Resort in I 70 Corridor, COArapahoe Basin
Tier ASki areaApproved
Official trail map from Arapahoe Basin Web page · opens in a new tab
Live cams
Open live cams Estimated arapahoebasin.com · opens in a new tab · Last verified Oct 13, 2026
- Passes
- Ikon Pass: unlimited EstimatedFrom a search result for this page; page not opened.2026/27 season · No blackout dates · Last verified Oct 13, 2026 · 26/27 Ikon Pass
Overview
Arapahoe Basin, often called A Basin or The Basin, sits south of Loveland Pass on U.S. Highway 6 in Summit County, Colorado, about 68 miles west of Denver. It is known for its extended season and extreme terrain, and it mostly draws advanced and expert skiers. Lifts often run from mid October into June, and the 2018 to 2019 season lasted 258 days. Larry and Marnie Jump, Max Dercum and Sandy Shaufler started it, and it opened in 1946. Alterra Mountain Company bought it in November 2024.
Culture
Arapahoe Basin left Vail Resorts' Epic Pass after the 2018 to 2019 season and joined the Ikon Pass. Its Il Rifugio, at 12,456 feet, is the highest elevation restaurant in North America. Summit County had 31,055 residents in 2020, and 58.7 percent of its housing units were vacant. In nearby Frisco, housing costs by 2025 had forced many workers, ski instructors among them, into homelessness while they kept their jobs.
Sources: Arapahoe Basin (Wikipedia), Summit County, Colorado (Wikipedia), Frisco, Colorado (Wikipedia)
Career
Hourly pay by certification
Hourly pay by certification level| Certification | Hourly pay |
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| No certification | $20 Published Last verified Oct 11, 2026 · Arapahoe Basin Ski & Ride School Instructor, Part Time (Alterra Workday JR132062) |
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| Level 1 | $21 Published Last verified Oct 11, 2026 · Arapahoe Basin Ski & Ride School Instructor, Part Time (Alterra Workday JR132062) |
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| Level 2 | $22 to $22.75 Published Last verified Oct 11, 2026 · Arapahoe Basin Ski & Ride School Instructor, Part Time (Alterra Workday JR132062) |
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| Level 3 | $23.50 Published Last verified Oct 11, 2026 · Arapahoe Basin Ski & Ride School Instructor, Part Time (Alterra Workday JR132062) |
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| unspecified | $20.50 to $35.25 Published Last verified Oct 11, 2026 · Arapahoe Basin Ski & Ride School Instructor, Part Time (Alterra Workday JR132062) |
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