The dynamic backcountry of Colorado is filled with breathtaking views, a wide range of options for all abilities, and a plethora of ski huts to choose from. Whether you’re new to the backcountry or a hardcore ski mountaineer chasing couloirs, Colorado has the Hut Traverses for you!

Hut Trips for Families: We know you love getting out there with your little ones in tow, here are some stellar options for you and your family. Don’t forget to mention if you have children when booking, kids twelve and under pay half price at most huts!

Shrine Mountain Inn
This fortress consists of three separate cabins with a total capacity of thirty-six people. It has a sauna, running water, and generator-powered electricity. Could you ask for anything else? What a perfect way to enjoy the backcountry with your family! The cabins are only 2.7 miles in from the Vail Pass trailhead.

Blue Lakes Hut
This hut is easily accessible for the whole family due to the wide dirt road leading right up to the hut. In the winter, the road makes for a low-angle, mellow 5.5-mile skin in. Once you arrive at the hut, there are perfect hills for sledding and learning to ski. In addition to families, Blue Lakes Hut is also good for intermediate and advanced skiers, as you can access a variety of terrain from the hut, as well as two other huts within seven miles. They all boast amazing views of the Sneffels Range.

Intermediate Hut Traverses: There are seemingly endless options to choose from when it comes to intermediate hut trips! Here are just a few of our favorites.

The Colorado Trail
The Colorado Trail is a long-distance hiking and mountain bike trail that covers 486 miles from the southwest of Denver, over the Rocky Mountains to Durango. There’s a beautiful, skiable seven-mile stretch from the Mountain Division Memorial Hut to Uncle Bud’s Hut. This is a very remote section of the trail and when covered with a white blanket of snow, the picturesque landscape converts itself into a Rocky Mountain winter wonderland!

San Juan Huts
Do the traverse from Burn Hut to Ridgway Hut to Blue Lakes Hut! This route travels along easy to moderate terrain through meadows, small summits, and beautiful aspens. The high point of the route, Wilson Creek Summit, is considered one of the most beautiful spots in Colorado for its stunning views of the entire Sneffels Range.

Advanced Ski Traverses: There are advanced hut traverses abound in this beautiful state!

Opa Taylor’s Hut
Opa’s hut is rad because it is in serious backcountry terrain with insane views! A GPS is mandatory and serious terrain challenges are present. There are two routes to get to this hut, one six-mile route via Express creek, and one super long one via Richmond Ridge, the first part of which is eleven miles. You can go from Richmond Ridge to Barnard Hut to Goodwin-Green Hut to Opa Taylor’s Hut for an adventurous and challenging loop. Budget four to five days to complete it, depending on avalanche conditions. How epic!

Eiseman Hut
This hut has it all! It’s the biggest hut within the 10th Mountain Division Huts (the most extensive hut system in North America) and sleeps sixteen. It has the biggest deck, and is the highest! You can see multiple mountain ranges from the massive deck, and there’s no shortage of lines, peaks, and couloirs to be skied. The approach is either 6.8 or 9.5 miles and is one of the more challenging routes in the system because of length and elevation gain. Never fear, it makes up for it with its seclusion and beauty!

Whatever your calling is, it can be answered here in the Colorado Rockies. Always make sure you go into the backcountry with the proper equipment, knowledge, and preparation. We’ll see you out there!

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