Loveland, the ski area that arcs across the east side of the Eisenhower Tunnel along Interstate 70, is one of Colorado's highest areas in terms of both altitude and annual snowfall. Chair 9 takes skiers and riders higher than any other four-passenger chairlift in the world. Loveland's terrain sprawls over a vast basin, largely above the timberline, and it is always one of the first ski areas to open and one of the last to close for the season. An excellent and totally separate beginner and novice area called Loveland Valley provides top-notch learn-to-ski terrain. The nearest accommodations are down the valley in Georgetown, but even if it's not a vacation destination, it's a great stopover for a half-day's skiing en route between Denver and one of the resorts to the west—or a convenient sneak-away during a business trip to the Mile High City.

Where: 53 miles from Denver, right off I-70.

What's There: 2,210-foot vertical drop, 93 trails, 1,570 acres, three quads, three triples, two doubles, one surface lift, one tow, and a snowboard park.