Buttermilk Ski Resort Review & Information

Buttermilk Ski Resort Review

Buttermilk Ski Resort Website:https://www.aspensnowmass.com/our-mountains/buttermilk

Buttermilk Ski Resort Trail Map

Buttermilk Ski Resort Rating: ★★★★ (4/5 Stars)

Summary: Buttermilk Ski Resort is one of four Aspen Snowmass Mountains located in Aspen, Colorado. Buttermilk is home of the X Games and the best terrain parks in the area. Don’t let the massive jumps scare you though, Buttermilk offers the easiest terrain between all four Aspen Snowmass Ski Resorts. Buttermilk is a fantastic place to ski or ride if you have never stood on skis or are a seasoned snowboarder. 

Parking: Buttermilk Ski Resort has a few free lots at the base of the mountain that will 100% fill up on weekends and holidays. If this lot is full, view this page for more information about parking at the mountain. 

Season Pass: As of the 2019-2020 Season, Buttermilk Ski Resort offers two options for season passes: The Aspen Snowmass Season pass or limited skiing & riding from the Ikon Pass. 

Strengths:

• Chances are, even if you have not heard of Buttermilk, you have heard of the X Games which take place here each year. Buttermilk is full of terrain parks aimed at beginners to experts. Without a doubt, Buttermilk has the best parks of the four Aspen resorts. 
• Looking for tree runs? Look no further, Buttermilk has a sneaky amount of trees and most of the runs are pretty wide open and can often be untouched, even days after a storm. 
• Buttermilk Ski Resort offers the easiest terrain of the four Aspen Highlands mountains. This is an ideal mountain for the beginner or intermediate rider or skier. 
• All three of the main Buttermilk ski lifts are updated and fast.
• Buttermilk offers great uphill access for those looking to skin up the mountain. With only 2,030 ft of vertical gain, it’s a fairly easy mountain to do it on as well. 
• Unlike the other three Aspen ski areas, Buttermilk offers free skier and rider parking at the base of the resort in a parking lot. The lot does fill up on weekends and can have limited parking before and right after the X Games take place. 

Weaknesses:  

• Buttermilk Ski Resort does not offer a ton of tough terrain. To be honest, even the black diamonds they do have are probably closer to a blue square at most other resorts. 
• Since Buttermilk is an easier mountain, it tends to attract a lot of lessons (children, beginners etc.) which can form rather large groups on the mountain. Certainly there needs to be a place for this, but these types of skiers or riders may lack the mountain etiquette that more advanced athletes may have. 
• This is a somewhat small mountain at only 470 usable acres. If you are looking to spend multiple days here, expect to get pretty familiar with the mountain. 
• Parking for Buttermilk is shared with a few other spots (Aspen Highlands and Aspen Mountain) so the lot can fill up pretty quickly on weekends or holidays.
• The base area of Buttermilk does offer amenities, but nothing compared to what Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands or Snowmass offer. 

Mick’s Tip: When you are planning a trip to Aspen and powder might not be in the forecast, Buttermilk is a good option to check out. Since the mountain attracts a more novice crowd (vs the other three locations), Buttermilk tends to hold stashes of snow longer than its neighboring resorts. The mountain has a ton of intermediate tree runs that are perfect for the rider or skier looking to dabble in the glades. When you need a break from your day on the mountain, be sure to stop by the Cliffhouse restaurant which has fantastic views and some solid food (check out the chicken tenders or Pho). 

Best Views: Without a doubt, the best views from Buttermilk can be found on the East Summit (top of Tiehack or Summit Express lifts). Views of neighboring Highland Peak, Aspen Highlands and Pyramid Peak can be seen on a clear day.

Pictures from Buttermilk Ski Resort