Living in Steamboat Springs is a dream come true for any skiing enthusiast – just ask the thousands of skiers who hit the trails on a regular basis – but the town also has plenty to offer non-skiers in search of a place to set down roots.
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REASONS TO LIVE IN STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO
Steamboat Springs, or “The Boat” for those who live here, is a globally renowned travel destination about 157 miles west of Denver. But it’s also a viable place to live with plenty of attractions and activities to enjoy year-round.
Natural scenery
Steamboat Springs is celebrated for its bounty and natural beauty, having served as a summertime hunting ground for the Arapaho and Yampatika Ute tribes in the distant past. Few places can match the city’s scenic beauty – located within the Park Range of the Rocky Mountains, just west of the Continental Divide, Steamboat Springs is surrounded by public lands.
Residents enjoy views of snowy peaks, aspen groves, and pine trees. There are also more than 150 spring-fed hot springs in the area.
Scenic views go beyond eye candy for those living in Steamboat Springs – a Stanford study has found that being surrounded by nature can boost an individual’s mood and mental health. Researchers have also found that spending time outdoors can help reduce stress and anxiety, encouraging people to use their senses in processing the sights, smells, and textures in their immediate environment.
Accessibility
Located in the northwest portion of Colorado, living in Steamboat Springs offers easy driving access to key cities and attractions via U.S. Highway 40. The city is also served by the Steamboat Springs Airport and the Yampa Valley Airport with direct flight service from up to 16 locations.
Known as Ski Town, U.S.A.® with stunning mountain peaks that receive endless amounts of powder each year, there are more world-class Winter Olympics athletes training and living in Steamboat Springs than any other place in the country.
With an average annual snowfall of 184.5 inches and significant powder from October through April, Steamboat Springs is the fourth snowiest town in Colorado. In fact, the city coined and trademarked the term Champagne Powder® snow for the kind of light and fluffy powder that avid skiers find desirable.
The city and its surrounding areas offer about 3,000 acres of skiing terrain with a diversity of groomed trails for skiers of all skill levels. Some of the most sought-after skiing spots include the gladed areas of Pioneer Ridge, Sunshine, and Storm Peak. Its largest and best known attractions include the Steamboat Ski Resort and Howelsen Hill Ski Area.
Steamboat Ski Resort is globally renowned and provides access to 2,965 acres of skiing terrain with 17 modern lifts and 170 trails of Champagne Powder® and gorgeous aspen trees. Highlights include Mavericks Superpipe, the city’s largest terrain park, with a length of 450 feet and jumps that range from 50 to 70 feet. Aside from skiing amenities, the resort also offers plush accommodations and a variety of mountainside dining options.
Howelsen Hill Ski Area is the oldest operating ski hill in the state. Opened in 1915, it offers over 50 acres of skiable terrain with two terrain parks and 17 trails.
Located in Downtown Steamboat Springs, this prestigious ski jumping complex gets its name from Norwegian champion skier Carl Howelsen and is the site of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. Local instructors offer training in snowboarding and Nordic alpine, and freestyle skiing to skiers of all levels.
Abundance of things to do year-round
Recreational activities
Aside from ski resorts, Steamboat Spring is also known for its geothermal hot springs, which are purported to have therapeutic properties. Old Town Hot Springs is a historic recreational facility with water slides and swimming and soaking pools. It also features a well-equipped gym and climbing wall.
Strawberry Park Hot Springs is located just outside of the city. Nestled alongside Hot Springs Creek lies, this outdoor attraction features relaxing mineral springs with 104-degree water. Guests can go on the Mineral Springs Walking Tour, a self-guided walking tour of the city’s famed mineral springs.
Steamboat Lake State Park is a recreational area at the base of Hahns Peak. It features a 1,053-acre lake for fishing, boating, waterskiing, and various watersports. It also has camper cabins and campsites with electric hookups.
Shopping and dining
Downtown Steamboat Springs is lined with boutiques selling outdoor gear, fine art, books, housewares, and authentic western wear. Dining options include cafes, steakhouses, and restaurants serving Italian, Mexican, New American, and Latin Fusion cuisine.
The Main Street Steamboat Farmers Market is held on Saturdays from June through September between 5th and 8th streets on Yampa Street. The farmers market has 135 vendors selling fresh produce, meat, bread, and more.
Nightlife
Downtown Steamboat Springs is filled with bars, breweries, music venues, and dance clubs for a fun night out.
It’s Bike Town USA
Steamboat Springs was one of 18 cities nationwide to be designated a gold level Bicycle Friendly Community by the American League of Bicyclists in 2013. Indeed, the Yampa Valley provides access to smooth and scenic country roads for memorable rides. The Yampa River Core Trail meanders along a magnificent river while the Steamboat Bike Park features over 50 miles of freeride and downhill bike terrain with dirt jumps and berms for a high-intensity biking experience.
Heritage and culture
With a long and colorful history of more than 110 years, Steamboat Springs was founded as a Western ranching town before flourishing into a luxury travel destination and sought-after skiing community. The city has retained much of its rustic charm with museums and historic areas that shed light on its rich heritage.
Museums and cultural venues
As a designated Creative Arts District, Steamboat Springs has a vibrant art scene with esteemed museums and performing arts centers. Local art is heavily inspired by the dramatic landscape of the Yampa Valley as well the city’s Western heritage.
- The Tread of Pioneers Museum is located inside a 1908 historic home with gorgeous Queen Anne and Victorian architecture. Its fascinating exhibits touch on the legacy of Native Americans and pioneers and tell the story of the local ranching and mining industries. The Ski Town U.S.A.® exhibit also showcases Steamboat Springs’ history of Olympic excellence in skiing and ski jumping.
