Alaska, Usa · Powder Alliance
Eaglecrest
36 runs, 1,620ft vertical, 640 acres on Douglas Island. Municipally owned, 350in average snowfall.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
6 Dec 2025
Closes
13 Apr 2026
Days open
128
Annual snow
29ft
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Eaglecrest's summit reaches 2,749 feet, dropping 1,620 vertical feet to a base at 1,129 feet across 36 runs spread over 640 acres on Douglas Island, across the channel from Juneau, Alaska. Terrain splits 40 per cent intermediate, 40 per cent advanced and 20 per cent beginner, with no expert-rated runs. Average annual snowfall reaches roughly 350 inches. Eaglecrest operates on the Powder Alliance pass network and is owned and run by the City and Borough of Juneau, making it one of the few municipally owned ski areas in the United States.
Only two double chairlifts serve the entire mountain, a modest lift count relative to the 640-acre footprint and 1,620-foot vertical drop. The 40 per cent advanced terrain share, with no groomed expert runs but access to substantial backcountry, gives Eaglecrest a rawer character than most municipally run ski areas. Two Nordic skiing loops supplement the alpine terrain. The resort's community ownership model is unusual even among smaller American ski areas, most of which are privately or corporately run.
Juneau locals founded Eaglecrest in 1975 after identifying Douglas Island as a site with both north and east-facing slopes and a reliable access road free of avalanche risk. The ski area has been owned and operated by the City and Borough of Juneau since its founding, a genuinely public model distinct from Vail, Alterra or independent private ownership seen elsewhere. As of mid-2026, the ski area has reportedly been running at a financial loss, prompting public discussion about the city's continued funding of the operation. Notably, Juneau itself has no road connection to the rest of Alaska or the Lower 48, reachable only by air or sea, though Douglas Island and Eaglecrest are accessible by a short local drive from downtown.
Powder Alliance membership gives pass holders reciprocal access to other member resorts, mostly smaller community and independent areas. Adult full-day tickets run 75 US dollars, with a full adult season pass at 870 dollars and free season access for Alaska residents aged 75 and over. The resort suits Juneau locals and visitors already in the isolated Alaska capital rather than travellers making a dedicated trip, given Juneau's lack of road access from outside. Its exceptional snowfall and steep terrain, combined with municipal ownership, make Eaglecrest a distinctive presence in American skiing.
1,621ft
Vertical
36
Runs
640 acres
Skiable
29ft
Annual snow
Powder Alliance
Pass
The Terrain
36 runs across 640 acres skiable
Eaglecrest spreads 36 runs across 640 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 40%, with 7 beginner runs to find your feet and 14 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
36
runs
36 runs across 4 grades
Beginner7 runs · 20%
Intermediate14 runs · 40%
Advanced14 runs · 40%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Eaglecrest
The 2025-26 season at Eaglecrest ran from 6 December 2025 to 13 April 2026, a roughly nineteen-week window. Juneau's coastal, far-northern position supports a long season relative to its snowfall reliability. Season dates can shift based on Southeast Alaska's variable coastal weather. This length is typical for a resort at Eaglecrest's elevation and latitude.
Average annual snowfall of roughly 350 inches is substantial, a product of Southeast Alaska's wet, storm-driven coastal climate. A record snowfall of 640 inches was recorded in 2011, illustrating the range of variability in the region's weather. Base depth and season totals vary considerably year to year given the maritime climate's inherent unpredictability. Snowmaking plays a limited role given the area's naturally high, if variable, snowfall.
Midwinter, from January through February, typically offers the most reliable conditions, though Southeast Alaska's coastal storms can bring rain as well as snow even in winter. Juneau's far-northern latitude means short daylight hours in December and January, lengthening substantially into spring. Late-season visits in March and April often benefit from improving daylight alongside a still-substantial snowpack. Weekday visits are generally quieter than weekends, given the resort's small, largely local visitor base.
