TL;DR
Loveland is open. The Colorado ski area started Chet’s Dream turning on Saturday 7 November to kick off 2026-27, with $60 adult lift tickets to mark 60 years of snowmaking. Expect three runs, nearly 1,000 vertical feet (about 300 metres) of top-to-bottom skiing, live music on the Basin Patio and no beginner terrain yet. Here’s what’s open, what it costs and when Loveland Valley follows.
Loveland has joined Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in getting the Colorado season underway.
The ski area opened for 2026-27 on Saturday 7 November, with Chet’s Dream lift due to start turning at 10am. The later-than-usual start gave crews a bit more time for finishing touches. To mark 60 years of snowmaking, adult day tickets at the window were priced at $60.
What was open on day one
Opening day terrain was limited to three runs: Catwalk, Mambo and Home Run. Together they give top-to-bottom skiing and riding with nearly 1,000 vertical feet (about 300 metres) of drop. There is no beginner terrain at all, so first-timers and anyone rebuilding their ski legs will want to circle 20 November.
Live music kicked off on the Basin Patio in the afternoon, and rentals, private lessons and child care were all available.
Tickets and passes
Adult tickets (ages 15 and over) were $60 and child tickets (ages 6 to 14) were $40. Loveland’s opening-day page for last season listed early-season adult tickets at $119, which puts the $60 price in perspective. Lift tickets and rentals can be bought in advance at skiloveland.com. Season passes and unrestricted 4-Paks, which are four transferable tickets with no blackout dates, are on sale now.
Sixty years of making snow
This season marks six decades of snowmaking at Loveland, which was one of the first major ski areas in Colorado to make its own snow. The system now covers more than 240 acres (about 97 hectares), and crews started making snow for this season on 15 October.
Chief operating officer Rob Goodell credited the snowmakers and the mountain operations team, along with every department that helped get the place ready, for working day and night to get open. Loveland opened a day earlier than last season, when the date was 8 November, and two days earlier than the 9 November opening in 2024.
What comes next
Loveland Valley and the Loveland Ski & Ride School open on 20 November, which is when beginner terrain comes online. After opening day, lifts run from 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and from 8:30am to 4pm on weekends and designated holidays. The ski area typically stays open through early May, weather and snow permitting.
About the author
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
