Colorado Ski Resort Opening Dates for 2026/27

Colorado’s 2026/27 ski season is expected to start in October, with Keystone aiming to open as soon as snow conditions allow. Most of the major resorts follow in November: Breckenridge and Copper Mountain plan to open November 6, Vail on November 13, and Beaver Creek on November 25. Aspen Mountain and Snowmass are scheduled for November 26, while Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk wait until December 12.

For those of us in the Vail Valley, opening day means seeing the lifts running again and skiers returning to the villages after the quiet fall weeks. This winter also brings changes worth knowing about before you head back to your favorite mountain. Aspen has a new lift connecting Gondola Plaza with Bell Mountain, Keystone’s Kindred Resort is heading into its first ski season, and Winter Park has invested in more snowmaking on Lower Hughes. We’ve brought together the resorts’ opening plans and the new developments for 2026/27, with a closer look at the mountains many of our guests come here to ski.

Updated October 14, 2026. These are planned opening dates, subject to weather and snow conditions. Opening day usually starts with limited terrain; the rest of the mountain opens as coverage allows.

When do Colorado ski resorts open for 2026/27?

Most of Colorado’s major ski resorts plan to open in November, with Keystone aiming for October and Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk following in December. All dates in the table are for 2026; opening windows and dates still to be announced are labeled.

What’s new at Colorado ski resorts this winter?

Vail: November 13, 2026

Vail plans to open for the 2026/27 season on November 13. The first runs will be a small part of the mountain that develops over the winter. Vail has more than 5,300 skiable acres, including its seven Back Bowls, but those broad stretches of open terrain need more coverage than the groomed runs where the season begins.

Down in Vail Village, the new season starts with an expanded Après All Day program at Express Lift, beside Gondola One. DJs are scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons from opening day, with a larger artist lineup planned through the winter. Vail is also introducing Epic Ascent, a private-lesson service that adds concierge help with arrangements for the day. If you usually finish a ski day with a drink in the village, the changes at Express Lift will be easy to find without going far from the slopes.

Beaver Creek: November 25, 2026

Beaver Creek’s scheduled opening day is November 25, 2026. The opening-day celebration includes a banner break at Centennial Lift, hot chocolate, cookies and music at the base. It’s a fitting welcome at a resort where the village and the skiing are so closely connected: you can come off the mountain and walk straight into the shops and restaurants around the plaza.

For families returning later in the season, Beaver Creek’s learning terrain is a big part of the appeal. Haymeadow Park gives new skiers a place to begin, while Red Buffalo Park and McCoy Park let them explore farther up the mountain as their confidence grows. New for 2026/27, Epic Ascent private lessons add concierge assistance and flexible meeting arrangements.

Breckenridge: November 6, 2026

Breckenridge is scheduled to open November 6, 2026. Its five connected peaks give skiers plenty of room to spread out once the winter is established, from the beginner runs on Peak 9 to Peak 7’s intermediate cruisers and the steeper high-alpine terrain above.

This winter, Breckenridge is adding remote avalanche-control equipment in the high alpine. The resort says the new equipment will help its teams prepare that terrain more efficiently. For skiers who come for the upper mountain, it’s a worthwhile improvement, although access will continue to depend on snow conditions and the patrol’s safety work.

Keystone: an October opening target

Keystone is targeting an October opening for 2026/27, as soon as conditions allow. It has not announced an exact date. Dercum Mountain is home to the long Schoolmarm green run and many of the resort’s groomers; North Peak and The Outback extend the skiing farther into the mountains as more terrain opens through the season.

At the River Run base, Kindred Resort is preparing for its first ski season beside the gondola. The new hotel and residences include Epic Mountain Rentals on the lower level, alongside changes to the Ski & Ride School at the base. Returning visitors will find a different arrival area here, particularly if they’re picking up rental equipment or meeting for lessons before heading up the mountain.

Copper Mountain: November 6, 2026

Copper Mountain’s public opening day is November 6, 2026. The resort hosts race training before then, so seeing athletes on snow does not necessarily mean you can buy a ticket and join them. The November 6 announcement is the date for the public season.

Copper’s terrain separates naturally by ability, with easier runs toward the west, intermediate skiing in the middle and expert terrain to the east. As the mountain fills in, that layout helps families and groups find the part of the resort that suits them. There is also a reason to visit before the full winter gets going: World Cup racing returns November 28–29 for the Stifel Copper Cup, with men’s super-G on Saturday and giant slalom on Sunday.

