Copper Mountain

Once little more than a series of strip malls strung along the highway, Copper Mountain is now a thriving resort with a bustling base. The resort's heart is a pedestrian-only village anchored by Burning Stones Plaza, which is prime people-watching turf. High-speed ski lifts march up the mountain on one side of the plaza, and the other three sides are flanked by condominiums with retail shops and restaurants on the ground floors. Lodgings extend westward toward Union Creek and eastward to Copper Station, where a six-pack high-speed lift ferries skiers uphill.