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    New South Wales, Australia

    Charlotte Pass

    Australia's oldest and highest ski resort at 1,765m — snowbound in winter, car-free, and 8km from Perisher in Kosciuszko National Park.

    Season 2026
    Opens
    21 June 2026
    Closes
    13 Sept 2026
    Days open
    84
    Annual snow
    3m
    The Overview
    MF
    Michael Fulton
    Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.

    Charlotte Pass holds two distinctions no other Australian ski resort can claim: it is both the oldest and the highest, with a village base elevation of 1,765m and a history stretching back to the original Kosciuszko Chalet, built in 1930. The resort is the only ski area in Australia to be completely snowbound in winter — there is no road access between June and October, and all visitors arrive by oversnow transport from Perisher. That enforced remoteness defines the experience: no cars, no crowds, no lift queues, and direct access to the Main Range of Kosciuszko National Park within walking distance of Australia's highest peak, Mt Kosciuszko at 2,228m.

    The ski area covers 124 acres across 24 runs between 1,765m and 1,964m, with a terrain mix that weights toward advanced and beginner skiers — 38% advanced and 33% beginner — served by five lifts. The compact bowl layout means the entire village is ski-in ski-out, and the low skier numbers relative to the terrain give Charlotte Pass a character genuinely unlike any other Australian resort. It is also the coldest location in Australia, recording a low of −23°C, with winter temperatures regularly dropping below −10°C.

    199m
    Vertical
    24
    Runs
    124 acres
    Skiable
    3m
    Annual snow
    The Terrain

    24 runs across 124 acres skiable

    Charlotte Pass spreads 24 runs across 124 acres skiable of terrain. It leans advanced at 38%, with 8 beginner runs to find your feet and 9 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.

    Terrain split
    24
    runs
    24 runs across 4 grades
    Beginner8 runs · 33%
    Intermediate7 runs · 29%
    Advanced9 runs · 38%
    Expert0 runs · 0%
    Time it right

    When to visit Charlotte Pass

    The 2026 season at Charlotte Pass runs from 21 June to 13 September, a tighter window than Perisher or Thredbo reflecting the resort's compact size rather than any limitation in snow. At 1,765m base elevation, Charlotte Pass receives more consistent natural snowfall than any other resort in Australia — the higher altitude converts precipitation that falls as rain at lower resorts into snow, and the average annual accumulation of 2.5 metres holds well into September. The resort sits above the rain shadow that affects parts of the Snowy Mountains, and the Main Range elevation means late-season coverage is typically reliable.

    The DayTripper package — which bundles oversnow transport, a lift pass and lunch — is the standard entry point for first-time visitors coming across from Perisher for the day. Overnight guests staying at the Kosciuszko Chalet Hotel or the resort's independent lodges access the slopes directly from their accommodation, with the village's ski-in ski-out layout meaning the mountain is literally outside the front door.

    Season 2026
    21 June 2026
    Opens
    13 Sept 2026
    Closes
    84
    Days open
    3 m
    Annual snow
    Getting there

    Getting to Charlotte Pass, and where to stay

    Charlotte Pass sits at the end of Kosciuszko Road in the heart of Kosciuszko National Park, 8km south-west of Perisher Valley and approximately 45 minutes from Jindabyne by road and oversnow transport combined. In winter, the road beyond Perisher closes and access is exclusively via the Charlotte Pass oversnow transport fleet, which departs from the main Perisher centre. Visitors reaching Perisher by car or Skitube from Bullocks Flat can connect directly to the Charlotte Pass shuttle.

    In summer, the resort is accessible by a sealed road — a 35-minute drive from Jindabyne — and serves as the trailhead for the 18.6km return walk to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko. Canberra is approximately 3.5 hours by road, Sydney around six hours. The resort's position on the Main Range places it closer to Australia's highest alpine terrain than any other lift-served ski area in the country.

