Beloved Ice Castles won't return to Colorado this winter

Ice Castles organizers have decided not to open the sites in Cripple Creek and Silverthorne, Colorado, this year because of climate and drought concerns.

Despite an unseasonably warm winter, Ice Castles opened to welcome visitors during the 2025-2026 season. But organizers say the weather made it a challenge to keep the sites operating.

Creating the massive ice structures and keeping them stable takes considerable effort. Last winter, Vice President of Construction for Ice Castles Dan Beck told CBS Colorado that they watch the forecasts closely to make adjustments, and it typically takes about 10,000 person-hours to finish the attraction. He said the unusually warm winter was a real challenge for the team.

The castles are built by hand using sprayed and dripped water to form pillars, tunnels, fountains, crawl spaces and slides. The City of Cripple Creek says that although it has enough water to host the event, areas of Teller County face significant shortages. This also factored into organizers' decision to cancel the event in Cripple Creek for the 2026-2027 season.

The Town of Silverthorne is still under Stage 4 water restrictions. Town officials said they would not approve water use for Ice Castles for the 2026-2027 season. Organizers didn't submit a formal request to the town this year, but they were in communication with the town about the drought conditions.

"We have loved our working relationship with the city and with the community.  Thank you for being great partners over the past few years!" stated Ice Castles CEO Kyle Standifird.

Cripple Creek says it hopes to welcome Ice Castles back to the area when conditions are more favorable.