The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Alyeska's summit reaches 2,756 feet, dropping 2,526 vertical feet to a base at 230 feet across 76 runs spread over 1,610 acres in the Chugach Mountains near Girdwood, Alaska. Terrain splits 52 per cent intermediate, 20 per cent advanced, 17 per cent expert and 11 per cent beginner. Average annual snowfall reaches roughly 650 inches, among the highest totals of any resort in North America. Alyeska carries no major multi-resort pass affiliation.
The 2,526-foot vertical drop is the largest of any ski resort in Alaska and among the largest in the United States, accessed via an aerial tram built in 1993 by the Japanese firm Seibu/Prince Hotels. The historic Roundhouse lodge at the top of the mountain, built from 1960 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, now houses a ski history museum. The exceptionally low base elevation of 230 feet, combined with the 2,756-foot summit, gives Alyeska a coastal, near-sea-level starting point unusual among major ski resorts. Seven lifts, including the tram, four quad chairs and two surface lifts, serve the 76-run network.
The Alyeska Ski Corporation was founded in 1954, with the first chairlift and day lodge opening in 1959. Girdwood, the town at the resort's base, was originally called Glacier City, a supply camp for gold miners, before being renamed after James Girdwood, who staked the first gold claims along Crow Creek in 1896. Pomeroy Lodging, an Alaska-based hospitality company, acquired substantially all of Alyeska's resort assets in October 2018, committing roughly 50 million US dollars to improvements over its first five years of ownership.
With no major pass affiliation, Alyeska sells its own day tickets and season passes directly. Adult full-day tickets range from 119 to 169 US dollars depending on date, with an Alyeska Peak Pass priced at 59 dollars for limited access and a full 2025/26 season pass at 1,599 dollars. The resort suits skiers seeking exceptional snowfall and vertical relief within a roughly 40-mile drive of Anchorage, unusual for a resort of this scale anywhere in the United States. Its Chugach Mountains setting and Turnagain Arm views give it a coastal Alaska character distinct from interior or Lower 48 resorts.
2,526ft
Vertical
76
Runs
1,610 acres
Skiable
54ft
Annual snow
The Terrain
76 runs across 1,610 acres skiable
Alyeska spreads 76 runs across 1,610 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 52%, with 8 beginner runs to find your feet and 28 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
76
runs
76 runs across 4 grades
Beginner8 runs · 11%
Intermediate40 runs · 52%
Advanced15 runs · 20%
Expert13 runs · 17%
Time it right
When to visit Alyeska
The 2025-26 season at Alyeska ran from 24 November 2025 to 13 April 2026, a roughly twenty-week window, among the longer seasons of any US resort. Alaska's far northern latitude gives the resort long daylight hours in spring even as the season extends into April. Season dates can shift based on early and late-season snowpack. This length reflects both the resort's high snowfall and its far-northern position.
Average annual snowfall of roughly 650 inches ranks among the highest of any ski resort in North America, a result of Alyeska's position in the Chugach Mountains catching moisture-laden storms off the Gulf of Alaska. This exceptional natural snowfall makes snowmaking a secondary consideration compared with most other US resorts. Base depth builds substantially through midwinter given the sheer volume of natural snow. The Chugach Mountains' coastal position drives this snowfall pattern.
January and February typically deliver the deepest natural snowpack, consistent with the broader Alaska storm pattern. The resort's far-northern latitude means short daylight hours in December and January, lengthening substantially by March and April. Spring skiing in March and April benefits from both a deep base and improving daylight and weather. Weekday visits are generally quieter than weekends, given Alyeska's role as Alaska's primary destination resort.
Alyeska's calendar has historically included extreme skiing competitions given its steep 2,526-foot vertical drop and challenging terrain, though specific current event programming is not confirmed in available resort information. The resort's exceptional snowfall and vertical drop have long attracted attention from big-mountain skiers and film crews. Girdwood's broader identity as an Alaska outdoor recreation town supports activities beyond skiing through the season. Under Pomeroy Lodging's ownership since 2018, the calendar continues to centre on Alyeska's role as Alaska's premier ski destination.