Eaglecrest's calendar centres on serving Juneau's local community rather than destination event programming, consistent with its municipal ownership. As of 2026, financial pressure on the city-run operation has become a matter of public discussion, potentially affecting future investment and programming. Backcountry access from the ski area's boundary draws experienced skiers beyond the groomed 36-run network. Specific festival or competition programming is not confirmed in available resort information.
Season 2025 - 2026
6 Dec 2025
Opens
13 Apr 2026
Closes
128
Days open
29 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Eaglecrest, and where to stay
Eaglecrest sits on Douglas Island, across the Gastineau Channel from Juneau, Alaska, with a base elevation of 1,129 feet and a summit at 2,749 feet across a 1,620-foot vertical drop over 640 acres. Douglas Island itself has road access, distinct from Juneau's broader isolation. The ski area lies within the Tongass National Forest region of Southeast Alaska. This is a temperate rainforest and coastal mountain environment rather than a dry interior climate.
Juneau, Alaska's capital, lies across the channel and is the nearest city of any size, reached via a roughly 15 to 20-minute drive from downtown across the Douglas Island bridge. Notably, Juneau has no road connection to the rest of Alaska or the contiguous United States, reachable only by air or sea, a defining feature of the region. This isolation shapes Eaglecrest's visitor base, drawing primarily from Juneau's resident population rather than road-tripping visitors. Douglas, a smaller community on the island itself, sits closer still to the ski area.
Local Douglas Island roads provide access from downtown Juneau across the bridge connecting the island to the mainland side of the channel. The drive from downtown Juneau takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes under normal conditions. Winter driving on Dou-las Island can include coastal Alaska's wet snow and occasional icy conditions. No long-distance road connects Juneau to the rest of Alaska, meaning all visitors arrive by air or sea regardless of their final approach to the ski area.
Juneau International Airport is the only airport serving the area, located on the mainland side of the channel from Douglas Island and Eaglecrest. Given Juneau's lack of road access to the rest of Alaska, the airport, along with the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system, is the only way to reach the region. Most visitors are already in Juneau for other reasons rather than travelling specifically for Eaglecrest. Flights connect Juneau primarily to Anchorage, Seattle and other Southeast Alaska communities.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Eaglecrest, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Arosa to Replace 40-Year-Old Hörnli Lifts With New Gondola and Chair
Arosa's Hörnli sector is getting its biggest overhaul in decades. The 1986 gondola and 1994 chairlift linking toward Lenzerheide are both being replaced, with capacity up, tower count down and a new base station lower on the hill. At roughly CHF 67 million, it is the largest single investment Arosa Bergbahnen has ever made - and the target opening has already slipped a year, to December 2028. Here is what is changing, and why the timeline moved.
20 Aug 2026
Sundance Mountain Resort Is Getting a New High-Speed Quad and More Back Mountain Terrain This Winter
Sundance Mountain Resort's back mountain is finally getting a proper lift. The Electric Horseman Express opens for 2026-27, unlocking a new bowl next to Bishop's Bowl and three expert gladed chutes across roughly 105 fresh acres - on top of the Storyteller ridge run that debuted in preview form last season. It's Sundance's biggest expansion since 1985, and it turns a three-lift slog into a single six-minute ride to Bearclaw Summit.
19 Aug 2026
Levi and Ruka Confirm October 2 Opening on Farmed Summer Snow
Finland's Levi and Ruka open for the 2026-27 season on October 2, more than seven weeks before most of Europe sees a lift turn. Neither resort is waiting on autumn snowfall - both are skiing on snow buried since last spring, insulated through the Finnish summer and dug back out for opening day. It is not a shortcut. It is a decades-old system now spreading from the Arctic Circle to Idaho, Utah, Vermont and Colorado. Here is how snow farming actually works, and why it is catching on.
19 Aug 2026
Nassfeld Invests €13 Million in New 6-Seater Chairlift for 2026/27 Season
Nassfeld is putting €13 million into a new 6-seater chairlift, the Tressdorfer Almbahn, connecting Sonnleitn with the Tressdorfer Alm from December 2026. It replaces three ageing drag lifts and will run through summer too, from June 2027, moving up to 2,500 people an hour on the roughly three-minute ride. It's the latest step in Carinthia's largest ski resort building out a genuine year-round offering, following last year's Gartnerkofelbahn gondola.
