Steamboat Springs Travel and Tourism Guide

Steamboat Springs is the county seat of Routt County, Colorado, and has a population of about 10,000 people. It lies in the Yampa
Valley of Northwestern Colorado and has an elevation of 6,732 feet above sea level. It is on US 40, just west of the continental divide, Rabbit Ears Pass. Steamboat's nickname is 'Ski Town USA' and has two ski areas. Howelson Ski Area is a small ski area just south of downtown. The much larger Steamboat Ski Resort is located on Mount Werner, on the eastern edge of the town.

Steamboat Springs derives its name from one of several hot springs in the area. In the early days of it's settlement, the bubbling of one of the hot springs sounded like a steamboat chugging along; hence the name. One of the area hot springs, Strawberry Hot Springs, serves as a natural spa and is a clothing optional area after dark.

Steamboat Springs Ski Resort covers almost 3,000 acres, has 20 ski lifts, and 165 runs. It's longest run is over 3 miles long! Steamboat has a long tradition of producing Olympic class skiers, and at last count boasts 69 Olympians from this area. Annual snowfall here is over 300 inches per year.

Steamboat is a year round destination with winter sports such as down hill skiing, cross country skiing, and snowmobiling; spring/summer/fall sports such as fishing, hunting, camping, mountain biking, kayaking, white water rafting and hot air ballooning. Steamboat also has great restaurants and shopping experiences.