Susie Cormack Travel NOV 4, 2026

The Best Nonstop Flights from Denver to Western Ski Resorts This Winter

Want a break from I-70 traffic or need to connect in DIA? Below you'll find the most direct ways to get to your next ski destination. 

Flying over Salt Lake City, Utah.

Featured Image: Courtesy of Unsplash.com, Elizabeth Camp

The wait is over, and people in Colorado have already started clicking into their bindings, with Arapahoe Basin and Keystone opening last weekend. Which means it's time to start planning your next ski trip, if you haven’t already. While Colorado is known as one of the ski capitals of the U.S. and has some of the best skiing in the world, sometimes it's nice to take a long weekend and experience different terrain and powder, plus, take a break from the horrors of I-70 in the winter. 

With Denver International Airport (DIA) offering multiple nonstop flights to other ski destinations around the country, getting away for a ski weekend is easier than you might think. And if you don't live in Colorado, DIA can also serve as a connecting hub if your home airport doesn't offer nonstop flights to these destinations.

Over the next couple of weeks, FREESKIER will be rolling out a series of destinations you can reach from DIA via nonstop flights. From the Mountain West in the U.S. all the way over to Europe, we’ll be making our way around the world to help you figure out where your next ski vacation should be and, of course, how to get there.

Note* All airlines listed count one boot bag and one ski bag as one checked bag. If you decide to rent a car at any of these destinations, make sure you get a 4-wheel drive vehicle or, at least, an all-wheel drive rental with chains to handle snowy conditions. 

Utah

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)

Salt Lake City skyline

Photo: Courtesy of Unsplash.com, Brent Pace

Mountains 

Airlines with Direct Flights

  • United—Checked bag is $45 if you prepay or $50 at airport, each way

  • Delta—Checked bag is $45 each way 

  • Southwest—Checked bag is $45 each way 

Transportation 

Public transportation to all the resorts listed above is available from the airport. Take the airport tram into Salt Lake City, then transfer to a local bus service with routes to the resorts. For example, take the TRAX green line from the airport into downtown Salt Lake and then transfer to the TRAX blue line heading towards Midvale and Sandy stations to get to the Cottonwood Canyons. From Midvale take Bus 972 to Big Cottonwood Canyon (Solitude and Brighton) or take Bus 994 to Little Cottonwood Canyon (Alta and Snowbird). If you are trying to get to Park City and Deer Valley, take the the High Valley Transit 107 Commuter Bus to Kimball Junction in Park City. Depending on your hotel, a private shuttle service might be available. 

New Mexico

Santa Fe Regional Airport (SAF)

Taos Ski Valley, new Mexico

Photo: Susie Cormack

Mountains

Airlines with Direct Flights 

United—checked bag is $45 if you prepay or $50 at airport, each way

Transportation

Most people fly into Albuquerque when they come to New Mexico, but flying into Santa Fe actually puts you closer to most of the state’s ski resorts. If you fly into Santa Fe, then getting to ski Santa Fe is easy, as you can just Uber/Lyft into town, which is where you’ll stay since it does not have resort lodging. You take the NCRTD Route 255 Mountain Trail Bus into the valley on the days you want to ski. Taos Ski Valley and Angel Fire are about an hour and a half to two hours from Santa Fe, and you can reach both via private shuttle companies like Taos Rides , which also offers service to Angel Fire. The easiest way to get to Red River is by renting a car and driving from Santa Fe.

Wyoming

Jackson Hole Airport (JAC)

Skier at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Photo: Elise Sterck

Mountains


Airlines with Direct Flights 

  • United—checked bag is $45 if you prepay or $50 at airport, each way

Transportation

The START bus will be your friend for getting to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, as it runs from the airport to the town of Jackson, where you can transfer to the START Teton Village Bus route or board via the Stilson Lot. Getting to Grand Targhee using public transport is a bit harder, as there are no direct municipal bus lines from the airport. But the ski resort does provide private shuttle services from the airport starting at $340. You can book by calling the reservation number on their website. Another option is the GTR winter shuttle , which has multiple pick up locations around Jackson. The shuttle drops you off at the Targhee Plaza stairs around 9 a.m. and then picks you up at 4 p.m. to return to Jackson. Multiple packages offer a shuttle ride and lift ticket; you can find all prices and packages on Targhee's website .

Montana

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN)

Big Sky Resort, Montana

Photo: Courtesy of Unsplash.com, Ricky Beron

Mountains

Airlines with Direct Flights 

  • United—checked bag is $45 if you prepay or $50 at airport, each way

  • Southwest—checked bag is $45 each way 

Transportation

The main way to get from Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport to Big Sky Resort is by booking a private shuttle or renting a car. There is public transport available once you get to Bozeman, but you will need to take an Uber/Lyft from the airport. The Skyline bus in town offers direct service between Bozeman and the Big Sky area. Once you're in Big Sky, the local Skyline Big Sky service can get you around the village. Some of the private shuttle companies that can get you between the airport and Big Sky include Lone Mountain Limo , Peak Shuttle and Shuttle to Big Sky .

Glacier Park International Airport (FCA)

Whitefish Mountain Resort, Montana

Photo: Courtesy of Explore Whitefish

Mountains

Airlines with Direct Flights 

  • United—checked bag is $45 if you prepay or $50 at airport, each way

Transportation

Like many small mountain towns, there is no direct public transportation from the airport, but once you are in town, you have options. By taking an Uber or Lyft into Whitefish, you can access the S.N.O.W. Bus , which makes multiple stops around town and at Whitefish Lake to take people up to the resort. The bus runs multiple trips daily between town and the resort, so you don’t have to worry about being tied down to fixed times.

