Ski resorts are just as fun in the summer

IN Colorado, the coming of summer is marked by the opening of Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s America’s highest continuously paved highway, and tens of thousands of motorists celebrate the season by driving along Trail Ridge to enjoy its stunning mountain views.

Throughout Colorado, the beginning of summer means that vacationers will start arriving not for skiing but to enjoy warm weather, nature and recreation.

Of its two dozen major ski resorts, at least two -- Aspen and Vail -- are so popular for their summer attractions that hotel rates remain almost as high in warm weather as in cold. (Both are the scene of several summer congresses and conventions.)

At almost all the other resorts, summer rates are surprisingly moderate -- and sometimes downright cheap -- with local tourism boards eagerly acting as clearinghouses for package deals that can take you from either coast to the grassy slopes for a fraction of winter costs.

Temperatures are 70 to 80 degrees during the day, dropping to 50 at night, and besides hiking, biking, rafting, fishing, horseback riding and alpine slides, there are usually plenty of other activities and culture in the form of concerts and plays.

Here is a sample of economical land-only and air-hotel packages valid through August or September:

* Steamboat Springs, (877) 237-2628, www.steamboat.com: One of North America’s biggest ski resorts, it boasts a historic old town with plenty of bars and restaurants.

Notable attractions and activities: natural hot springs and other spas; rodeos; cover- ed wagon rides; 18-hole golf courses; a summer-long music festival; and numerous outdoor art festivals and fairs.

Deals: United is offering a $234 midweek round-trip fare from LAX to Steamboat. Meanwhile, the popular land-only Summer Breakaway Package provides lodging starting at $88 per person for three nights.

* Keystone, (877) 625-1556, www.keystone.snow.com: A bit newer than Breckenridge -- it was founded in 1970 on the site of an old railroad depot -- Keystone is a seven-mile stretch of countryside encompassing three villages and three mountains, with shopping, about 30 restaurants, and free shuttle service most anywhere you’d want to go.

Notable attractions and activities: two golf courses; narrow-gauge steam train rides; mine tour; beaver safaris and other eco-tours; and rock-climbing and mountaineering school.

Deals: Keystone’s summer package with condominiums starting at $89 per night. The price includes an Adventure Passport, which lets you book free boat and bike rentals, nature hikes and wine tastings.

* Breckenridge, (800) 404-3535, www.breckenridge.com: A charming 140-year-old Victorian town of more than 4 square miles, it boasts 100 restaurants and more than twice as many shops, built amid four mountains.

Notable attractions and activities: a fun park; three Jack Nicklaus golf courses; indoor ice skating; hot-air balloon rides; and a pair of history museums.

Deals: Get three nights in a studio apartment, condominium or house for $49 per person, per night. It’s a three-night minimum and is valid through Oct. 31.

* Other deals: A good central clearinghouse covering the above and other Colorado year-round resorts is www.coloradoski.com.

Some resort areas in other Rocky Mountain states offer similar specials, among them Utah’s Park City, (800) 453-1360, www.parkcityinfo.com and Ogden/Snowbasin, (888) 437-5488, www.snowbasin.com; and in Southern California, Snow Summit and Big Bear Mountain, (909) 866-5766, www.bigbearmountainresorts.com.