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    New South Wales, Australia · Epic Pass

    Perisher

    Australia's largest ski resort with 4 linked areas, 113 runs and 1,245 hectares in the Snowy Mountains. Open June to October.

    Season 2026
    Opens
    6 June 2026
    Closes
    5 Oct 2026
    Days open
    121
    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.

    Perisher is Australia's largest ski resort and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, spanning 1,245 hectares across four interconnected ski areas within Kosciuszko National Park in the NSW Snowy Mountains. The combined resort links Perisher Valley, Smiggin Holes, Blue Cow and Guthega across seven peaks, serving 113 runs on terrain that rises from 1,699m to a summit of 2,054m atop Mt Perisher. The terrain breakdown skews firmly toward intermediates — 60% of runs are graded blue — though the resort's sheer scale means beginners, advanced skiers and freestylers each have dedicated zones across the mountain.

    Access is via Australia's only underground rack railway, the Skitube Alpine Railway, a Swiss-designed train that departs Bullocks Flat on the Alpine Way and travels through a 6.3km tunnel — reaching 550m below the surface at its deepest point — to Perisher Valley, with a further connection to Blue Cow. Opened in 1987, the Skitube remains the defining feature of Perisher's access infrastructure and the most practical option for visitors wanting to avoid chains on the mountain road. Perisher is part of the Vail Resorts Epic Pass network, connecting the resort with Mt Hotham, Falls Creek and a global portfolio of ski destinations.

    355m
    Vertical
    113
    Runs
    3,076 acres
    Skiable
    3m
    Annual snow
    Epic Pass
    Pass
    The Terrain

    113 runs across 3,076 acres skiable

    Perisher spreads 113 runs across 3,076 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 60%, with 25 beginner runs to find your feet and 20 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.

    Terrain split
    113
    runs
    113 runs across 4 grades
    Beginner25 runs · 22%
    Intermediate68 runs · 60%
    Advanced19 runs · 17%
    Expert1 run · 1%
    Time it right

    When to visit Perisher

    The 2026 season at Perisher runs from 6 June to 5 October, a four-month window that represents one of the longest seasons of any Australian ski resort. Average annual snowfall reaches 2.6 metres, and the resort's position above 1,699m ensures reliable natural snow coverage across the season's core months of July and August. Snowmaking infrastructure covers 4.4 square kilometres of terrain with 240 snow guns, providing early-season and shoulder-period coverage when natural falls are lighter.

    The Queen's Birthday long weekend in June has historically marked the official season opener for the Snowy Mountains, with the Snowy Mountains of Music Festival running at Perisher Valley across that weekend each year. The back end of the season in September draws a more local crowd and is well regarded for quieter lifts and softening spring snow. Night skiing operates on selected evenings throughout the season, with the floodlit terrain park accessible under lights.

    Season 2026
    6 June 2026
    Opens
    5 Oct 2026
    Closes
    121
    Days open
    3 m
    Annual snow
    Getting there

    Getting to Perisher, and where to stay

    Perisher sits within Kosciuszko National Park in the Snowy Mountains of southern New South Wales, approximately 30 minutes from the resort town of Jindabyne and 20 minutes from the Skitube's Bullocks Flat terminal at the Alpine Way. Canberra is the nearest major city, around two and a half hours by road via the Snowy Mountains Highway through Cooma and Jindabyne. Sydney is approximately five to six hours by car, while Melbourne is roughly seven hours. All vehicles entering Kosciuszko Road in winter conditions are required to carry snow chains.

    Jindabyne is the primary accommodation and services base for Perisher visitors, offering a full range of accommodation, restaurants, ski hire and lift ticket outlets at lower cost than on-mountain lodging. On-snow accommodation is concentrated in Perisher Valley and is predominantly lodge and chalet style, with ski-in, ski-out access from most properties. The Skitube terminal at Bullocks Flat provides parking for up to 3,500 cars and 250 coaches, with ski hire, a ticket office and a snow school also operating from the terminal building.

    Where to stay

    Search all stays →

    Hotels and lodges near Perisher, powered by Stay22.

    Latest News

    From the SnowStash desk

    View all news →
    Sundance Mountain Resort Is Getting a New High-Speed Quad and More Back Mountain Terrain This Winter

    Sundance Mountain Resort Is Getting a New High-Speed Quad and More Back Mountain Terrain This Winter

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    19 Aug 2026
    Nassfeld Invests €13 Million in New 6-Seater Chairlift for 2026/27 Season

    Nassfeld Invests €13 Million in New 6-Seater Chairlift for 2026/27 Season

    Nassfeld is putting €13 million into a new 6-seater chairlift, the Tressdorfer Almbahn, connecting Sonnleitn with the Tressdorfer Alm from December 2026. It replaces three ageing drag lifts and will run through summer too, from June 2027, moving up to 2,500 people an hour on the roughly three-minute ride. It's the latest step in Carinthia's largest ski resort building out a genuine year-round offering, following last year's Gartnerkofelbahn gondola.

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

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

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

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

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    12 Aug 2026
    Saas-Fee Closes Its Glacier to Summer Skiing as Heat Wave Drags On

    Saas-Fee Closes Its Glacier to Summer Skiing as Heat Wave Drags On

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    8 Aug 2026
    Silvretta Montafon Plans New 10-Person Gondola to Replace Ageing Hochjoch Lift

    Silvretta Montafon Plans New 10-Person Gondola to Replace Ageing Hochjoch Lift

    Silvretta Montafon wants to retire one of its most distinctive lifts. The plan: a single 10-person gondola running direct from Schruns to 1,870 metres, replacing both the two-stage Hochjoch cable car and the 1985 Kropfen chairlift in one move. Capacity jumps from 620 to 3,000 people an hour, and the mid-station transfer disappears entirely. The public hearing lands August 27, 2026 - construction hasn't been confirmed yet, though lift databases are pointing to 2027.

    5 Aug 2026
    Ski Pass on Your Smartphone: Dolomiti Superski's Plans for the Next Three Years

    Ski Pass on Your Smartphone: Dolomiti Superski's Plans for the Next Three Years

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    4 Aug 2026

    Trail map & terrain

    Perisher trail map↓ Download PDF
    Terrain split
    113
    runs
    Beginner22%
    Intermediate60%
    Advanced17%
    Expert1%
    3,076 acres skiable1,245 hectares
    Resort Stats
    Elevation
    Base1699m
    Summit2054m
    Annual snowfall
    3m
    Season
    2026
    6 June 2026 - 5 Oct 2026
    Trail coverage
    113 runs
    3,076 acres (1,245 ha)

    About Perisher's trail map

    Explore Perisher's full trail map with 113 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 Perisher intelligence: snow report, lift system, webcams, resort overview.