can feel a little small, but the benefit of limited vertical is that even the base area is at high elevation, so the snow generally stays in pristine condition.
The other 1,000 acres is the pièce de résistance of Wolf Creek, which is primarily serviced by the Alberta chairlift. Here there is awesome tree skiing for advanced and expert riders that’s lift accessed, as well as double black hike-to-terrain that provides short but sweet and steep pitches. The only downside of this area is that a degree of skating and cat track riding may be required to get back to the lift, so snowboarders might not love Wolf Creek as much as skiers. However most powder hounds don’t mind the shortcomings of the lift layout as the powder rewards are enough to keep them having a howling good time. Wolf Creek is also a great gateway to the backcountry.
Where is Wolf Creek Ski Resort?
The Wolf Creek ski area is located on the Wolf Creek Pass between the towns of Pagosa Springs and South Fork. Wolf Creek is in southwest Colorado, 84 miles east of Durango on highway 160. Gateway airports include Albuquerque in New Mexico (247 miles away), Colorado Springs (192 miles to South Fork) and Denver International airport (244 miles to South Fork). Very limited shuttle transport options are available from the airports to the towns and then to Wolf Creek, so most people choose to drive.
Rental cars are available at all three airports. See the
getting to Wolf Creek page for more information.
Wolf Creek Lodging
There is no
Wolf Creek lodging on-mountain. Accommodations can be found in Pagosa Springs (23 miles west of Wolf Creek) and South Fork (18 miles east of Wolf Creek) in the form of hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and condos. The accommodations cater to a range of budgets, but the general rule of thumb is that the accommodations are very reasonably priced.
Facilities and Activities
Wolf Creek amenities include ski school for kids and adults, a cafeteria and other eateries, bar, equipment rental and two small shops. The limited facilities are more than adequate for basic needs and they cope well with the visitation numbers, with the exception of the Christmas to New Year period.
Activities in the Wolf Creek area are largely limited to skiing and snowboarding except for the hot springs in Pagosa Springs, and don’t have high expectations for many glamorous shops.