Colorado, Usa · Epic
Keystone
3,148 acres, 128 runs near Dillon. Three mountains, extensive night skiing, family-friendly, Epic Pass.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
15 Oct 2025
Closes
5 Apr 2026
Days open
172
Annual snow
20ft
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
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.
3,130ft
Vertical
131
Runs
3,148 acres
Skiable
20ft
Annual snow
Epic
Pass
The Terrain
131 runs across 3,148 acres skiable
Keystone spreads 131 runs across 3,148 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 39%, with 16 beginner runs to find your feet and 64 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
131
runs
131 runs across 4 grades
Beginner16 runs · 12%
Intermediate51 runs · 39%
Advanced39 runs · 30%
Expert25 runs · 19%
Time it right
When to visit Keystone
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.
Season 2025 - 2026
15 Oct 2025
Opens
5 Apr 2026
Closes
172
Days open
20 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Keystone, and where to stay
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.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Keystone, powered by Stay22.
Good to know
Frequently asked
When is Keystone's ski season?
Keystone's season typically runs from October 15 to April 5, roughly 172 days, weather and conditions permitting.
How much skiable terrain does Keystone have?
Keystone has about 3,148 acres skiable across 131 runs.
How many lifts does Keystone have?
Keystone operates 20 lifts in total.
How much snow does Keystone get?
Keystone averages around 235 inches (19.6 feet) of snowfall per season.
Where can I buy Keystone lift tickets?
Lift tickets for Keystone can be purchased directly from the resort online, or in person at the ticket office. See the full pricing breakdown on the lift tickets page.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured
An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.
28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do
A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.
27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September
Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.
26 Aug 2026
Unstable Glacier Above Randa Puts Zermatt-Area Village on Alert
A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.
26 Aug 2026
Thredbo Is 'On the Table' as EVT Reviews Its Whole Business
Thredbo is officially 'on the table.' EVT Limited, owner of Australia's most decorated ski resort, has hired Rothschild & Co to review its entire corporate structure - and confirmed Thredbo isn't off limits, even as it books a stronger year of earnings. The resort's own valuation has nearly halved after a brutal 2026 season, and speculation is already running toward Vail Resorts, Alterra, or a New Zealand operator picking it up. Here's what EVT actually said, and who could buy it.
25 Aug 2026