Thredbo
Australia's highest lifted point at 2,037m, 672m vertical and 5.9km runs in the Snowy Mountains. Open June to October on Ikon Pass.
Season 2026
Opens
6 June 2026
Closes
13 Sept 2026
Days open
99
Annual snow
2.5m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Thredbo holds more vertical than any other ski resort in Australia — 672m from base to summit — and with it the country's longest ski runs, a highest lifted point of 2,037m via Karel's T-bar, and the longest single descent at 5.9km. The resort spans 1,186 acres within Kosciuszko National Park in the NSW Snowy Mountains, serving 53 runs across terrain that runs steeper and more sustained than anywhere else on the Australian mainland. The terrain profile skews intermediate at 67%, but Thredbo's expert zones — Golf Course Bowl, Bushranger and Michael's Mistake — are consistently rated the most demanding in-bounds terrain in the country.
The resort was established in the mid-1950s by Tony Sponar, a Czech-born ski instructor who had trained at St. Anton in Austria and deliberately chose Thredbo for its long fall lines and potential for a European-style village at the base. That founding vision has shaped the resort's character ever since — a compact, walkable alpine village along the Thredbo River, operating as a year-round destination with a summer mountain bike park and direct trail access to Mt Kosciuszko at 2,228m, Australia's highest peak. Thredbo is part of both the Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective networks.
672m
Vertical
53
Runs
1,186 acres
Skiable
2.5m
Annual snow
Ikon / Mountain Collective
Pass
The Terrain
53 runs across 1,186 acres skiable
Thredbo spreads across about 480 hectares of the Kosciuszko region, rising from the village at 1,365 metres to 2,037 metres, a vertical of 672 metres. Of its 53 runs, 16% are beginner, 67% intermediate, 10% advanced and 7% expert, a strong intermediate focus with a genuine expert end. The village sits at the base of the slopes, so lifts run straight from the doorstep. The Merritts Gondola climbs from the village to the Cruiser area, and the Kosciuszko Express chair carries skiers on towards the summit, so the lower and upper mountain are connected with minimal fuss.
Cruiser is the gentle, wide-open learning area, while the long Supertrail winds its way down the full vertical of the mountain. Funnel Web brings steeper pitches and natural features, with Karels T-bar serving the highest lifted terrain. Intermediates enjoy the long, flowing cruisers, and advanced and expert skiers can find steeper faces and mogul runs off the upper lifts. Thredbo suits confident intermediates, strong skiers who like long fall-line runs and families wanting a village at the foot of the hill. The sheer length of the descents is the main draw, and the vertical rewards anyone who likes to ski from top to bottom without stopping.
Terrain split
53
runs
53 runs across 4 grades
Beginner8 runs · 16%
Intermediate36 runs · 67%
Advanced5 runs · 10%
Expert4 runs · 7%
Time it right
When to visit Thredbo
The 2026 season at Thredbo runs from 6 June to 5 October, a four-month window consistent with the NSW alpine season calendar. Average annual snowfall reaches 2.5 metres, and the resort's south-facing aspect combined with a base elevation of 1,365m supports reliable coverage through the core July and August period. The snowmaking system covers the majority of front-side terrain including Friday Flat, High Noon and the Supertrail, providing early-season and thin-cover insurance across the resort's key corridors.
August typically delivers peak natural snow depths, while September is well regarded for longer daylight hours, firming spring snow and quieter lifts. A Thredbo Ikon Pass connects the resort with Mammoth, Steamboat, Niseko, Coronet Peak and The Remarkables, among others in the global network. The Saturday night Flare Run — in which skiers descend the Supertrail carrying flares — runs on selected evenings during the season and has become one of the signature events on the Australian alpine calendar.
Season 2026
6 June 2026
Opens
13 Sept 2026
Closes
99
Days open
2.5 m
Annual snow
The record
Historical snowfall at Thredbo
Daily snow reports at Thredbo go back to 2025, 2 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
30 cm
Snowiest day
25 June 2025
109 cm
This winter · 2026
so far
206 cm
Typical winter
average of complete seasons
Winter totals
cm
Past wintersThis winter
Getting there
Getting to Thredbo, and where to stay
Thredbo sits within Kosciuszko National Park in the Snowy Mountains of southern New South Wales, accessed via the Alpine Way through Jindabyne. The village is approximately 500km south-west of Sydney, 170km from Canberra and 35 minutes from Jindabyne — the main accommodation and services hub for the region. Unlike Perisher, Thredbo is directly accessible by car with day and overnight parking available in the village, though the Alpine Way requires snow chains on the approach during winter conditions.
