Colorado Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27

Loveland, Arapahoe Basin, Winter Park, and Keystone are all targeting late October through early November, weather and snowmaking permitting — none has locked a firm date as of mid-October. Historically one of this group opens first in North America most years. Breckenridge is the first resort with a hard, announced date: November 6, 2026.

It's who owns the mountain. Vail Resorts owns Breckenridge, Vail, Beaver Creek, and Keystone — all on the Epic Pass. Alterra and other operators run Arapahoe Basin, Copper Mountain, Winter Park, and Eldora — all on the Ikon Pass. Loveland is independently owned and isn't on either pass; it sells its own season pass. The two passes don't work at each other's mountains, so which one you buy depends on which of these you'll actually ski.

Typical driving time with no live traffic, via I-25 to C-470 to I-70 westbound — the standard route from Castle Rock. Treat these as a baseline: I-70 ski traffic on a Saturday morning or a powder day routinely adds 30-60+ minutes, especially through the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel.

Not yet — no Colorado resort has published a 2026-27 closing date as of this update. Resorts typically confirm closing dates in January or February based on how the snow year is going. We'll add them here as each resort posts one.

Weekly through opening season, checked directly against each resort's own site (or its pass program's page for Loveland and Eldora, which don't post firm dates early). If a resort moves its opening day, this page reflects the new date within the week.