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A ski resort with terrain for all levels and closeby lodging, lots of apres ski activities and a good ski school make for great vacations on snow.

Most Popular Cooper Pass Ski Resorts

Planning a Cooper Pass ski trip? Browse our collection of skier and snowboarder-submitted reviews for Cooper Pass ski resorts to see which mountains claimed the top spot in each category. Cooper Pass reviews rank ski areas on a scale of one to five stars in the following categories: Overall Rating, All-Mountain Terrain, Nightlife, Terrain Park and Family Friendly. See how your favorite Cooper Pass ski area stacks up among the top rated in terms of skiing and après.

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Cooper Pass Ski Resorts FAQ

Cooper Pass

There’s an “under-the-radar” ski pass out there you may have missed in the monster promotion battle of the Epic Pass, Ikon Pass, Indy Pass, Mountain Collective, and other pass products out there.

It’s well worth another (or first) look and it’s called the Cooper Pass and it's not just Cooper. It's Cooper plus another three days at 53 other ski areas.

What's Cooper?

It’s Cooper Mt., one of the oldest, most authentic ski areas in Colorado and among the oldest in the nation. It opened in 1942 and served as the training site for the famed 10th Mountain Division, the ski-troopers based at close by Camp Hale during World War II. Think near Leadville (remember the Unsinkable Molly Brown?). It’s 10 miles away on Tennessee Pass.

Cooper is no slouch of a mountain, even as it’s off the beaten mega-resort path. Its 64 trails, are spread over 480 lift-served acres and are serviced by five lifts. The top elevation is a “breathtaking” 11,700 feet, while it all starts at 10,500 feet. Snowmaking by man, shall we say, is hardly necessary. The mountain averages 260 inches of soft stuff each year. Lift lines? Nope. Glitz and glamour? Nope. There’s also a snowcat operation on Chicago Ridge with 2,600 acres of powder.

What does the Cooper Pass cost?

So, if this is your cup of snow and you live within a few hours, the season pass at Ski Cooper alone is a deal at $299 ($149 for kids 6-14). Returning pass holders get a break. Starting with unlimited skiing at Cooper. That means you can ski or ride here any day the mountain is open.

But you don’t ever have to set ski on Cooper to make buying this pass a bargain and a half. The marketers at this classic ski area, figuratively one long snowball’s throw from glitzy Vail, have pulled off reciprocal use of its pass at 53 member ski areas all across the USA and even one in Spain.

What are Cooper Pass Partner Resorts?

You can the Cooper Pass for three days at each member ski area listed below. Of course, there are some blackout days.

Rocky Mountains: Colorado -- Ski Cooper (unlimited); Loveland, Sunlight, Powderhorn, Monarch Mountain.

UtahPowder Mountain, Eagle Point, Cherry Peak.

MontanaGreat Divide.

WyomingSnow King, Snow Ridge.

IdahoPebble Creek, Soldier Mountain, Bogus Basin, Brundage.

New MexicoRed River, Ski Apache, Angel Fire.

Far West: Oregon – Mt. Hood Skibowl

Nevada – Diamond Peak, Lee Canyon.

California – Mt.Baldy, Snow Valley.

AlaskaEaglecrest.

Midwest: IowaSeven Oaks.

MinnesotaBuck Hill, Mont de Lac.

Wisconsin – The Rock Snowpark, Little Switzerland, Nordic Mountain.

Michigan – Crystal Mountain, Pine Mountain, Big Snow Resorts, Blackjack, Indianhead, Powderhorn, Marquette Mountain, Mt. Ripley.

East: PennsylvaniaSeven Springs, Hidden Valley, Laurel Mountain, Tussey Mountain.

New York: Plattekill, Hidden Valley, Greek Peak.

New HampshireWhaleback, Black Mt., Dartmouth Skiway, McIntyre.

MaineLost Valley.

Rhode IslandYawgoo Valley.

International: SpainMasella.

What are the benefits of the Cooper Pass?

Do the math. If you are among the ski wandering tribe, this simple-to-use pass is totally uncomplicated. You can use it for three days at each member ski area. There are some blackout days.

This pass compares favorably with the Indy Pass: the same type of ski areas (relatively small and laid back), but while the Indy Pass has roughly 80 areas, you can only ski them twice.  The Cooper Pass has a bit over half that number, but you can ski each one for three days.

If all this adds up to your kind of skiing and riding fun, don’t go for the Big Boy passes at first blush, because there might be a Cooper in your future.

For the latest and most up to date information on the Cooper Pass, visit 2021/22 Buyer's Guide: Cooper Ski Pass

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