Il Rifugio at Snow Plume
Location: Summit / Top of Lenawee Lift
Located at 12,456 feet at the summit of A-Basin, il Rifugio at Snow Plume is the highest-elevation restaurant in North America.
il Rifugio offers a European-style bistro specializing in wine and charcuterie pairings featuring both imported and local-to-Colorado meats and cheeses. Guests can also enjoy soup, salad, flatbreads, and espresso drinks. This restaurant concept was inspired by the breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains, reminiscent of the Alps.
The restaurant space is currently being expanded and will offer table service when it reopens. This is not your typical grab-and-go, ski-area dining experience. It's the place for a relaxed, gourmet lunch with stunning views.
We are proud of our sustainability upgrades to Snow Plume. The building has no running water, composting toilets, creates minimal waste, and features the highest solar array in North America on its roof.
Guests must be able to ski or ride at least a blue / intermediate run to get down from the restaurant. There is no foot-passenger lift service.
The Snowplume Refuge building no longer serves as a warming hut. There are bathrooms available at all times but il Rifugio is for paying customers to enjoy; no outside food is allowed.
The 2021-22 winter season is Arapahoe Basin's 75th anniversary!
The Snow Plume Refuge is one of A-Basin's oldest institutions. There has been a building called the Snow Plume Refuge at our summit since the 1948-49 season. The original outpost was an old ticket office that was repurposed and placed at the top the single-chair lift running from the base to the summit. Until the restaurant was added for the 2018-19 season, the refuge was pretty much just that: a warming hut and a base of operations for ski patrol.
Snow Plume is still home to patrol headquarters. If you're lucky, you might catch one of the avalanche dogs playing outside on a nice day.
