Mountain Coasters in Colorado

During my stay in Nederland, Colorado, I visited all the mountain coasters in Colorado that I could! The only one I missed is one way down in Durango, which was too far away.

Mountain coasters can generally be found at ski resorts, or at least in a ski town. They offer them as an attraction during the summer but some also run in the winter when the snow isn’t too high. One coaster crew told me they send a special cart down with a plow/brush attachment to clear the snow when it gets above the tracks.

Riding all the mountain coasters in Colorado is an expensive endeavor. At best, you’re paying ~$30 to ride ONE ride. At some resorts, not only do you have to buy a ticket for the coaster, but also a ticket for a gondola to get you up to where the coaster is. There might be (free) trails up to the summit, but that takes quite a bit of time and effort. The way I did it, I got most of them knocked out in a two-day weekend.

GoldRunner at Breckenridge

The first coaster I tried is the GoldRunner at Breckenridge Ski Resort. This is by far my least favorite of all the mountain coasters in Colorado. You can’t see it from the road, so I drove around for a bit before realizing that there is one little day-use parking garage at the ski resort. And you have to pay a full day’s rate ($17) whether you’re there for 8 hours or just 20 minutes, like me. To compare, almost all the other resorts offer free parking during the summer.

And the coaster itself? It’s too slow and too short; definitely not worth the trip just to ride it. Lose articles aren’t allowed on the ride, so I left everything in my car. I didn’t even take any pictures! It was that disappointing. The cost to ride the coaster is $29, plus the $17 parking fee. The GoldRunner doesn’t run at all during the winter. Summer activities at Breckenridge start the last weekend in June.

Other Summer Activities

If you’re in the area during the summer and are just dying for something to do, it might be slightly more worth your time to do a package deal. Besides the steel-tracked mountain coaster, there are two old-school fiberglass-trough alpine slides, mini-golf, bungee trampolines (like you see in the mall), a kid’s ropes course, a kid’s zip line, gold panning, a scenic chair lift, a climbing wall, and a larger ropes course. A Pioneer Pack will give you one-time access to three of those activities. An Adventure Pass includes all-day access to all of them. Pass prices aren’t currently listed on the website (and a phone call to a representative wasn’t fruitful.) The best I can find is that an all-access pass was $82 when it opened in 2017, so I imagine it’s at least a little more expensive now.

Free Gondola

Here’s one perk that I didn’t realize: I drove halfway up the mountain to find GoldRunner. But you can park at the base of the mountain and take a gondola to the resort for free! You still have to pay for parking at the base, but you can park for free in a satellite lot on Airport road, take a shuttle bus to the gondola, then ride the gondola up, if you want to put in the effort.

Rocky Mountain Coaster at Copper Mountain

Very close to Breckenridge is Copper Mountain and the Rocky Mountain Coaster. This one is more of an in-town experience. The closest parking is a paid lot but not much farther is free parking by the highway. What I almost missed here is the place to pay! It’s a small shack and I walked right by it.

I enjoyed the Rocky Mountain Coaster much more than the GoldRunner! It’s much longer and more scenic, though I still think it’s on the slow side. I could also take my purse, which means it’s the only coaster for which I have some on-ride video. (Only going up the lift hill – I don’t want to risk losing my phone on the downhill!) It is a slightly rougher track, with cars that are different from every other mountain coaster. While it’s a little jankier, it’s definitely worth a visit.

The cost to ride the Rocky Mountain Coaster is $29, and with free parking and no gondola, that’s the total price, making it easy for a drop-in ride when you’re just passing through. And this one operates all year round! Though be prepared for it to close due to weather or snow removal. Regular hours are 10 am-4 pm in the winter, and not much more than that in the summer.

In the same area is snow tubing, a trampoline barn, a sledding area, a snow maze, and there are even free ski tours down a beginner’s slope to learn about nature and history. In the summer, there’s a climbing wall, bumper boats, go-karts, zip line, and mini-golf.

Forest Flyer in Vail

In Vail is where things get noticeably pricier. The Vail mountain coaster is the Forest Flyer at the top of the mountain, and you must buy a gondola ticket to ride it. But that gondola ticket works at the Lionshead Village gondola (where the Forest Flyer is), at Vail Village, and down the road at Beaver Creek Resort.

Lionshead Village

When you get off the highway and head right, there’s a large parking deck for Lionshead Village. It’s free to park during the summer unless you stay there overnight. Vail overall is pretty touristy, and the Bavarian-inspired Lionshead Village seems to be the newer tourist section. Buy your tickets for the Forest Flyer near the gondola. The whole package will cost you $75 per person.