17 Aug 2026
Stelvio Glacier Suspends Summer Skiing, Leaving Continental Europe Without a Lift-Served Slope
Italy's Stelvio Glacier has pulled the plug on summer skiing from August 15. It was the last lift-served ski option left standing in continental Europe, and now there's none. Operator SIFAS pointed to persistent heat, storms, and a snowpack that simply wasn't refreezing overnight anymore. The cable car keeps running. Whether skiing comes back later this summer depends on the weather turning - and right now, nobody's promising anything.
15 Aug 2026
Maverick Mountain's Only Chairlift Destroyed as Sand Creek Fire Tears Through Montana Ski Area
Firefighters saved every base building at Maverick Mountain, Montana, but the resort's sole chairlift didn't survive the Sand Creek Fire. Owners Erik and Kristi Borge say the lift is "most likely" out for the 2026/27 season after flames tore through the mountain on August 8. The wildfire has since grown past 27,700 acres with zero percent containment. It's a gutting result for the tiny, one-lift operation near Dillon - though the lodge, groomers and equipment all made it through untouched.
15 Aug 2026
Fairmont Niseko: New Luxury Resort Revives Stalled La Plume Site for Early 2028 Opening
Fairmont is bringing its second Japanese property to Niseko, and this one's got history. The 165-room resort will rise on the site of the stalled La Plume project, which collapsed into bankruptcy in 2025 before J-Will Partners bought the site for redevelopment. Set between Mount Yotei and Mount Annupuri, it's slated for an early 2028 opening - putting it in play for the 2027/28 season. Expect two restaurants, a spa, onsen bathing, and a kids' club, a short drive from Niseko Village and Hirafu.
12 Aug 2026
Saas-Fee Closes Its Glacier to Summer Skiing as Heat Wave Drags On
Saas-Fee is closing its glacier to summer skiing from Monday, August 10 - the second major Swiss resort to shut in under two weeks after Zermatt suspended operations on August 1. Persistent heat and warm nights that won't let the glacier refreeze are behind the call, per Saastal Bergbahnen. That leaves Italy's Stelvio as the only glacier ski area open in the Alps. Reopening could come as early as August 17, though nothing's confirmed - and racing teams are already looking south instead.
8 Aug 2026
Lift system
Eaglecrest runs two double chairlifts, the entire lift network serving 36 runs across 640 acres and a 1,620-foot vertical drop. There is no quad chair, surface lift or gondola at this ski area. This is an unusually low lift count relative to the mountain's acreage and vertical drop, reflecting the resort's small visitor base and municipal, non-profit-driven operating model. The two chairs are named for terrain features, Ptarmigan and Hooter, based on the resort's own webcam naming.
With only two double chairlifts covering 640 acres, uphill capacity is modest compared with similarly sized private resorts. Loading and unloading at both lifts typically move without long queues given Juneau's small population base. The lifts access both the 40 per cent advanced terrain and the more moderate intermediate and beginner zones, without a dedicated beginner-only lift. This lift configuration reflects a community ski area built for reliable access over high throughput.
Both chairs return skiers to the same general base area on Douglas Island, with the two Nordic skiing loops operating separately from the alpine lift network. There is no mid-mountain facility given the compact two-lift system. The 1,620-foot vertical drop is covered by the two double chairs combined rather than a single continuous lift line. This straightforward layout suits a community-focused ski area rather than a high-volume destination resort.
Eaglecrest's two-lift network has remained largely unchanged since the ski area's 1975 founding, reflecting its municipal ownership and modest visitor volumes. Given reports in 2026 of the ski area operating at a financial loss, major new lift investment appears unlikely in the near term without a change in the city's funding approach. The resort's backcountry access, rather than lift infrastructure, is often cited as its primary drawcard. Further lift changes are not confirmed in available resort information.
2lifts across 1 types
2
Double Chairs
Eaglecrest lift system
Eaglecrest is served by 2 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 Eaglecrest intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.