
Keystone's summit reaches 12,408 feet, dropping 3,128 vertical feet to a base at 9,280 feet across 128 runs spread over 3,148 acres near Dillon, Colorado. Terrain splits 41 per cent intermediate, 21 per cent each for advanced and beginner, and 17 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 235 inches. The resort carries Epic Pass affiliation. Twenty lifts, including seven quad chairs and one gondola, serve the mountain alongside six six-person chairs, one triple chair and five surface lifts.
Keystone holds a distinctive place among Colorado resorts as one of the few offering extensive night skiing, alongside three distinct mountains, Keystone, North Peak and the Outback, that give the resort considerable terrain variety across a single connected area. This combination of night skiing and varied terrain has built Keystone's reputation as a genuinely family-friendly, accessible major resort.
Ketchum, Colorado was renamed Montezuma in 1867 following the discovery of silver in the area, and mining activity continued in the region for decades. Ralston Purina purchased land and developed Keystone Resort, which opened in 1970 as a purpose-built ski destination rather than a converted mining town. The resort expanded considerably over subsequent decades, adding North Peak in 1978 and the Outback in 1999.
Vail Resorts purchased Keystone alongside Breckenridge in 1996 from Ralston Purina's Ralston Resorts subsidiary, bringing both resorts into what would become the Epic Pass network. Adult daily tickets run from 129 to 209 US dollars.
Keystone spreads 3,148 acres (1,274 hectares) over three linked mountains near Dillon, Colorado, with 131 runs falling from a base at 9,280 ft (2,828 m) to a summit at 12,410 ft (3,782 m), a vertical of 3,130 ft (954 m). Intermediates take 39 per cent of the terrain, followed by 30 per cent advanced, 19 per cent expert and 12 per cent beginner, so the mountain is steeper than its family image suggests. Roughly 235 inches of snow falls in a typical season. Gondolas and six-person chairs carry skiers up Dercum Mountain, with North Peak and the Outback sitting beyond it.
Dercum Mountain holds the gentler cruising, and Schoolmarm is a green run of about 3.5 miles, the longest at the resort, winding back to the base. North Peak is known for long bump runs suited to intermediate and advanced skiers, while the Outback, the furthest and tallest of the three peaks, is where skiers go for powder turns and tree skiing. Five bowls (Independence, Bergman, Erickson, North and South) add high alpine terrain, and a cat shuttle from North Peak serves Bergman and Erickson. Keystone runs the largest night skiing operation in Colorado, and A51 is its terrain park on Dercum Mountain. It suits families, mixed-ability groups and advanced skiers keen to explore the Outback.
The 2025-26 season at Keystone ran from 24 October 2025 to 20 April 2026, a roughly twenty-six-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 235 inches. Keystone traditionally opens earlier than many Colorado resorts, and this extended season reflects that early-opening tradition alongside reliable late-season conditions.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions across Keystone's three mountain areas. As an Epic Pass resort within the Vail Resorts network, Keystone draws substantial visitation from Epic Pass holders alongside families specifically seeking the resort's extensive night-skiing programme and varied, intermediate-weighted terrain.
Keystone's night-skiing operation, among the most extensive in Colorado, continues to draw strong evening visitation throughout the season. School holiday periods bring substantial family visitation given the resort's approachable terrain mix and dedicated programming. Weekend crowds draw heavily from the greater Denver metropolitan area.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations and night skiing is not confirmed in available resort information. Since Vail Resorts' 1996 acquisition, Keystone has continued building on more than five decades of history since its 1970 founding by Ralston Purina. The resort's three-mountain terrain variety and family-friendly character remain central to its seasonal appeal.
Keystone sits near Dillon, Colorado, with a base elevation of 9,280 feet and a summit at 12,408 feet across a 3,128-foot vertical drop over 3,148 acres in Summit County. This setting places Keystone within a short drive of Interstate 70, among the more accessible major Colorado resorts.
The town of Keystone and the broader Summit County region, including nearby Dillon and Silverthorne, offer extensive lodging, dining and services within a short drive of the resort. Keystone's own base village provides considerable on-site accommodation directly at the mountain.
US Highway 6 connects Keystone to Interstate 70, providing straightforward access for visitors travelling from Denver and the broader Front Range. Winter driving conditions on this route can include snow and ice, though the well-travelled roads are regularly maintained given the resort's status as a major Colorado destination.
Denver International Airport, roughly a 90-minute drive away, is the primary gateway for visitors flying into Colorado, with Keystone's relative proximity to Denver supporting substantial day-trip and weekend visitation alongside its considerable destination-travel visitor base.
Hotels and lodges near Keystone, powered by Stay22.

Zermatt is having another crack at a World Cup downhill, and this time nobody has to cross a border. Around 13 million Swiss francs is going into rebuilding the Gornergrat piste, including a jump fed by a roughly 300-metre in-run across the roof of the Gornergrat Railway gallery, with the Matterhorn lined up behind it for the TV cameras. First men’s race is pencilled in for March 2028, pending FIS homologation.

Lake Tahoe’s highest base elevation is paying off early: Mt. Rose has started making snow for 2026-27 after the first flurries and a cold snap. The Nevada resort is backing it with nearly US$2 million in upgrades, including a replacement snowmaking main line, a new PistenBully groomer and restraint bars on every lift. Opening day is yet to be confirmed, though Heavenly and Northstar are already eyeing 20 November.

Utah is still building flat out. For 2026-27, Powder Mountain opens a steep new Skytrac chair into more than 1,000 acres of advanced terrain, Deer Valley adds 200 acres on Hail Peak, Sundance gets a new quad and Park City adds a gondola from its new parking structure. Snowmaking is expanding almost everywhere, Eagle Point stays closed after the Cottonwood Fire, and the 2034 Games are setting the pace. Here’s what’s new, resort by resort.

