As the 2025-2026 ski season approaches, Colorado ski resorts are gearing up to offer enthusiasts expanded access and exciting new experiences. Significant investments in infrastructure and terrain expansion will enhance the skiing and snowboarding opportunities across the state.
Whether you rep Ikon or Epic, prefer old-school or bougie, there are plenty of new attractions for skiers and riders of all ability types.
Eldora Mountain Resort
The biggest news, of course, is that the town of Nederland signed a letter of intent back in July to purchase Eldora Mountain from the POWDR Corporation. This news has been widely celebrated in the community as it assures that Eldora’s “gritty” vibe will continue into the future.
New for 2025-2026
- Opening Day: November 14
- Eldora will be debuting a Weekday PLUS Pass, which offers access to Eldora during the least busy times of the winter season.
- Sustainability Efforts as part of continued focus on the "Play Forever" commitment, which includes diverting waste, implementing eco-friendly snowmaking, and updating infrastructure with energy-efficient technology.
Other Notes
- Eldora's Adaptive Ski Program continues to grow after last season’s opening of the Caribou Lodge, a 12,000-square-foot facility with a direct-access bridge and elevator to the lifts, which serves as the home for Ignite Adaptive Sports. This facility significantly improves accessibility for adaptive athletes and allows the program to offer more lessons.
- Full Moon Tour and Dinner Series: An exclusive after-hours ski and splitboard tour followed by dinner at the new Caribou Lodge.
- Uphill Access at Eldora saw a huge boom in 2024-2025 and is expected to continue growing this season. Text “UPHILL” to 866-965-6224 to be updated on uphill skiing alerts.
Arapahoe Basin
Arapahoe Basin is planning a large-scale, 10-year development to improve the mountain experience, including new gondolas, expanded snowmaking, a new learning area, and increased parking. While in the draft stages and pending US Forest Service review, the plan also proposes upgraded avalanche technology, a pedestrian bridge over the highway, and a new skier services hub.
News to Note
- Projected Opening Day: November 2
- The recent acquisition of A-Basin by Alterra now gives full Ikon passholders unlimited access to the resort, with no restrictions and no “blackout” dates.
What Else?
- Turkey Trot Thanksgiving Day Uphill Race will take place on Thursday, November 27.
- Mimosa Bar will be available every Sunday in November on “The Perch,” a glass-enclosed deck above the 6th Alley Bar & Grill.
Kids Ski Free Week will take place December 6-12 for kids ages 12 and under.
Winter Park
2025-26 promises to be a season to remember for Winter Park Resort, marked by milestone celebrations, enhanced guest experiences, and brand new early-season festivities that promise to crank up the winter stoke. Winter Park is honoring Mary Jane, its wild, raw, and unfiltered sister mountain, with a 50th birthday bash and season-long revelry. Taking advantage of its $37 million snowmaking upgrades, the resort is also unveiling “Send’er November,” an early-season lineup of passholder perks, powder-day rewards, and high-altitude fun, making an early-season visit to the slopes better than ever.
News to Note
- Projected Opening Day: November 8
- Winter Park’s new $37 million snowmaking system is already showing its worth beyond just better early-season conditions. In just one year of use, the new snowmaking system has demonstrated improved efficiency, reducing energy consumption by almost half. Improved efficiencies mean Winter Park can open more terrain—sooner, which means better early-season skiing and riding.
Send’er November
Winter Park is launching Send’er November, a month-long celebration of the season yet to come. Ski twice in November, and unlock benefits all season long, including:
- An early-access day to Mary Jane terrain before it opens to the public.
- Membership to the private ski patrol text alert list with real-time rope drop notifications, terrain openings, and directed skiing.
Five transferable Early Ups tickets for first tracks access.
Aspen Snowmass
Over this past summer, Aspen Skiing Company, the ownership group behind the legendary four ski resorts of the Roaring Fork Valley, undertook some serious upgrades at Snowmass Mountain. From dining area renovations to lift replacements and more, the total cost of these improvements totaled around $80 million.
On-Mountain Improvements
- Debuting at Snowmass this winter is the upgrade of the existing Elk Camp quad chair to a new state-of-the-art 6-pack lift. While crowded lift lines are rare at Snowmass, the previous 4-person quad lift did have a tendency to get backed up on busy days. This improvement will disperse these crowds and give skiers more time on the hill, and less time in the maze.
- The new Cirque T-bar also debuts this winter, replacing the existing platter lift, one of the highest-elevation lifts in North America, reducing wait times and improving access to some of Snowmass’ most iconic high alpine terrain. This replacement effectively doubles the lift's capacity, as it transitions from a single-rider to a double-rider configuration.
- Finally, Ullrhof, the beloved mid-mountain restaurant on Snowmass, started a complete rebuild in summer 2025 and is set to reopen for the 2026-27 winter season. The new Ullrhof will be Aspen Snowmass’s first fully electric restaurant, with seating for 500+.
Save the Dates
- Projected Opening Day (Aspen Mountain): November 23 (Snowmass): November 27
- New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade and Fireworks: December 31. On New Year’s Eve, guests and locals alike are invited to experience the New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade and Fireworks. The Torchlight Parade features skiers and snowboarders making wide turns down the mountain with red flares that illuminate the night sky and snow with a festive glow.
- Toyota U.S. Grand Prix: January 7-10. Leading up to the X Games Aspen, Buttermilk hosts the final stop of the domestic Olympic-qualifying circuit, bringing world-class slopestyle and halfpipe competition.
- 2026 X Games Aspen: January 23-25. Returning to Buttermilk, X Games Aspen features elite athletes, live music, and vibrant on-mountain entertainment, setting the tone for an epic winter.
