Located at the eastern portal of the Eisenhower Tunnel, Loveland is within the Arapahoe National Forest.

The ski area is situated on the east side of the Eisenhower Tunnel, through which I-70 crosses the Continental Divide.

[4] It is generally regarded as the closest major ski area open to the Denver market.

Generally, its slopes are gentler which suits itself well to be the home of Loveland’s Ski and Ride School.

The owner Upham and Loveland general manager Otto Werlin conceived the idea of artificial snow from observing the pumps and compressors being used to dig the tunnel.

[8][9] Prior to Breckenridge Ski Resort's construction of the Imperial Express SuperChair in 2005, Lift 9 was the highest offloading chairlift in North America.

The upper section of the lift was replaced with a new fixed grip triple called Ptarmigan, running in the alignment of the former platter.

In 2018, Lift 1 (a fixed-grip triple installed in 1981) was replaced by a Leitner-Poma high speed quad, named "Chet's Dream".

[11] When the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1976 Winter Olympics to Denver in May 1970, the local organizers' proposal included the development of Mount Sniktau as the primary venue for alpine ski racing for downhill and giant slalom, with slalom at Loveland Ski Area.

[12][13] By early 1972, it was decided to move the alpine events to Vail because the proposals did not meet the Olympic standards.

[14][15] After the Colorado voters, in November, rejected public funding for the Olympics, it was relocated to Innsbruck, Austria.

[14] On a clear Friday afternoon in early October 1970, a chartered airplane carrying half of the Wichita State University football team crashed just northeast of the ski area.

First responders were Loveland Ski Patrol, motorists (I-70/US-6) and construction workers at the Eisenhower Tunnel.