Colorado tours and day trips from Denver, compared

Colorado this week: Breck is open, Vail opens Friday, Trail Ridge Road is closed, and Maroon Bells is closed for winter

Updated November 12, 2026. Mountain conditions change fast, so check the linked official source on the day you travel.

• Colorado's ski season has started. Arapahoe Basin opened on October 28, with the Black Mountain Express serving the High Noon run (Arapahoe Basin). Keystone opened on October 30 with more than 2 miles of terrain on Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon off the Montezuma Express, reached by the River Run Gondola (Summit Daily). Loveland opened on November 7, with Chet's Dream lift serving Catwalk, Mambo and Home Run (Loveland, CBS Colorado). Copper Mountain opened on Sunday, November 8, with American Eagle lift access to Rhapsody, Fair Play and Main Vein (Summit Daily, Copper Mountain, CBS Colorado). Breckenridge, which delayed its planned November 6 opening because of warm overnight temperatures, opened on Wednesday, November 11, with the BreckConnect Gondola and the Colorado SuperChair serving intermediate terrain on Springmeier on Peak 8 (Vail Resorts, Summit Daily, CBS Colorado). Winter Park is still making snow and says it will open as soon as possible, with no date announced yet (Winter Park). Still planned: Vail on Friday, November 13 (Vail Daily, Discover Vail), Steamboat on November 21, Beaver Creek on November 25, and Aspen Mountain and Snowmass on November 26 (Teton Gravity Research). Compare ski resorts near Denver or book an airport ski shuttle.
• Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park is closed between Many Parks Curve on the east side and the Colorado River Trailhead on the west. The park closed it at 5 p.m. on October 23 for snow and freezing temperatures, and the NPS road status page, last updated November 5, still lists that closure (NPS, Denver Gazette). Call the recorded status line at 970-586-1222 before you drive up. Timed entry is over for 2026, so you only need an entrance pass, and Bear Lake Road stays open all year (NPS). RMNP tours that run below the closure
• Cottonwood Pass between Buena Vista and Taylor Park is closed for the winter. The gates on both the Chaffee and Gunnison County sides were locked at 9 a.m. on Monday, November 2 (Chaffee County Times, Gunnison County). Independence Pass (CO 82 between Aspen and Twin Lakes) is closed for the winter after CDOT made the October 31 storm closure seasonal on November 3; it usually reopens around Memorial Day weekend. The west side stays open to the Lincoln Creek turnoff through November 15 for hunters. From Denver, drive I-70 to Glenwood Springs, then CO 82 to Aspen (Aspen Times, Independence Pass Foundation). Check COtrip.org the morning you drive. Scenic drives that stay open in winter
• Maroon Bells: the last day to visit was November 9, and Maroon Creek Road closed for the winter on November 10. The Bells can't be reached until the road reopens, typically around May 15, 2027. Reservations for 2027 open in February (Visit Maroon Bells). Aspen and Maroon Bells guide
• Pikes Peak Highway is on fall and winter hours: the gate opens at 9 a.m., the last car goes up at 3 p.m., and the summit closes at 4 p.m. Weather can close all or part of the road, so call (719) 385-7325 the day you go (Pikes Peak Highway). Pikes Peak tours
• The traction law can be put in effect on I-70 and any state highway. When it's on, your tires need at least 3/16-inch tread and an all-weather, M+S or winter rating, or you must carry chains or an approved traction device. A ticket costs $100 plus a $33 surcharge (CDOT). Our traction law guide. Renting for a mountain trip? Compare AWD SUVs at Denver airport.