Colorado What To Do›Winter›Ski Season 2026-27
Colorado Ski Season 2026-27
Which Colorado ski areas have announced opening days, which have not, what the major passes say about prices, and what to do if you are not skiing.
Which Colorado ski areas are opening in 2026-27?
As of November 6, 2026, Keystone announced an October 30 opening, Loveland announced November 7, Vail Mountain lists November 13 and Purgatory is scheduled for November 20. Arapahoe Basin is running limited terrain. Telluride, Wolf Creek, Eldora and Monarch had not posted dates on their sites, and Copper Mountain's site shows conflicting notices.
Opening days move with snow and temperatures, so treat every date below as a snapshot from the resort's own website on November 6, 2026, not a guarantee. Where a resort had not announced a date, we say so rather than guess from past seasons.
Opening days
Opening Dates And Status By Ski Area
Vail Resorts said in its August 18 announcement that opening dates are subject to change based on weather and conditions. That is true for every area on this list.
| Ski area | Status as of Nov. 6, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Loveland | Opening Day is Saturday, November 7, 2026, per the resort's homepage. |
| Keystone | Resort announced Friday, October 30, 2026 as opening day (Vail Resorts release dated October 28). |
| Breckenridge | Vail Resorts' August 18 list targeted November 6. As of today the resort's homepage says only "Breck to open ASAP," with no date. |
| Vail Mountain | Opening Day listed as November 13 on the resort homepage; it was also the August target date. |
| Beaver Creek and Crested Butte | August 18 Vail Resorts target: November 25. We could not load Crested Butte's own site today, so we have no newer update. |
| Copper Mountain | Conflicting notices on the resort's own site: a banner says opening day is November 6, an event listing says Sunday, November 8, and the homepage says opening is delayed with no new date. Confirm with the resort. |
| Arapahoe Basin | Homepage shows limited terrain running (1 of 9 lifts, 1 of 147 runs, no beginner terrain). The page does not state the opening date. An 80th anniversary weekend is listed for December 4-6, 2026. |
| Purgatory | "Scheduled opening day" is November 20, 2026, per the resort homepage. |
| Telluride | Homepage says "Winter 2026-27 Dates TBD." |
| Wolf Creek | No opening date. The homepage says the ski area is temporarily closed because of recent flooding and will post updates. |
| Eldora | No date given. Homepage says the season is "less than 30 days away." |
| Monarch | No date given. Homepage says "Stay tuned for opening day updates." |
| Winter Park, Steamboat, Aspen Snowmass | No 2026-27 opening date appeared on the official pages we loaded today, so we are not listing one. Check each resort's mountain report. |
Colorado Ski Country USA lists its member areas at coloradoski.com, but the page we loaded lists names only, with no dates.
Passes
Pass Prices And Deadlines
- Epic Pass. Epic's site shows a banner that prices go up on November 15, and Keystone's October 28, 2026 announcement says Epic Passes are on sale with prices rising after November 15. We are not quoting a price because it varies by pass type and age; see epicpass.com.
- Ikon Pass. Ikon's pass page lists the 2026-27 adult (23+) Ikon Pass at $1,529 non-refundable or $1,834.80 refundable, with refundable passes cancellable for any reason through January 15, 2027. Ikon Base Pass is listed from $1,099 and the Ikon Session Pass from $369. The page showed no price-increase or sales-deadline date. See ikonpass.com.
- Mountain Collective. The 2026-27 adult pass is listed at $729 and is on sale. The site showed no price-increase date. Aspen Snowmass is the only Colorado destination on its homepage. See mountaincollective.com.
- Indy Pass. The site says the 26/27 Indy Pass is off sale, with a waitlist for notice if passes return. See indyskipass.com.
Prices and conditions on these pages can change at any time, so confirm on the pass site before you buy.
If you do not ski
Non-Skier Winter Options
You do not need a lift ticket for a good winter trip. Our winter things to do guide covers snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, the Ouray Ice Park, winter trains, sleigh rides and mountain safety. For warming up after a cold day, see the Colorado hot springs guide. If you are staying near Denver, the Front Range guide has options for storm days.
Common questions
Ski Season Questions
When do Colorado ski areas open for 2026-27?
It varies by resort. As of November 6, 2026, Keystone had announced October 30, Loveland November 7 and Vail Mountain November 13, with Purgatory scheduled for November 20. Several areas, including Telluride, Wolf Creek, Eldora and Monarch, had not published a date on their sites. Dates can change with weather and conditions.
When do Epic Pass prices go up?
Epic Pass's site and a Keystone announcement dated October 28, 2026 say prices go up after November 15. Check epicpass.com for the exact price for your pass type before you buy.
Can you still buy an Indy Pass for 2026-27?
Indy Pass's site said on November 6, 2026 that the 26/27 pass was off sale and offered a waitlist for notice if passes return to sale.
What can I do in Colorado in winter if I don't ski?
Snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, the Ouray Ice Park, winter trains and sleigh rides are covered in our winter guide, and our hot springs guide covers soaking spots that stay open in winter.
Sources
All pages checked November 6, 2026.
- Loveland Ski Areaopening day
- Vail Resorts: Keystone opening announcementOct. 30 opening, Epic price date
- Vail Resorts: 2026/27 opening dates release (Aug. 18, 2026)target dates and disclaimer
- Breckenridgestatus
- Vail Mountainopening day
- Copper Mountainhomepage notices
- Copper Mountain: 26/27 Opening Dayevent listing
- Arapahoe Basinterrain status
- Purgatory Resortscheduled opening
- Telluride Ski Resortdates TBD
- Wolf Creek Ski Areatemporary closure notice
- Eldora Mountain Resortseason note
- Monarch Mountainseason note
- Colorado Ski Country USAmember list
- Epic Passprice-increase banner
- Ikon Pass2026-27 prices
- Mountain Collective2026-27 price
- Indy Passsale status