It may feel like summer just ended, but in the mountains, the hype is just beginning.
Long-range forecasts are out, skiers and riders are swapping predictions, and the countdown is on with lifts ready to start spinning before you know it. And luckily, mountain enthusiasts won’t have to wait long to rip with some resorts across the United States planning to open as early as next month.
Four Colorado ski areas typically compete for the honor of being the first to open in the U.S.: Keystone, Loveland, Arapahoe Basin, and Wolf Creek. And while snowmaking can help, it all comes down to temperature, weather, and natural snowfall.
This year, Keystone Resort hopes to be that mountain, targeting a mid-October opening date, Vail Resorts, which owns the ski area, shared with Travel + Leisure. Keystone has been getting a lot of attention ahead of the opening thanks to the Kindred Resort, a brand-new luxury hotel expected to welcome guests in December. The ski-in/ski-out property is set at the base of the River Run Gondola and will feature 107 rooms, a slope-side outdoor heated pool, a ski valet, and more.
To ski Keystone, you’ll need an Epic Pass, which is currently on sale for $1,097. The company also offers a Keystone Plus Pass, which provides unlimited skiing at Keystone (with a few holiday blackout dates) along with limited access to Breckenridge and Crested Butte for $437.
Based on historical opening dates, the Loveland Ski Area may open next with an average opening date over the past five years of Oct. 29, according to the mountain. Meanwhile, Arapahoe Basin (better known as A-Basin) boasts it has “the longest ski and ride season in Colorado.” Known for its high elevation, A-Basin features a 2,530-foot vertical drop with 73% of its terrain devoted to advanced skiing and riding.
Last year, the Wolf Creek Ski Area was the first to open, welcoming skiers and riders on Oct. 22, 2024. The southern Colorado resort sits on the Continental Divide with a base elevation of more than 10,000 feet.
This is when some of the most popular ski areas around the country with early opening plans expect to start spinning their lifts.
- Keystone, Colorado: mid-October
- Loveland, Colorado: late-October
- Breckenridge, Colorado: Nov. 7
- Brian Head, Utah: Nov. 7
- Mammoth, California: Nov. 14
- Vail Mountain, Colorado: Nov. 14
- Heavenly, California: Nov. 21
- Northstar, California: Nov. 21
- Park City Mountain, Utah: Nov. 21
- Schweitzer, Idaho: Nov. 21
- Steamboat, Colorado: Nov. 22
- Sugarbush, Vermont: Nov. 22
- Palisades Tahoe, California: Nov. 26
- Beaver Creek. Colorado: Nov. 26
- Crested Butte, Colorado: Nov. 26
- Telluride, Colorado: Nov. 27
