Reds backyard
Copper
In a time where skiing seems increasingly less accessible, it's awesome to see some of the big mountains coming through. To be able to hike real quality park features for free it's the kind of thing you really love to see. All you need to do is grab a ticket(free) and sign a waiver for liability. Obviously some of these resorts aren't the closest for many people, but it's very cool of them to offer either way.
Ruby Hill
Growing ever less janky Ruby Hill in Denver might be one of the most legit free setups out there. The climate doesn't allow for a very long season, but the rails and the built are very proper. It's a hike park, but there's several lines, and the hike back up isn't very long. This park gives you the opportunity to hit a few rails in a line, or just session one feature. It brings the feels of hiking that rail in the middle of the park to the backyard vibes. For the short time it's open, this place is pretty damn epic.
Indian Lake Ski Area
My sister and I got hooked on skiing through the local mountain(Oak). Unfortunately a season or two after it closed down for a while. We couldn't afford passes to gore and some of the other mountains, but we found this gem of a hill. Very small, but it had two trails and a tbar. It wasn't much but it was free, and it was skiing. We were still able to get a few days in at Gore through the local school program, but the ski hill in Indian Lake helped to keep us outside more. Lapping the same trails over and over on my red atomic straight skis, smiling every minute. Places like this are great to get kids into skiing, and to keep skiing around in peoples lives.
These school programs and free or cheap ski hills are responsible for getting many of us into this sport we love.
Copper
In a time where skiing seems increasingly less accessible, it's awesome to see some of the big mountains coming through. To be able to hike real quality park features for free it's the kind of thing you really love to see. All you need to do is grab a ticket(free) and sign a waiver for liability. Obviously some of these resorts aren't the closest for many people, but it's very cool of them to offer either way.
Ruby Hill
Growing ever less janky Ruby Hill in Denver might be one of the most legit free setups out there. The climate doesn't allow for a very long season, but the rails and the built are very proper. It's a hike park, but there's several lines, and the hike back up isn't very long. This park gives you the opportunity to hit a few rails in a line, or just session one feature. It brings the feels of hiking that rail in the middle of the park to the backyard vibes. For the short time it's open, this place is pretty damn epic.
Indian Lake Ski Area
My sister and I got hooked on skiing through the local mountain(Oak). Unfortunately a season or two after it closed down for a while. We couldn't afford passes to gore and some of the other mountains, but we found this gem of a hill. Very small, but it had two trails and a tbar. It wasn't much but it was free, and it was skiing. We were still able to get a few days in at Gore through the local school program, but the ski hill in Indian Lake helped to keep us outside more. Lapping the same trails over and over on my red atomic straight skis, smiling every minute. Places like this are great to get kids into skiing, and to keep skiing around in peoples lives.
These school programs and free or cheap ski hills are responsible for getting many of us into this sport we love.