- The Eleanor Bliss Center for the Arts at the Depot hosts rotating exhibits, art camps, artist-in-residency programs, and special events. It is named for Eleanor Bliss, one of the founders of the Steamboat Arts Council.
- The Steamboat Dance Theatre was founded in 1972. It offers an array of dance classes, scholarships, programs, and events, including the Annual Community Dance Concert.
- Perry–Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp is a prestigious theater and dance camp. Founded in 1915, it is widely recognized as the oldest continuously operating performing art school and camp in the U.S.
- The Steamboat Mural Tour includes 18 murals that have been painted onto various walls and buildings around town by artists from all over the globe – including a piece located just outside the door of the Paoli Group office. The murals depict natural scenery, native wildlife, and memorials. Guests can go on a self-guided tour by foot, bicycle, or car.
- The Hahns Peak Area Historical Society Museum harbors a vast collection of mining artifacts, large equipment, photographs, clothing, household items, and colorful murals that depict the city’s mining heritage. The society manages the on-site schoolhouse and the Wither Cabin at Hahn’s Peak.
Historic sites and landmarks
- The Historic Steamboat Springs Depot was built in 1909 as a stop along the Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railway (DNWP) Railway. It closed in 1968 and was deeded to the town in 1971, when it was converted into a community art center. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Today, it is a gathering space for the community, attracting theater actors, painters, and snow
Designed by architect Frank Edbrooke, the two-story building has an exquisite red brick exterior with overhanging eaves. The eastern side of the ground floor previously contained the station office and passenger waiting area while the western side was a storage area for passenger baggage and large freight. The second floor served as the home of the stationmaster.
- The Crawford House was built around 1893 by Charles Briggs and served as the fourth local residence of Steamboat Springs founder James Harvey Crawford and his frontier family. It was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. This all-stone historic home is considered a rare and fine example of Romanesque Revival architecture.
James and his wife, Margaret, lived in the residence for about 44 years. Their heirs sold the home in 1950. The property changed hands over the next few decades before it was purchased by their great-grandson, James L. Crawford, in 2004.
- Legacy/Hutchinson Ranch is a historic 130-acre ranch that had been homesteaded by rancher Elizabeth Hutchinson in 1899. It has been intact and operating since 1899 and serves as a reminder of high-country farming and the old way of life in Steamboat Springs. It also preserves northwest Colorado’s ranching history.
The City of Steamboat Springs acquired the property in 1999 and leases the surrounding land and meadows for grazing cattle. The ranch received the 2010 State Honor Award from Colorado Preservation for its historic and well-preserved working ranch buildings that have been converted into a public education facility. Today, it is the site of the Environmental Learning Center at Legacy Ranch.
- Hahns Peak, also known as Old Baldy, is located in North Routt and encompasses a vast wilderness with glistening rivers and lush forests. Its diverse landscape features a dormant conical volcano, a low timberline, and a historic village at the base.
Named for the area’s first gold prospector, Joseph Hahn, the area is a famed outdoor attraction with natural features and historic homes and cabins that hark back to the mining boom and its decline in the late 1800s.
- The North Routt Wither Cabin was built sometime in the 1880s and was the residence of early pioneer and merchant Archibald “Archie” Wither and his family. Located across the street from the Hahns Peak Museum, the cabin is considered the oldest existing structure in town. It has been fully restored and staged to represent day-to-day living in Steamboat Springs from 1900 to1920.
Sense of community
Anyone living in Steamboat Springs will agree that there’s a strong sense of community here. Residents gather for annual traditions and seasonal events such as:
- Fourth of July Events – The annual festivities include the Great American Picnic, in which residents are encouraged to bring homemade food or takeout from any of the local restaurants for a fun picnic downtown.
- Halloween Stroll – This Halloween celebration traditionally takes place on Lincoln Avenue on October 31st from 5 to 7:30 p.m. each year. Attendees can look forward to live music, drum circles, fire dancers, and a costume contest for kids.
Reputable schools
The city is served by SteamboatSpringsSchool DistrictNo. RE-2 with 2,567 registered students and a student-teacher ratio of 15:1 across seven schools, including:
- Steamboat Springs Early Childhood Center
- Soda Creek Elementary School
- Strawberry Park Elementary School Grades (preschool-5th grade)
- Steamboat Springs Middle School
- Steamboat Springs High School (Grades 9-12)
- Yampa Valley High School (Grades 9-12)
See the full list of schools here.
Low property taxes
According to KRDO, Colorado ranked #3 among states with the lowest property taxes in the nation. This is because Colorado property tax rates generally don’t apply to market value. Instead, property tax rates are applied to a given home’s assessed value (also called the residential assessment rate) with the assessed value being just a fraction of its market value. According to Dwellics, the average property taxes paid in Steamboat Springs was 0.4% in 2021.
The City of Steamboat Springs levies a 2-mill property tax in which residential property owners within city limits pay an annual tax of roughly $15 per $100,000 of actual valuation. 2-mill property tax revenues are used to fund fire and emergency services.
WORK WITH THE PAOLI GROUP TODAY
If you’re ready to experience mountain living in Steamboat Springs and the surrounding areas, contact the Paoli Group at 970.457.6880. You can also reach us through email or contact form for more information. Our team specializes in all areas of real estate, including residential, commercial, ranch, and rural.
As licensed brokers, our expertise on property sales and investing gives us a strong handle on the challenges of managing a successful real estate portfolio. We believe that real estate is among your most important assets with complex financial, tactical, and emotional considerations. Our company offers a seamless experience through superior market knowledge, technical proficiency, and personal accountability.