Aspen Snowmass: November 26 and December 12, 2026

Aspen Mountain and Snowmass plan to open November 26, 2026; Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk follow on December 12. Aspen Snowmass covers four separate mountains, so a late-November trip will not offer the same choice as a visit after all four have opened.

Aspen Mountain rises directly above downtown, with intermediate and expert terrain reached from the heart of town. This winter’s new Nell Bell high-speed quad replaces the Bell Mountain and Little Nell lifts. It runs from Gondola Plaza to the top of Bell Mountain, adding a new way up from the base alongside the Silver Queen Gondola.

Snowmass has a broader spread of terrain for families and mixed-ability groups, and a familiar lunch stop is getting a substantial rebuild. Ullrhof, at the base of Big Burn, is scheduled to reopen in November. Exact opening days for the restaurant and Nell Bell lift had not been confirmed when we checked on October 14, so neither should be assumed to open with the first day of skiing.

Winter Park: opening date to be announced

Winter Park has not announced a fixed opening date for 2026/27 as of October 14. The resort’s opening information says it will open as soon as possible. Mary Jane, known for its moguls and tree skiing, has its own opening progression; its terrain may become available later than Winter Park’s first runs.

The resort has put more than $750,000 into snowmaking upgrades for this winter. New snow guns will nearly double snowmaking capacity on Lower Hughes, the run facing the village and gondola. That gives the mountain team more capacity to build coverage when temperatures cooperate, an improvement that matters most during the opening weeks.

Steamboat: November 21, 2026

Steamboat plans to open November 21, 2026. Its opening-day festivities start at 7:30 a.m., with lifts scheduled for 8:30 a.m. and the ringing of the Champagne Powder snow bell. Through the winter, the Wild Blue Gondola connects the base with Greenhorn Ranch’s learning area and Sunshine Peak, giving skiers access to different parts of the mountain from the same base.

For 2026/27, Steamboat is reshaping the foundation of Maverick’s Halfpipe using earth excavated from The Stockman construction site. Alterra expects the new foundation to reduce the snow needed to build the halfpipe by 60%, helping it become available earlier in the season. A halfpipe opening date has not been announced.

More Colorado ski-area opening dates

Colorado’s season extends well beyond the resorts above, from early-opening contenders such as Arapahoe Basin and Loveland to the San Juan Mountains. These smaller and farther-flung ski areas have opening plans stretching from October into December.

Arapahoe Basin and Wolf Creek list their dates as undecided. We have not confirmed a dated 2026/27 announcement for Eldora, Monarch or Echo Mountain. At Silverton, December 31 begins guided skiing; public unguided skiing starts March 18, 2027, following a March 17 passholder day.

Two developments farther afield are worth watching: Purgatory’s Colorado Couloir expansion adds a triple chair, five trails and two connectors for advanced and expert skiers, while Crested Butte is adding remote avalanche-control systems for the Frontside Extremes and terrain off North Face Lift. Their operating dates will depend on the individual terrain and project schedules.

Colorado ski season opening questions

Which Colorado ski resort will open first in 2026/27?

The first resort to open for 2026/27 has not been settled in the announcements checked on October 14. Keystone is targeting October, Loveland late October to early November, and Arapahoe Basin’s date is still to be announced. Cold temperatures for snowmaking and early snowfall will determine which resort can welcome skiers first.

Is November too early to ski in Colorado?

No. Breckenridge and Copper plan to begin skiing November 6, followed by Vail on November 13 and several more resorts later in the month. November usually offers fewer open runs than midwinter, so it suits a first few days back on groomed terrain better than a trip built around bowls, glades or high-alpine skiing.

Why do some opening-date lists show different dates?

Some lists include projected dates based on previous seasons before a resort makes its own announcement. Winter Park, for example, has not named a fixed 2026/27 opening day, even though October dates appear in third-party calendars. We use the resorts’ published plans here and identify tentative dates and undecided openings. Even an announced date can move if snow conditions do not cooperate.

How much terrain will be open?

An opening date marks the start of a season, not the opening of every lift, bowl and trail. A resort can be ready for its first skiers while higher terrain, glades and other base areas are still building coverage. If you’re traveling specifically for the Back Bowls, high-alpine skiing or a new lift, check that area’s operating report before your trip.

Once you have your mountain and dates in mind, the Eagle Airport winter flight schedule and Denver Airport to Colorado ski resorts overview can help with the journey.

We’ll help you get to the mountains this winter

Planning a ski trip to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone or Aspen Snowmass this winter? Blue Sky Limo provides private airport transfers from Denver and Eagle Airport, along with transportation between resorts. Let us take care of the drive to your hotel, condo or vacation home. Reserve your winter transportation or call (970) 376-7849.