Canberra Airport is the most practical flying option, with a 2.5-hour drive to the resort. Sydney Airport is approximately six hours by road. Regular coach services run from both Sydney and Canberra to Jindabyne and Thredbo throughout the season. In summer, Thredbo operates as a mountain biking and hiking destination, with the Merritts Gondola providing lift access to over 40km of marked trails and a 10km walk from the resort to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko.
Where to stay
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Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Mt Rose Aims to Open First in Tahoe on November 6
Mt Rose is going for the first-in-Tahoe title, with the Lakeview Express due to spin at 9 a.m. on Friday, November 6. One main lift, three runs and plenty of snowmaking, sitting on the highest base elevation in the region at 8,260 ft. Here is what is open, what is not (sorry, tubing fans), and how the early North American openings are stacking up.
4 Nov 2026
Europe Snow Forecast: Serre Chevalier Leads With 82 cm Over the Next 10 Days
Europe has had a quiet start to November, but our 10-day forecast has Serre Chevalier on 82 cm and Les 2 Alpes on 71 cm. Two pushes are lined up: a western Alps top-up from Friday, then a bigger, wider system on Thursday, November 12 and Friday, November 13 that reaches Italy and Switzerland. Full leaderboard inside.
4 Nov 2026
Mammoth Mountain Opens Early on November 5 With Up to 33 Inches of Snow in the Forecast
Mammoth just moved opening day forward to Thursday, November 5, eight days ahead of schedule. A snowy weekend and cold snowmaking nights did the work, and our forecast shows up to 33 inches more landing on November 13 and 14. Here is what opens, what the weather looks like and where Mammoth sits among the early Ikon Pass openers.
3 Nov 2026
Utah Snow Storm Builds Early-Season Base Ahead of November Openings
Rain down low, snow up high, and a snow report full of zeros that mostly means ‘not updated yet’. Utah’s first proper storm of 2026-27 is rolling through the Wasatch, Snowbird’s snow stake is closing in on 10 inches, and Brian Head is five days from opening day. Early November snow rarely looks like much, but it is the layer every November opening date is built on. Here is where it stands.
1 Nov 2026
Sierra Nevada Halloween Storm: Dodge Ridge Forecast to Lead With 19 Inches
Halloween weekend brings a wet, windy storm to the Sierra Nevada. Our five-day forecast has Dodge Ridge on top with 19 in, followed by Bear Valley at 15 in and Mammoth Mountain at 12 in, with most of it landing on Saturday. A winter weather advisory covers the Tahoe Basin and Mono County until 7 AM Sunday, gusts could reach 47 mph and the freezing level swings between 4,900 and 8,700 ft, so some bases will see rain. A dry spell follows from Monday.
31 Oct 2026
Lake Louise Opens Early on 1 November With Juniper Express and Easy Street
The Rockies get their first lift-served turns of the season early. Lake Louise opens Sunday 1 November, five days ahead of schedule, after a cold October and round-the-clock work from the snowmaking and mountain crews. Terrain is limited to Juniper Express Chair and Easy Street, with two small terrain parks and the beginner area for lessons. Opening-day tickets are over 60% off, with prices rising as more lifts open. First chair is at 9:30 am under the resort’s new lift hours.
31 Oct 2026
Kitzbüheler Horn Summit Cable Car to Be Replaced After 70 Years
A Tyrolean summit lift that has been carrying guests up the Kitzbüheler Horn since 1955 is on borrowed time. Its licence runs to 2045, but a new inspection rule has made refurbishment uneconomic, so Bergbahn AG Kitzbühel will spend around €15 million on a replacement on the same line. It should hold roughly 100 people and keep running in winds that would stop today’s lift. Building starts in autumn 2027, which makes this winter and next summer the last chances to ride the old one.
30 Oct 2026
What’s New in Japan Skiing This Winter: Niseko Gondola, a Private Resort and a Bigger Ikon Pass
Niseko Village is replacing a lift from the early 1980s with an eight-person gondola, Tsugaike gets a six-person chairlift, Madarao joins the Ikon Pass and Togari opens Asia’s first private ski resort. Here’s what is actually new in Japan skiing for 2026/27, plus what is still a year or two away.
30 Oct 2026
Thredbo Trail Map
Downloadable Thredbo trail map
Terrain split
53
runs
Beginner16%
Intermediate67%
Advanced10%
Expert7%
1,186 acres skiable480 hectares
Resort Stats
Elevation
Base1365m
Summit2037m
Annual snowfall
2.5m
Season
2026
6 June 2026 - 13 Sept 2026
Trail coverage
53 runs
1,186 acres (480 ha)
About Thredbo's trail map
Explore Thredbo's full trail map with 53 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 Thredbo intelligence: snow report, lift system, webcams, resort overview.