Kendall Mountain Ski Area

By Amanda May
Staff Writer
Rockies.com

Kendall Mountain, in Silverton, Colorado, is a small ski area in the San Juan and Jemez Mountains.

The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is one of the attractions in the area near Kendall Mountain Ski Area. (Colorado Tourism Office)

This mini ski area has 35 acres of skiable terrain and about a third of the vertical drop compared to other Colorado Resorts.

Kendall is a nice compliment to Silverton Mountain Ski Area, which has only steep expert-only terrain. It’s the perfect place to drop your kids at when you’re headed to Silverton!

Although it’s a small resort, it is still in the Colorado Rockies, receiving over 15 feet of snow per year.

The terrain is moderately varied on the 11 area trails and is dominated by easy terrain.

The ski is most frequented by Durango weekenders and locals in the area. There are some lodging options if you’re willing to drive a bit, but not tons, so make reservations before you arrive.

The hill is broken down into three slopes, all with panoramic views of the gorgeous snow-capped San Juan Mountains that surround the area.

Kendall Mountain advertises itself as being “The Cheapest Ski Area in the West,” with lift tickets as low as $10.

The ski lift operates from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Other area winter activities include ice-skating, sledding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.

The Town Loop is a short trail around the outskirts of town popular with cross-country skiers, as well as Molas Pass, which goes by Molas Lake, Andrews Lake and Little Molas Lake.

There are 150 miles of snowmobiling trail around the area. Access them from town or Molas Pass.

Off-piste skiing is plentiful in the area as well. In fact, 80% of the land surrounding Silverton is public, and therefore available for backcountry skiing. Guided Snowcat skiing is available in these areas.

Another big draw to the area is the Durango and Silverton narrow-gauge railroad, which still runs through the area.