    Where to stay

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    Hotels and lodges near Charlotte Pass, powered by Stay22.

    Latest News

    From the SnowStash desk

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    Stelvio Glacier Suspends Summer Skiing, Leaving Continental Europe Without a Lift-Served Slope

    Stelvio Glacier Suspends Summer Skiing, Leaving Continental Europe Without a Lift-Served Slope

    Italy's Stelvio Glacier has pulled the plug on summer skiing from August 15. It was the last lift-served ski option left standing in continental Europe, and now there's none. Operator SIFAS pointed to persistent heat, storms, and a snowpack that simply wasn't refreezing overnight anymore. The cable car keeps running. Whether skiing comes back later this summer depends on the weather turning - and right now, nobody's promising anything.

    15 Aug 2026
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    Maverick Mountain's Only Chairlift Destroyed as Sand Creek Fire Tears Through Montana Ski Area

    Firefighters saved every base building at Maverick Mountain, Montana, but the resort's sole chairlift didn't survive the Sand Creek Fire. Owners Erik and Kristi Borge say the lift is "most likely" out for the 2026/27 season after flames tore through the mountain on August 8. The wildfire has since grown past 27,700 acres with zero percent containment. It's a gutting result for the tiny, one-lift operation near Dillon - though the lodge, groomers and equipment all made it through untouched.

    15 Aug 2026
    Fairmont Niseko: New Luxury Resort Revives Stalled La Plume Site for Early 2028 Opening

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    12 Aug 2026
    Spain Moves to Ban Smoking at Ski Resorts Under New Tobacco Law

    Spain Moves to Ban Smoking at Ski Resorts Under New Tobacco Law

    Spain's government has approved a draft tobacco law that would ban smoking across a wide range of outdoor spaces, including sports venues - a category Spanish winter sports media expect to cover ski resorts, potentially extending to slopes and lifts themselves. The rules would also apply to e-cigarettes and vaping devices, even nicotine-free ones. The bill still has to clear the Spanish parliament before any ban, signage, or fines can take effect.

    22 July 2026
    South Tyrol Approves New 16-Person Ciampinoi Gondola in Val Gardena

    South Tyrol Approves New 16-Person Ciampinoi Gondola in Val Gardena

    South Tyrol has approved a full rebuild of the Ciampinoi cable car in Selva di Val Gardena, replacing the current 12-person gondola with a 16-person cabin and a new mountain-station restaurant. Capacity is capped at 3,200 people an hour rather than the 3,600 the operator wanted, and 250,000 euros must go toward compensatory measures. No construction or opening date has been set, though the upgrade is partly aimed at clearing bottlenecks before the 2031 Alpine Ski World Championships.

    22 July 2026
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    21 July 2026
    La Thuile's New Cable Car Replaces Two Ageing Chairlifts

    La Thuile's New Cable Car Replaces Two Ageing Chairlifts

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    21 July 2026
    The Remarkables Adds Scarpa Bowl to Its Inbounds Terrain

    The Remarkables Adds Scarpa Bowl to Its Inbounds Terrain

    The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.

    21 July 2026

    Trail map & terrain

    Charlotte Pass trail map↓ Download PDF
    Terrain split
    24
    runs
    Beginner33%
    Intermediate29%
    Advanced38%
    Expert0%
    124 acres skiable50 hectares
    Resort Stats
    Elevation
    Base1765m
    Summit1964m
    Annual snowfall
    3m
    Season
    2026
    21 June 2026 - 13 Sept 2026
    Trail coverage
    24 runs
    124 acres (50 ha)

    About Charlotte Pass's trail map

    Explore Charlotte Pass's full trail map with 24 runs across the mountain, colour-coded by difficulty and shown alongside the terrain split. Use it to plan a day that matches your ability, find lift-served pockets of your favourite grade, and see how the resort links together. Download the piste map (PDF) ↗

    More Charlotte Pass intelligence: snow report, lift system, webcams, resort overview.