Steamboat
After sending 13 Olympians to the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, Steamboat has ties to more winter Olympians in the United States, with 100 and counting. With the 2026 Winter Olympics fast approaching, Steamboat is honoring our deeply rooted heritage with unique Olympic athlete experiences and events for the 2025/2026 season.
Ski with an Olympian
- Debuting this season, Steamboat will offer the experience of a lifetime with the Ski with an Olympian program. Guests can book a full-day guided tour with a Steamboat Olympian to explore the resort. Also new this year, guests can enjoy dinner with an Olympian. The experience will provide an intimate setting in The Steamboat Grand’s reenvisioned restaurant, The Crooked Antler.
More from “The Boat”
- Visa Big Air presented by Toyota: December 13. Returning this season, Steamboat welcomes back this exciting event, as well as the Para World Cup in February. Both are Olympic qualifying events for athletes hoping to compete in the 2026 Olympic Games.
- Winter Wondergrass: February 27-March 1. This will be the 13th annual event that celebrates bluegrass and roots music in the serene setting of Steamboat Springs. Headliners this year include: The Devil Makes Three, Leftover Salmon, and The Infamous Stringdusters. For more information, visit: WinterWondergrass.com.
Vail Mountain
Vail will always hold a special place in my heart, as I spent three glorious years here in the mid-2000s. If there is ever a place to figure out your next steps in life, Vail certainly isn’t a bad choice. While there are no major on-mountain capital improvements on Vail Mountain this season, the resort continues to redefine where sport, culture, and travel collide.
Expanded Concert Events
- This season, the world's premier mountain destination transforms into the world’s premier high alpine stage, featuring live performances from globally recognized artists alongside emerging talent. With more than 40 music events across the mountain and throughout the villages, guests can expect a dynamic blend of sound, scenery, and sport that redefines winter travel in a setting that is truly like nothing on earth.
- Vail Mountain joins the season-long festival atmosphere with exclusive Pop-Up Mountain Top Performances by top-tier artists. Building on the success of last season’s lineup of surprise sets, legendary venues like Eagle’s Nest Rooftop and Talon’s Deck will host intimate and energetic performances throughout the winter. These pop-up shows offer guests a rare opportunity to experience world-class music in a truly unforgettable alpine setting. Guests should stay tuned to Vail Mountain’s social media for special announcements all winter long.
Parting Thoughts
- Projected Opening Day: November 14
- Après at Express Lift: Starting on opening day, Express Lift at the base of Gondola One doubles last year’s Après Days, featuring live DJs on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. These events are in collaboration with Vail Mountain’s partners, Pepsi and Lalo Tequila.
Keystone Resort
For the 2025-2026 season, Keystone Resort is debuting Kindred Resort, a new luxury, ski-in/ski-out lodging development at the base of the River Run Gondola featuring a RockResorts hotel, residences, Keystone Ski and Ride School, and new slopeside retail and rental options. Guests can also expect the official debut of the new Becker Chairlift and a new Wild Irishman trail at the mountain.
More about Kindred Resort
- Luxury Lodging: Kindred Resort is Colorado's newest premier luxury development with ski-in/ski-out residences and a RockResorts-branded hotel.
- Slopeside Amenities: It includes new slopeside retail and rental, valet parking, valet ski & bike storage, restaurants, and a full-service spa.
- Keystone Ski and Ride School: The new resort will also house the Keystone Ski and Ride School.
- For more details on Kindred Resort, visit KindredResort.com.
Tech Talk
- Starting this December in Colorado, Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek Resort, Keystone Resort, and Breckenridge Ski Resort will be launching a new technology in the My Epic App that takes Ski and Ride School to the next level. With innovative new features, parents and students can easily check in for lessons, receive real-time updates and photos, track progress, and celebrate milestones and skills with digital badges, all from the convenience of their phone.
More From Vail Resorts
Breckenridge
- The New Rockstar Energy Open: December 19-21. Breckenridge Ski Resort is set to host the first-ever Rockstar Energy Open snowboarding event, a free three-day festival blending world-class competition, live music, and a buzzing fan village. Following the success of its skateboarding debut in 2024, Rockstar brings the same high-energy format to Breck’s legendary slopes. Fans can watch top pros, including Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard, Colorado local Nik Baden, and style icon Jill Perkins, throw down alongside the next wave of rising riders. The Rockstar Energy Open will coincide with Breck’s Ullr Fest, a more than 60-year-old, one-of-a-kind ski town celebration that marks the return of winter. Ullr Fest features the world’s longest shotski, a town parade, and a giant community bonfire.
Beaver Creek Resort
- Experience the Olympics at the 2025 Birds of Prey: December 4-7. Ranked as the top destination by athletes and coaches, the Beaver Creek Stifel Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup is back with an exciting weekend of men’s racing.
- Celebrate “Where Winter Begins” in North America with a festive BC World Cup event. This year’s event will feature live music, beer tastings, ski films, parties, and much more, all taking place in the vibrant Beaver Creek Village along the lively “Birds of Prey Way.”
- The Alpine Table: January 16-17. Beaver Creek Resort’s signature culinary event, The Alpine Table, returns this winter with an elevated and expanded experience. Building on the success of last year’s chef-led collaboration, this season’s event introduces new experiential elements at Allie’s Cabin, January 16-17. Guests will enjoy a one-of-a-kind, multi-course tasting menu created in partnership between a MICHELIN-recognized Colorado restaurant and Beaver Creek’s acclaimed fine dining cabin culinary team.
These significant investments across Colorado ski resorts for the 2025-2026 season underscore a commitment to providing an unparalleled experience for all levels of skiers and snowboarders. From high-speed lift upgrades to expanded gladed and beginner terrain, the upcoming season promises exciting new adventures on the slopes. Skiers and snowboarders are encouraged to check individual resort websites for the most up-to-date information on opening dates and specific terrain access.