The Remarkables
Ski 385 hectares across three alpine bowls from 1,475–1,943m, with the Southern Hemisphere's only Burton Stash, 45 min from Queenstown.
Season 2026
Opens
13 June 2026
Closes
11 Oct 2026
Days open
120
Annual snow
3m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
The Remarkables is a big-mountain ski area set high in one of the world's most visually striking alpine ranges, rising sharply from the southeastern shore of Lake Wakatipu just 45 minutes from downtown Queenstown. The resort spans 385 hectares across three sheltered mountain bowls between 1,475m and 1,943m, with a 468m vertical drop and 46 runs graded 30% beginner, 40% intermediate and 30% advanced.
The Remarkables mountain range is one of only two in the world that runs directly north to south, and the ski area's horseshoe-shaped bowl layout provides natural protection from prevailing weather while catching generous afternoon sun on the base-area deck. Average annual snowfall of 3.67 metres — the highest of any resort in the Queenstown region — is supplemented by 158 snowmaking guns covering all key trails and terrain parks.
The resort hosts the Burton Stash, one of only six in the world and the only one in the Southern Hemisphere — a terrain feature designed in partnership with Burton Snowboards using natural materials integrated into the mountainside. Two additional terrain parks and a dedicated freestyle zone in Curvey Basin round out a strong freestyle offering. The Remarkables has also been selected to host the Freeride World Tour Academy, recognising the quality of its steep, natural big-mountain terrain.
The resort is operated by NZSki alongside Coronet Peak and Mt Hutt, with all three covered by the 3 Peak Season Pass. The Remarkables is also accessible on the Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective, and NZSki offers a unique Parent Pass — a shared day ticket for two parents to take turns on the mountain while the other stays with the family.
468m
Vertical
46
Runs
951 acres
Skiable
3m
Annual snow
Ikon / Mountain Collective
Pass
The Terrain
46 runs across 951 acres skiable
This is a test to see if the content comes through.
Terrain split
46
runs
46 runs across 4 grades
Beginner14 runs · 30%
Intermediate18 runs · 40%
Advanced14 runs · 30%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit The Remarkables
The Remarkables operates from mid-June through to early October, with the 2026 season running from 13 June to 11 October. The resort's higher elevation relative to neighbouring Coronet Peak — base at 1,475m versus 1,187m — delivers both heavier natural snowfall and better snow preservation, with an average of 3.67 metres per season excluding snowmaking contributions.
The most reliable conditions fall between mid-July and September, with base depths at their peak through August and September. The resort's sheltered bowl terrain holds snow well even during warmer spells, and the extensive snowmaking system ensures key runs remain in good condition throughout the season window.
Spring skiing in September and early October offers warmer days, softer snow and thinner crowds. The afternoon sun that floods the base area and lower bowls makes late-season sessions particularly pleasant, with the deck outside the base lodge a popular spot for soaking up the views across to Coronet Peak and the Wakatipu Basin.
New Zealand school holidays in July typically bring the highest visitor numbers. The three-bowl layout helps distribute skier traffic, and the combination of covered learner conveyors at the base and high-capacity six-person chairs on the upper mountain keeps the system moving efficiently even on busy days.
Season 2026
13 June 2026
Opens
11 Oct 2026
Closes
120
Days open
3 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to The Remarkables, and where to stay
The Remarkables sits 24km from central Queenstown, accessed via the Remarkables Road — a route that begins on sealed highway before transitioning to an unsealed mountain road for the final kilometres up to the base area at 1,475m. The drive takes approximately 45 minutes from town, and chains may be required on the upper access road during and after snowfall. Several car parks are staggered along the approach, with a shuttle service running between them and the base building.
Daily ski bus services operate from Queenstown's Snow Centre at 25 Shotover Street, with hotel pick-ups available en route. Carpooling incentives give vehicles with three or more passengers access to priority parking closer to the base. MyPass kiosks are located at Queenstown Airport (beside baggage claim), the Snow Centre in town, and on the mountain.
Queenstown Airport is the nearest gateway, approximately 30 minutes from the base of the access road, with domestic connections from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and direct international flights from Australian east-coast cities. Wānaka is roughly one hour away, and Invercargill approximately two hours to the south.
The base building houses a fully licensed restaurant and bar, a café, a retail shop, rental department, snowsports school and the Skiwiland childcare centre. The striking visual backdrop of the Remarkables range — sheer rock faces, glacial cirques and the towering Double Cone summit at 2,319m above — makes the drive up and the views from the ski area among the most dramatic of any resort in Australasia.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near The Remarkables, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
California Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: Mammoth Leads, Tahoe Follows
Mammoth Mountain is first up in California, targeting Friday 13 November after a dusting of September snow. Heavenly and Northstar follow on 20 November, Palisades Tahoe on Wednesday 25 November and Sugar Bowl on 27 November, with Kirkwood on 4 December and June Mountain on 19 December. Plenty of smaller areas have no date yet. A super El Niño favours the Sierra, but a warmer storm track is the catch.