Mt Hutt is getting busier, and its base lodge is about to catch up. NZ$12 million goes into a heated sun deck roughly three times the current size (430 m² to 1,300 m²), plus a new toilet block, heated steps down to snow level, extra storage and a new food and beverage outlet. Building starts after the 2026 season, with everything due for winter 2027.

Vermont's season is slow to take shape. Stratton is tentatively targeting 18 November and Sugarbush 21 November, while Pico has Friday 11 December on the calendar. Killington never sets a date and opens when the snowmaking allows, and Vail Resorts has yet to name days for Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow. The forecasts disagree about snow, and the main El Niño worry for the Green Mountains is warmth.

Less than four months out from the Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships, the man running the organising committee has stepped down. Claude-Alain Schmidhalter resigned as Swiss-Ski vice president and OC president after being indicted over a business dispute unrelated to skiing. He denies the allegations and faces court on October 27. Interim leaders are in place for the February 1-14 event.

Kelly Canyon had a rough 2025-26, and the Idaho resort has spent the summer making sure it doesn’t repeat. Snowmaking now reaches the top of Goldrush, the terrain park is doubling in size with a stereo system, lights and a snack shack, and the car park is getting bigger. Grooming is stepping up too. Target opening is December 4, conditions permitting.

Winter was meant to be winding down in Chile. Then Valle Nevado took 108 cm in 48 hours in early October, and the resort has pushed its closing date out to November 8 - its latest in 38 years of operation. That makes 143 days of skiing since opening day on June 19, with 690 cm banked for the season. Only part of the mountain is running while the storm settles, so check the mountain report before you plan a trip.
Keystone's 2026 - 2027 season typically runs from October 30 through April 11. That window is roughly 163 calendar days, though daily operations depend on snow cover, weather, and lift maintenance.
Resorts in Colorado, Usa often announce firm dates closer to winter; check the live snow report before you travel if you are planning around opening weekend or spring closure.
Keystone lists about 3,148 acres skiable of marked terrain spread across 131 named runs (1,274 hectares alongside 3,148 acres skiable). That footprint is what most riders experience on a lift-served day. Side-country or hike-to terrain may sit outside these published numbers.
Use the trail map to see how the mountain is laid out and where the longest fall-line runs connect back to base.
Trail grading at Keystone breaks down roughly as 12% beginner, 39% intermediate, 30% advanced, 19% expert. The advanced and expert share is substantial, so confident skiers and riders will find plenty of steeper fall-line options once they leave the nursery slopes.
Percentages describe the resort's published piste mix, not vertical feet. A mountain with modest "expert" stats can still feel demanding if the steep terrain is long or exposed. Read the trail map alongside these numbers when planning your route.
Keystone operates 20 lifts across 6 lift types. The fleet includes 8 surface lifts, 5 quad chairs, 2 gondolas, 2 6-person chairs, 2 double chairs, and 1 triple chair.
Lift mix affects how quickly you can lap your favourite zones. Gondolas and trams move big crowds to mid-mountain, while shorter chairs and surface lifts often serve learning areas or local pods. Check the live snow report on ski days for real-time open/closed status.
Base elevation at Keystone is about 9,278 ft (2,828 m), with the summit around 12,408 ft (3,782 m), giving roughly 3,130 ft (954 m) of vertical from base to top.
Higher start heights usually mean colder, drier snow holding longer into spring, but also thinner air and faster weather changes. Pack layers if you are riding from village level to summit lifts in one day.
Keystone averages about 235 inches (597 cm) of natural snowfall per season. That is a long-term climate figure. Any single winter can run well above or below it depending on storm track and temperature.
For trip planning, pair this baseline with the live snow report and webcams: fresh cycles show up in overnight totals and summit cameras long before season averages tell you much about today's surface.
Keystone is affiliated with the Epic. Pass holders should confirm current season benefits, blackout dates, and reservation rules on the pass issuer's site. Policies change year to year and can differ between international and domestic products.
If you are not on Epic, day tickets and multi-day bundles are still available; see the lift tickets page for published rates and purchase links.
Published single-day adult pricing on SnowStash currently spans US$81 to US$189, depending on date band and whether you are buying peak or regular windows. Multi-day products (multi-day passes, season passes) usually lower the per-day cost if you are staying several days. Tickets can be bought online through the resort's official checkout (linked from our lift tickets page) or at on-mountain ticket windows, subject to availability.
Buying ahead of peak holidays and weekends generally saves money and guarantees access on sold-out days. Before you commit, scan the snow report and webcams so you are paying for conditions that match your expectations.
SnowStash pulls together 5 live mountain webcams, a downloadable piste map, and the daily snow report for Keystone so you can plan from home. Webcams refresh on a short interval and are the fastest way to judge visibility, wind exposure, and whether storm snow is still falling.
The snow report adds structured totals, base depth where available, and lift/trail status when the resort publishes it. Use both together: cameras show what it looks like right now, and the report summarises numbers your group can compare day to day.
Yes. The downloadable PDF/image map is better for offline planning, marking meeting points, and understanding the full mountain layout at a glance.
Both versions are on the trail map page for Keystone. If you are navigating with kids or meeting friends across separate lifts, screenshot or print the static map and keep the live map open on your phone for operational updates.
Keystone sits in Colorado, Usa. That regional context matters for travel planning: airport transfers, snow tyres, and typical storm patterns all follow geography as much as resort marketing.
Browse nearby accommodation from the resort page if you are comparing village-base vs valley-base stays; where you sleep changes your first lift of the day more than most trail stats do.