Season 2025 - 2026
24 Nov 2025
Opens
13 Apr 2026
Closes
140
Days open
54 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Alyeska, and where to stay
Alyeska sits in the Chugach Mountains near Girdwood, Alaska, with an unusually low base elevation of 230 feet and a summit at 2,756 feet across a 2,526-foot vertical drop over 1,610 acres. This coastal mountain setting, close to sea level at the base, is unusual among major North American ski resorts. Turnagain Arm, an inlet of the Gulf of Alaska, lies close to the resort. The Chugach Mountains rise dramatically from near sea level in this part of southcentral Alaska.
Girdwood, the town at Alyeska's base, was originally a gold-mining supply camp called Glacier City before being renamed after James Girdwood, who staked gold claims along Crow Creek in 1896. The town retains a small, outdoor-recreation-focused character distinct from a purpose-built resort village. Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, lies roughly 40 miles northwest along the Seward Highway. The drive between the two follows the scenic Turnagain Arm coastline.
The Seward Highway provides the sole road access to Girdwood and Alyeska, running along Turnagain Arm from Anchorage. The drive from Anchorage takes roughly 40 minutes to an hour under normal conditions. Winter driving on the Seward Highway can include avalanche closures and icy conditions, given the route's exposure along the coastal mountains. No passenger rail service currently connects Anchorage to Girdwood for visitors, though the Alaska Railroad's line passes through the area.
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is the nearest airport with extensive commercial and international service, roughly 40 miles from the resort. This makes Alyeska unusually accessible for an Alaska ski resort, reachable within an hour of a major international airport. No other airport in the region offers comparable service. Most visitors fly into Anchorage and drive the Seward Highway directly to Girdwood.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Alyeska, powered by Stay22.
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Alyeska Lift System
Alyeska runs seven lifts: one aerial tram, four quad chairs and two surface lifts, serving 76 runs across 1,610 acres. The tram, built in 1993 by Japanese firm Seibu/Prince Hotels, remains the resort's signature installation, connecting the low base to the upper mountain in one span. Four quad chairs distribute skiers across the resort's varied terrain, while two surface lifts cover beginner zones. There is no gondola or additional tram at this resort.
The tram replaced or supplemented the resort's original chairlift infrastructure, which dated to the first chairlift installed in 1959. Quad chairs access the bulk of the resort's 52 per cent intermediate terrain, spread across the mountain's varied aspects. The historic Roundhouse lodge, reached via the tram, sits at the top of the mountain and now serves as a ski history museum rather than an active mid-mountain facility. Since Pomeroy Lodging's 2018 acquisition, roughly 50 million US dollars has been committed to resort improvements over five years, though specific further lift investment is not confirmed.
Skiers ride the tram from the low 230-foot base directly toward the upper mountain, while quad chairs serve intermediate sectors lower on the mountain. The exceptionally large 2,526-foot vertical drop means a single tram ride covers more elevation change than most North American lift rides. There is no mid-mountain village separating sectors, with the historic Roundhouse serving as the primary upper-mountain building. This layout gives Alyeska one of the more dramatic single-lift vertical experiences in North America.
The 1993 tram remains Alyeska's most significant lift investment in recent decades, though Pomeroy Lodging's post-2018 investment programme may include further lift upgrades not yet documented in available resort information. The resort's seven-lift network has proven sufficient to serve its 1,610-acre footprint given relatively lower visitor volumes than Lower 48 destination resorts. Further lift expansion plans are not confirmed. The mountain's scale relative to its lift count gives it a lower-crowding character than similarly large resorts further south.
7lifts across 3 types
1
Aerial Tram
4
Quad Chairs
2
Surface Lifts
Alyeska lift system
Alyeska is served by 7 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.
More Alyeska intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.