7 Oct 2026
Colorado Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: A-Basin and Keystone Race to Be First
Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Winter Park are all chasing an October start, though none has a firm date yet. The first dated openers are Breckenridge and Copper on Friday 6 November, then Vail on 13 November, with most of the rest bunched around US Thanksgiving. Hesperus did not open at all last season. A super El Niño offers hope but no guarantee, and forecasters say the southern mountains have the better odds.
5 Oct 2026
Dolomiti Superski 2026-27: Four New Gondolas, New Reservoirs and an €89 Peak Day Pass
Dolomiti Superski is spending around €100 million across its 12 areas before winter. Kronplatz gets a new 10-passenger gondola with a middle station, 3 Zinnen gets Helmissimo, and Val di Fassa swaps a chairlift for a gondola above Col Valvacin. New water-storage basins and upgraded snowmaking follow, and construction has started on the San Martino to Passo Rolle link. A peak adult day pass is €89.
4 Oct 2026
Utah Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: Brian Head First, Eagle Point Out
Brian Head is targeting 6 November, though last year it aimed for 7 November and did not open until the 25th. Park City, Alta and Solitude are pencilled in for 20 November, Snowbird and Snowbasin for 27 November, and Deer Valley for 5 December. Eagle Point will stay closed after the Cottonwood Fire. A super El Niño is forecast, but the big snow is not expected until January.
4 Oct 2026
Hintertux Glacier Opens for 2026-27 With 12 Kilometres of Piste
Hintertux became Austria's second glacier to open for 2026-27 on Friday 2 October, after the Pitztal Glacier. Twelve kilometres of piste are running around the Olperer and Gefrorene Wand, served by one gondola and two drag lifts, with the Betterpark also open. Lifts officially run 8:15 am to 4:30 pm, but skiing stops at 2 pm for now.
4 Oct 2026
Vail Resorts Counts the Cost of a Thin Winter as Pass Sales Slide Further
A historically poor western winter cut Vail Resorts' annual net income from $280 million to $147.5 million and skier visits by 13.4 per cent. Now 2026-27 pass units are down 12 per cent as of 18 September, worse than the 10 per cent flagged in spring. Vail blames the weather and thinks some buyers are simply waiting, and it forecasts a rebound if the snow behaves.
3 Oct 2026
Arizona Snowbowl's $1 Lift Tickets Are Hard to Find, but $9 Days Are Not
Arizona Snowbowl advertised eight $1 lift ticket days this winter. Go looking and only three are showing - 10 March, 1 April and 10 April - so the rest may already have gone. The consolation is a calendar full of $9 days, including all but one day in April. Opening day is 20 November, weather permitting, and opening weekend is $19.
2 Oct 2026
Whitewater Brings Its Short Side Inbounds, With Six New Runs for 2026-27
For years, Whitewater's Short Side was where you ducked a rope and hoped for the best: unmapped, ungroomed and unpatrolled. This winter it's inbounds. Six new runs of glades and fall-line skiing add 190 acres (about 77 hectares), taking the resort past 1,400 acres in total. F2 Logging spent a month in the trees to make it happen, and opening day is pencilled in for 4 December. Bonanza now needs less snow to groom, too.
1 Oct 2026
The Remarkables Snow Report
Snow Report
Updated 8 Oct 2026
1943m
summit
+0cm
new snow · last 24 hours
Partly Cloudy0°C / 10°C · E 4km/h
Snowfall
24 hours
0cm
48 hours
1cm
7 days
12cm
Base depth
180cm
Season total
1043cm
Lifts open7 / 7
13 June 2026 - 11 Oct 2026
Hour by Hour
Next 43 hours· Updated Oct 9, 2026 at 6:02 AM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
1,943 mUpdated Oct 9, 2026 at 6:02 AMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
0.0cm
Days 8–14
0.0cm
Fri, Oct 9
Overcast
Temp10° / 0°°C
Snow0.0cm
Wind4 km/h E
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the The Remarkables snow report
The Remarkables snow conditions, updated regularly: current snowfall, snow depth, temperatures, and the outlook for this South Island resort on the Ikon / Mountain Collective.
Snow measurements
Snow depth at The Remarkables is tracked at both the base and summit, since the two elevations often see different totals — roughly a 468m difference here. We report fresh snowfall over the last 24 hours and 7 days alongside the running season total, in both metric and imperial units.
Weather conditions
Current weather conditions affect snow quality. Cold temperatures with low wind typically preserve snow quality, while warm temperatures or rain can impact conditions negatively — something worth watching closely at The Remarkables's 1475m base elevation, where temperatures run milder than the summit.
Data sources
Snowfall and depth figures for The Remarkables come from official mountain sources; weather and outlook data comes from independent forecasting services. The mountain is served by 7 lifts, including 2 quad chairlifts and 2 6-person chairlifts.
When to check
Snow reports are typically updated early morning and late afternoon. For the most current conditions, check back regularly, especially if a winter storm is approaching.