The Forest Flyer is a little different in that you do the fast part down the mountain first, then take the long, slow lift hill back to the top. I really enjoyed the ride, it’s very smooth and professionally operated. They pay attention to the rules here – you have to wear closed-toed shoes and if you have long hair, you’ve got to pull it back out of your face, which makes total sense! And there are hooks to leave any loose items at the loading dock.

I don’t remember if you can ride it more than once on your pass. I know that after one ride, I didn’t feel the need to ride it again. Otherwise, there are some walking trails, an overlook, a ropes course, and a zip line. I think to do everything costs closer to $100 per person. And at Vail, like most of these ski resorts, all the downhill ski portions are carved into mountain biking trails for the summer. You and your bike take the gondola to the top, then bike back down.

The Forest Flyer (and, I imagine, the entire Eagle’s Nest summer area) is closed for the winter until late June. In general, the hours for the coaster are 10 am-3 pm.

Vail Village

Your $75 also gets you on the gondola at Vail Village, the original tourist part of town. Even so, there’s a parking garage here that’s also free for the summer, so it’s still easy enough to get around. I think there’s even a bus system connecting all the sections of Vail as well. Vail Village is a bit nicer, a touch more Swiss, but still very touristy. I enjoyed walking around and taking the gondola to the top and back.

Beaver Creek

In an effort to get as much out of my $75 as possible, I also drove a bit farther to Beaver Creek Resort and liked it much better than touristy Vail. There are fewer souvenir shops and more art galleries here. At one point, a string trio played in the plaza. It’s all very upscale and much calmer.

Breathtaker at Aspen Snowmass

My favorite mountain coaster in this area is the Breathtaker in Aspen. Not only is the Aspen Snowmass resort really beautiful and not so touristy, but a $67 ticket also provides unlimited rides on the gondola, the Breathtaker coaster, and an open chair lift up to the 11,000-foot summit. I ended up spending half a day here, ate lunch, rode the coaster twice, and I really enjoyed the chair lift to the very top. It was so peaceful and the views are amazing!

The Breathtaker is an amazing ride. It’s smooth, long, fast, and you wind through the trees like a proper mountain coaster. I really enjoyed the ride staff here, they are very proud of the Breathtaker and are a lot of fun! I was able to leave my stuff at the loading platform with no problem.

The Breathtaker is open year-round. During the summer, the hours are 10:30 am-4 pm. In the winter, it’s 11 am-3:30 pm, and it’s not open every day. As always make sure to check the calendar before your visit. I swear I was told when I bought my ticket was that one ride on the coaster and gondola would cost me $65, but for two dollars more, I could get unlimited rides. Looking online, it shows three coaster rides plus snow tubing, the other winter activity, at that $67 price. In the summer, there’s a climbing wall, hiking trails, and a ropes course.

Outlaw at Steamboat Springs

The longest mountain coaster in North America is the Outlaw coaster at Steamboat Springs. While the rest of the mountain coasters in Colorado I’ve referred to so far are basically along the I-70 highway from Denver, Steamboat Springs is a solid two hours north. I drove all the way out there to make it within the hours that were posted online, but the whole area was closed and looked like it was under refurbishment. And while the coaster did indeed look huge, it’s all by itself on the cleared hillside. It doesn’t weave in and out of the trees, which I prefer.

Their website says the Outlaw coaster is open during the winter, from 11 am-4:30 pm Mondays-Wednesdays, and until 8:30 pm Thursdays-Sundays through March. Hours of operation can change due to weather, however. I’d still love to try it, especially since it’s only $25 to ride and $45 for unlimited rides. There were several other activities set up, but as I said, it all looked under construction and/or temporary during my visit.

Mustang Coaster in Estes Park

On another weekend visit to Estes Park, I rode the newest mountain coaster in Colorado, the Mustang. It’s a little way out of town, but by buying my tickets at a ticket window in town, I was able to save $5 on a three-ride pass. And that’s definitely the way to go here! It’s a fast, short coaster with a fun crew. You’ll definitely want to ride it more than once. I especially like that there’s a good drop near the top to get your speed up, and the views are fantastic.

Since it’s a little out of town, it has its own free parking lot. I put my stuff in my car before riding.

