Keystone Resort

Keystone Resort spreads over three mountains on US 6 in Summit County: Dercum Mountain above the base, North Peak and The Outback behind it, plus five hike-to or cat-served bowls. It opened in November 1970, founded by Max Dercum and Bill Bergman, and has belonged to Vail Resorts since 1997.

Keystone has about 3,150 skiable acres, 21 lifts and roughly 3,100 feet of vertical, topping out at about 12,400 feet. Its long groomed runs make it popular with families and intermediate skiers. The River Run Gondola, built in 2008, climbs from the River Run village to the Summit House on Dercum Mountain. Night skiing, once a Keystone speciality, is now limited: in 2025/26 lifts ran until 7 pm only on selected Fridays, Saturdays and holidays.

Thanks to large-scale snowmaking, Keystone is often the first resort in North America to open; in 2025 it opened on 25 October. For 2026/27 Vail Resorts said it would open "as soon as possible" in October. The season usually ends in early April. Keystone is on the Epic Pass, with unlimited days; buying an Epic Day Pass before the season is usually cheaper than paying at the window. Parking at River Run is paid.

In winter, Keystone Lake, a 5-acre lake in Lakeside Village, becomes one of the largest outdoor skating rinks in North America. Arapahoe Basin is about 6 miles further up US 6, and the free Summit Stage bus links Keystone with A-Basin, Dillon and the other Summit County towns.

From Denver, about 70 miles, take I-70 west to exit 205 at Dillon and follow US 6 east for about 6 miles.