Colorado ski areas come alive after dark. Here’s how to keep the fun going.

With so few hours of daylight, winter ski vacations often feel like a race against time. How can you pack in as much skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, hot tubbing and ice skating as possible before the sun goes down?

The answer? You don’t have to. At many Colorado ski areas, you can keep the fun going even after it gets dark. Here are some of our favorite nighttime activities to help you make the most of your getaways this winter.

Vail

Take your pick between two evening ice skating options after a full day of skiing or snowboarding in Vail’s legendary back bowls. Surrounded by the twinkling lights and Swiss-inspired architecture of the Arrabelle Hotel and Spa, the ice rink at Arrabelle Square in Lionshead Village offers rental skates and training aids. There’s a cozy fire pit to warm your hands and a conveniently located coffee and gelato shop, Rimini, nearby.

In Vail Village, check out the ice rink at the Solaris Center, then grab a beer at Vail Brewing Co.’s small but mighty tasting room and, if the weather is cooperating, enjoy the patio.

Howelsen Hill Ski Area

As Colorado’s oldest continuously operating ski area, Howelsen Hill has seen its fair share of trends come and go over the last 107 years. But one thing has remained constant: Skiing should be a fun, affordable activity for generations of families.

And while ripping down this Yampa Valley hill in the sunshine is, of course, a blast, there’s a special magic that happens when the sun goes down and the big lights come on at Howelsen. The city of Steamboat Springs, which owns and operates the historic ski area, includes night skiing in Howelsen’s standard lift ticket, so you can ski all day, take a dinner break, then come back for more. And when you do so, you’ll be following in the ski tracks of the 100 Olympians, 22 Colorado Ski Hall of Famers and 13 National Ski Hall of Famers who have used Howelsen as a training ground over the years.

Snowmass

Fireworks are great, but they disappear so quickly! At the base of the Snowmass ski area, however, you can wander through a longer-lasting display of art and light called “Luminescence.” This experience, a winter favorite of locals and visitors, features dazzling immersive installations that come alive after dark. In the past, the free exhibit has included 28-foot-tall illuminated dandelions and a tunnel programmed with festive light displays for visitors to walk through. You can expect something similar this season.