You can buy one ride for just $20, but I really recommend the three-ride pass for $35, even more so if you get that $5 off discount in town. The Mustang is open year-round but maybe not every day, especially in the winter months. And hours vary anywhere between 10 am-5 pm in the summers to 12:30-4 pm on certain days in the winter. Make sure to check the calendar (or even call ahead!) before you go, especially in winter.

In Conclusion

As always, make sure you check hours, calendars, and weather before you go, especially in the winter months. Most of these coasters are only open in the 10-4 range, but they vary widely and are rarely open in the evenings, even in the summer, unlike their Pigeon Forge counterparts. And there doesn’t seem to be any reduced fares for re-rides like there is at the Smoky Mountain ones.

At every mountain coaster in Colorado, you’ll have to sign some sort of waiver form. If you visit several in one day, some of the resorts are in the same system and your waiver wristband will work for multiple locations.

All prices are for single riders, no matter what age, though there is generally an over 54-56″ requirement to ride alone, or over 3 and 38″ to ride as a passenger with an adult, and that “adult” has to be at least 16. Sometimes, there is a listed reduced price for the second passenger, usually around $15, but not usually. There’s also a maximum weight limit for each cart, usually around the 330-375 lb. mark. If you fall in the margins on any of these requirements, make sure to check the specifics for the mountain coaster you want to ride. (And since I got curious about the requirements, I ended up making the “at-a-glance” section below. Hope it helps!)

At A Glance

GoldRunner

Location: Breckenridge Ski Resort
Price: $29, $15 extra for passengers in the same sled
Extra costs: $17 for parking at the resort or at the base of the mountain
Gondola: you can take a free gondola from the base
Hours: not listed, opens last weekend in June, not open during the winter
Parking: Paid, or free in a satellite lot off Airport Rd.
Requirements: 54″ or taller to ride alone, 38″-53″ as a passenger
One-line review: too short, too slow, not worth it

Rocky Mountain Coaster

Location: Copper Mountain
Price: $29
Extra costs: none
Gondola: none
Hours: 11-4 in the winter, may close for weather
Parking: paid and free are close by
Requirements: 52″ and age 9+ to ride alone, passengers 36″-52″ and at least 3 yrs old, combined weight not to exceed 300 lbs, taller rider must be at least 16.
One-line review: a little janky but well worth a quick visit

Forest Flyer

Location: Vail, Lionshead Village
Price: $75, includes gondola
Extra costs: must pay for a package deal
Gondola: required to ride, but you get access to three different gondolas
Hours: 11-3, not open during the winter, reopens last weekend in June
Parking: Free day parking in Lionshead parking deck, Vail Village, and Beaver Creek Resort
Requirements: 54″-84″ and to ride alone, passengers 38″-54″ and age 3+, drivers at least 16 w/ passenger, combined weight 330 lbs.
One-line review: Worth it to see Vail, but very touristy. Make sure to ride all the gondolas!

Breathtaker

Location: Aspen Snowmass Resort
Price: $67, includes gondola, chair lift to the summit, and unlimited (or three) rides
Extra costs: Must pay the package price
Gondola: Yes
Hours: 11-3:30 in the winter, not open every day but open some nights to 7:30. 10:30-4 in the summer.
Parking: Free during the summer
Requirements: 54″-84″ and to ride alone, passengers at least 38″, drivers at least 16 w/ passenger, combined weight 330-375 lbs., depending on weather
One-line review: Absolutely my favorite! Ride as much as you can, and hang out at this lovely resort.

Outlaw Mountain Coaster

Location: Steamboat Ski Resort
Price: $25 for a single ride, $45 for unlimited rides
Extra costs: I only saw pay lots in the immediate area
Gondola: No
Hours: 11-4:30, until 8:30 Thurs-Sun until March 27
Parking: Paid(?)
Requirements: 54″-84″ and to ride alone, passengers 38″-54″ and age 3+, drivers at least 16 w/ passenger, combined weight 330-375 lbs., dependent on weather.
One-line review: I didn’t get to ride but I don’t like that it’s not in the woods.

Mustang Mountain Coaster

Location: Estes Park
Price: $20 for a single ride, $35 for three rides, get $5 off when you buy in town
Extra costs: None
Gondola: No
Hours: Varies by season and day of the week, from 10-5 Mon-Sat in the summer to 12:30-4 Sundays in the winter
Parking: Free
Requirements: 56″ to ride alone, at least 3 and 38″ to ride as a passenger, not to exceed 330 lbs per cart, older rider must be 16+ and a head taller than the passenger.
One-line review: Short but fast and fun, definitely get the 3-ride ticket.