Vail Resorts Announces 2025/26 Winter Opening Dates

Vail Resorts has announced target winter opening dates for the 2025/26 ski and ride season for resorts located in the North American Rocky Mountains and West, as well as Europe—plus a sneak peek at what’s in the mix for guests this season. Guests get access to all of these resorts and more with the Epic Pass, and share the ski experience with new Epic Friend Tickets.

1. Pick Your Resorts

The season is less than 75 days away, and the resorts are gearing up. Keystone will open as early as possible in October. The rest of the company’s larger resorts in North America and Switzerland plan to open in the weeks that follow, and the season will last more than half the year, going all the way to May at Breckenridge and Whistler Blackcomb.

Target Opening Dates

Mid-October (pending early season conditions): Keystone (CO)
November 7: Breckenridge (CO)
November 14: Vail Mountain (CO)
November 15: Gemsstock at Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis (Switzerland)
November 21: Heavenly (CA), Northstar (CA), Park City Mountain (UT), Whistler Blackcomb (British Columbia)
November 26: Beaver Creek (CO), Crested Butte (CO)
November 29: Crans-Montana (Switzerland)
December 5: Kirkwood (CA), Stevens Pass (WA)

All opening dates are subject to change, based on weather and conditions. Vail Resorts will announce opening day targets for its resorts in the East closer to the start of the season. Those resorts expect to open consistent with target dates shared in years past.

2. Pick Your Fun

At Whistler Blackcomb, guests can celebrate winter in a big way with the 60th Anniversary of Whistler Mountain and the new Wonder Routes, which offers a network of trails, waypoints and stops to help guests discover a range of jaw-dropping experiences that make Whistler Blackcomb one of the best resorts in the world. The fun continues with a vibrant village and après scene to carry the celebrations well into the evening.

Park City Mountain is set to debut the new Sunrise Gondola for winter 2025/26, replacing the Sunrise limited-access lift with a high-speed 10-person gondola for faster, more reliable access out of Canyons Village all the way to the Red Pine Lodge area. Paired with upgrades to beginner terrain and the kids’ Ski and Ride School area at Red Pine Lodge, these enhancements beckon guests to enjoy the season. Also returning this season, the new signature Orange Bubble Bite, a complimentary daily sweet treat made with orange, rosemary and honey, welcomes guests back to Canyons Village after a day on the mountain.

Starting this December in Colorado, Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek Resort, Keystone Resort and Breckenridge Ski Resort will be launching new features in the My Epic app that takes Ski and Ride School to the next level. Parents and students can check in for lessons, receive real-time updates and photos, track progress and celebrate milestones and skills with digital badges.

Keystone’s River Run Village is set to debut the Kindred Resort at the base of River Run Gondola. Kindred Resort will open as Colorado’s newest luxury development, featuring ski-in, ski-out residences along with a RockResorts-branded hotel. This new development will also be the new home of Keystone Ski and Ride School, and slopeside retail and rental. At Breckenridge, guests can expect the high-energy vibe and town-to-mountain connection to continue this season, with weekend concert series and high-level competitions to be announced closer to the season.

Special celebrations for milestone anniversary years are coming together across a number of Vail Resorts’ North American properties. In addition to Whistler’s 60th anniversary, Heavenly is celebrating 70 years of fun and iconic Lake Tahoe views. On the East Coast, Okemo celebrates 70 years of Vermont adventure, while Liberty hits 60 years of carving memories in the snow.

In Switzerland, Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis is adding two new six-seater chairlifts for the upcoming 2025/26 winter season. These new lifts will better connect Val Val to Cuolm Val and Val Val to Calmut, significantly increasing uphill capacity and reducing lift wait times. Additionally, Crans-Montana Mountain Resort has invested in upgraded snowmaking throughout the Verdets area with new energy-efficient snow guns, elevating the slope and snow quality.

Resorts across the portfolio will be celebrating this Olympic year with world-class competitions, including Birds of Prey at Beaver Creek, which will welcome back the U.S. Men’s Ski Team and racers from around the world and act as an Olympic qualifier from December 4–7. Whistler Blackcomb will host the World Ski and Snowboard Fest in April once again, and more events will be announced closer to the start of the season.

3. Pick Your Epic Friends

Last week, Vail Resorts announced it is cutting lift ticket prices in half for friends of Epic Pass Holders with new Epic Friend Tickets, making it easier for loyal guests to bring their friends to the slopes.

Season-long Pass Holders will receive six to 10 Epic Friend Tickets, depending on when they purchase their Pass. Epic Friend Tickets provide 50 percent off lift tickets at the company’s 37 North American resorts for the 2025/26 winter season. In addition, friends can apply 100 percent of the cost of one redeemed Epic Friend Ticket toward an eligible 2026/27 Epic Pass. Friends who do not hold a 2025/26 Pass can apply the full cost of a single redeemed Epic Friend Ticket towards eligible 2026/27 Passes, including Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass, and other regional passes for a limited time. The full list of eligible Passes will be available once 2026/27 Passes are on sale. Pass Holders for 2025/26 are not eligible for this promotion.

Just like the Epic Pass, Epic Friend Tickets can be purchased through EpicPass.com and then activated in the My Epic app for direct-to-lift access, cutting out the need to stand in line at the ticket window.

4. Pick Your Pass

Epic Passes are on sale for the lowest price of the fall before prices increase after September 1, 2025. The 2025/26 Epic Pass ($1075 adults; $548 children) offers access to more than 90 resorts across the world, plus unlimited, unrestricted access to Vail Resorts’ 42 owned and operated mountain resorts. Iconic partner resorts and ski areas include Telluride, Colorado; Rusutsu and Hakuba Valley, Japan; Verbier 4 Vallées, Switzerland; Sölden, Saalbach and Zell am See-Kaprun, Austria; and more across Europe. In addition, Telluride Resort will not require reservations for Epic Pass Holders this year. This means that for the 2025/26 season, no Epic Pass resorts will require advance reservations.

The Epic Local Pass ($799 adults; $416 children) provides season-long access at an incredible value to 29 resorts, plus access to more destination resorts with some restrictions. Epic 1-7 Day Passes provide up to 65 percent savings compared to lift ticket prices by purchasing ahead of the season.

5. Pick Your Perks

All Epic Passes come with Epic Mountain Rewards, which offer discounts including 20 percent off on-mountain food and beverage, lodging, group ski and ride lessons, equipment rentals, and more—all winter long.

All skiers and riders get access to the My Epic app, which includes Mobile Pass and Mobile Lift Tickets with hands-free access—scannable straight from your pocket. It features interactive trail maps, tracks your stats, finds your friends on the mountain, shares lift line status times, provides real-time mountain alerts, and more.

Now in its second year, My Epic Gear is better than renting and easier than owning. Guests can join for a seasonal membership fee, which then unlocks access to the latest gear from the top brands, including more than 60 of the latest ski and snowboard models. Reserve in advance on the My Epic app for a low daily use fee that includes slopeside pick-up and drop-off at one of 12 participating resorts.

For more information, visit www.EpicPass.com.

Blog