Idaho

Spokane International Airport (GEG)

Schweitzer Mountain, Idaho

Photo: Susie Cormack

Mountains

Airlines with Direct Flights 

  • United—checked bag is $45 if you prepay or $50 at airport, each way

  • Southwest—checked bag is $45 each way

Transportation

Getting to both of these mountains is a bit more of a feat than others, since Silver Mountain Resort is about an hour away and Schweitzer Mountain Resort is about two hours away. For both mountains, you’ll need to take a bus or Uber/Lyft to the Spokane Intermodal Center. From there, board the Amtrak Train to Sandpoint to get to Schweitzer or board the Jefferson Lines bus toward Kellogg to get to Silver Mountain. Once you get to Sandpoint, take local public transport like the S.P.O.T. Bus or resort shuttles to the ski village. The bus from Spokane to Kellogg drops you off right across from the gondola village, where you can find local taxis or walk to your lodging. Silver Valley Shuttle also offers private shuttle services from Spokane Airport to Silver Mountain Resort. 

Boise Airport (BOI) or Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN)

Sun Valley Resort

Photo: Courtesy of Unsplash.com, Drew Bernard

Mountains

Airlines with Direct Flights 

  • United—checked bag is $45 if you prepay or $50 at airport, each way

  • Southwest (Boise only)—checked bag is $45 each way 

  • Frontier (Boise only)—checked bag prices depend, check website

Transportation

Friedman Memorial Airport offers some of the easiest public transportation to Sun Valley: just board the free Mountain Ride shuttle and you'll get dropped off directly in front of the Sun Valley Lodge. Getting from Boise Airport to Sun Valley is a bit harder by public transit, so I would say renting a car is the best option if you fly into Boise. Tamarack Resort is on the north side of Lake Cascade, so getting there from Boise is usually best by rental car or private shuttle.

Washington

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

Seattle, Washington skyline

Photo: Courtesy of Unsplash.com, Stephen Plopper

Mountains

Airlines with Direct Flights 

  • United—checked bag is $45 if you prepay or $50 at airport, each way

  • Delta—checked bag is $45 each way 

  • Southwest—checked bag is $45 each way 

  • Frontier—checked bag price depends, check website 

  • Alaska—checked bag is $45 each way

Transportation

Crystal Mountain is south of Seattle near Mt. Rainier National Park, while Mt. Baker Ski Area is north of Seattle near the Canadian border, so getting to each is a little different. Unfortunately, there is no public transportation to Crystal Mountain, so your best options are a private shuttle service or renting a car. Mt. Baker Ski has no hotels at the base, so staying at nearby towns like Glacier, Maple Falls (45 minutes away) or Bellingham (1.5 hours away) is best. There is no direct transport from Seattle Airport to any of these towns, so you will need to combine intercity buses and trains or just rent a car.

Oregon

Portland International Airport (PDX)

Portland, Oregon skyline

Photo: Courtesy of Unsplash.com, Adam Blank

Mountains

Mt. Hood Ski Areas

Airlines with Direct Flights 

  • United—checked bag is $45 if you prepay or $50 at airport, each way

  • Southwest—checked bag is $45 each way 

  • Alaska—hecked bag is $45 each way 

  • Frontier (select weekly services)—checked bag price depends, check website


Transportation

Public transportation does run from the Portland airport to the Mt. Hood ski corridor (Mt. Hood Meadows, Ski Bowl and Timberline Lodge), but it involves a series of transfers. First, take the TriMet MAX Red Line from the airport to Gateway Transit Center, then transfer onto the Blue Line headed toward Gresham. Get off at Gresham Central Transit Center and board the SAM bus to Sandy Transit Center. Finally, from Sandy Transit Center, take the Mt. Hood Express, which runs along U.S. Route 26 and stops at all Mt. Hood resorts listed above. Of course, if you want to skip all of this, you can just rent a car, but we always love supporting public transportation.

California

Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO)

Skiing Lake Tahoe

Photo: Courtesy of Unsplash.com, Ethan Walsweer

Mountains

Airlines with Direct Flights 

  • United—checked bag is $45 if you prepay or $50 at airport, each way

  • Southwest—checked bag is $45 each way

Transportation

Since these resorts are spread out, with Mammoth Mountain farthest from the airport, there are multiple ways to get to each. The best way to get to Palisades Tahoe and Sugar Bowl Resort is to go to Truckee from the airport, either by public transport or Uber/Lyft, then take public transportation. To get from Truckee to Palisades Tahoe, take the Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit (TART) Highway 89 bus or the seasonal Park and Ride ski shuttles . For Sugar Bowl Resort, take the TART bus to the Cold Stream Rd TART stop, then transfer to the free Sugar Bowl Donner Summit Shuttle . Heavenly is on the southern side of Lake Tahoe, unlike Palisades and Sugar Bowl, which are north of Lake Tahoe. To get to that side of the lake where you can access Heavenly, take the South Tahoe Airporter . Mammoth Mountain is the farthest from the airport, taking around three hours of driving south to reach it. Due to this distance, I would say renting a car is best. But, there is a public bus, the ESTA Route 395 bus, that offers full service to Mammoth Lakes and is accommodating of gear. Other companies like Sierra Shuttle Service also provide direct service from the airport to Mammoth.

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