Copper Mountain Information

Apres-ski

Copper Mountain works hard on its après-ski vibe, with concerts and events laid on to help keep the base of the slopes buzzing. The choice of ski bars and other après ski activities is focused in the original heart of the resort.

The Incline Bar & Grill (tel: +1 970 968 0200) has become somewhat of a resort institution, thanks in part to its selection of draught beers and three-hour long happy hour from 1500 to 1800.

Endo's Adrenaline Café (tel: +1 970 968 3070) and JJ's Rocky Mountain Tavern (tel: +1 970 968 3062) in the East Village offer live music, while The Storm King Lounge (tel: +1 970 968 3083) has a curious mix of sushi, pool, darts and cocktails.

Eating out

There is a good choice of restaurants in Copper Mountain, with further choices in Frisco.

Tuckers Tavern (tel: +1 970 968 2033) is famed for its pizza but also serves a great steak. For an upmarket option the CB Grille (tel: +1 970 968 3113;www.cbgrille.com) offers elk, steak and fish cooked over a wood fire grill. JJ's Rocky Mountain Tavern (tel: +1 970 968 3062) and Endo's Adrenaline Café (tel: +1 970 968 3070) offer designer burgers.

Among the non-American-style options, there's sushi at the intimate Storm King Lounge (tel: +1 970 968 2318) and excellent Mexican fare – and margaritas – at Casa Sanchez (tel: +1 970 698 2081).

For the sweet tooth there's Belgian Bean (tel: +1 970 968 3306), famed for its waffles, and Sugar Lips Mini Donuts (tel: +1 970 968 2520), stocking a variety of the delicious sugary desserts.

Resort Information

Beyond the slopes

Copper Mountain resort is made up of charming buildings with pedestrianised areas lined with shops and restaurants that are divided into several districts.

Off-slope activities in and around the resort include ice skating, tubing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing; while there is also a very good swimming pool and athletic club. For a backcountry experience, Copper Mountain runs snowcat excursions at weekends (on a first-come, first-served basis) that are included in the lift ticket cost.

The Woodward Copper facility (tel: +1 888 350 1544; www.woodwardcopper.com) is a year round indoor training centre for freestyle snowsports as well as a space for activities like skateboarding and trampolining.

A wander around the nearby town of Frisco is a nice day out and it would take a very determined person not to be wooed by the discount shops of Silverthorne.

Family fun

There are multiple family-friendly facilities at Copper Mountain.

Childcare for six-month- to six-year-olds is available at the crèche at the bottom of the slopes. There's also frequent 'Kids' Night Out' evenings involving pizza, games and videos – an excellent initiative but with slightly unusual terms of service: children can partake in the three hour activity for free, providing parents spend at least $30 in any commercial outlet at the resort during the same period. For longer childcare periods - without the strange conditions - parents can opt for standard babysitting services (tel: +1 970 968 2318).

The children's terrain park introduces young boarders and freestyle skiers to the excitement of rails, boxes, jumps and a mini-pipe.

Retail therapy

There's a small selection of quirky shops in Copper Mountain, plus ski outlets selling branded Copper Mountain sweatshirts and souvenirs. For more choice, head to the outlets mall at Silverthorne (tel: +1 866 746 7686; www.outletsatsilverthorne.com), offering more than 50 factory outlet stores – including designer names such as Banana Republic, Chicos, Columbia, Guess, Nike and many more – in three adjoining shopping centres.

Splashing out

Take an evening sleigh ride up the mountain followed by dinner in an old miners' tent. The event starts in the historic Wheeler Barn with the jingle of the arriving sleigh, pulled by draft horses. Snuggled beneath blankets, guests head up to the tent, where hot toddies, live music and a hearty dinner await. The evening can be booked through the resort's information office.

Hotels

The modern, purpose-built village of Copper Mountain consists of wood-and-stone-clad convenient slopeside condominiums, most of which are interconnected by walkways and separated by squares. The expansion of the resort over the years has led to the creation of several 'districts' that are connected by a shuttle bus service; so it is worth checking exactly where accommodation is located when you're booking. For larger, upmarket hotels, head to Frisco.

Luxury

Moderate

Cheap