TL;DR
The 2025-26 North American ski season is underway with resorts across Colorado, Alberta, and Vermont opening their lifts. From Keystone's surprise first-to-open move to Sunshine Village's impressive 38 runs already available, here's exactly what terrain you can access right now and which resorts are offering the best early season conditions.
Where Can You Actually Ski in North America Right Now?
The 2025-26 ski season kicked off in late October with Colorado resorts leading the charge, followed by some surprisingly good early openings in the Canadian Rockies. If you're keen to get your first turns in, options exist but they're limited and conditions vary significantly depending on where you go.
Here's the reality of what's actually open across North America right now, what terrain you can access, and which resorts are worth the trip.
Where Can You Ski This November In North America?
Colorado Takes the Early Season Crown (Again)
Keystone claimed first-to-open status for North America on 25 October, but there's an interesting backstory. Arapahoe Basin had been promoting their 26 October opening for weeks, positioning themselves to grab the "first to open" title as they typically do. In a classic power move, Keystone surprised everyone by quietly preparing terrain and announcing via social media just hours before that they'd spin the River Run Gondola that same afternoon. By opening from 3-6pm on 25 October, they technically beat A-Basin by less than 24 hours.
These opening date competitions might seem like marketing games – and they are – but they're also part of the tradition and fun of early season riding.
is currently running four lifts: River Run Gondola, Montezame Express, Peru Express, and Summit Express. Terrain is exactly what you'd expect for late October – a handful of beginner trails including Endeavor, Ina's Way, Schoolmarm, and Silverspoon. You're looking at groomed green runs with the occasional bottleneck where everyone funnels together. Opening weekend saw significant crowds, though numbers have tapered off now.
