Keystone
3,148 acres, 128 runs near Dillon. Three mountains, extensive night skiing, family-friendly, Epic Pass.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
30 Oct 2026
Closes
11 Apr 2027
Days open
163
Annual snow
235in
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
235in
Annual snow
Epic
Pass
The Terrain
131 runs across 3,148 acres skiable
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.
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 2026 - 2027
30 Oct 2026
Opens
11 Apr 2027
Closes
163
Days open
235 in
Annual snow
The record
Historical snowfall at Keystone
Daily snow reports at Keystone go back to 2025, 2 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
13 in
Snowiest day
7 Mar 2026
2 in
This winter · 2026-27
so far
127 in
Typical winter
average of complete seasons
Winter totals
in
Past wintersThis winter
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 →Stays map loads when you scroll here
Hotels and lodges near Keystone, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Mt Rose Aims to Open First in Tahoe on November 6
Mt Rose is going for the first-in-Tahoe title, with the Lakeview Express due to spin at 9 a.m. on Friday, November 6. One main lift, three runs and plenty of snowmaking, sitting on the highest base elevation in the region at 8,260 ft. Here is what is open, what is not (sorry, tubing fans), and how the early North American openings are stacking up.
4 Nov 2026
Europe Snow Forecast: Serre Chevalier Leads With 82 cm Over the Next 10 Days
Europe has had a quiet start to November, but our 10-day forecast has Serre Chevalier on 82 cm and Les 2 Alpes on 71 cm. Two pushes are lined up: a western Alps top-up from Friday, then a bigger, wider system on Thursday, November 12 and Friday, November 13 that reaches Italy and Switzerland. Full leaderboard inside.
4 Nov 2026
Mammoth Mountain Opens Early on November 5 With Up to 33 Inches of Snow in the Forecast
Mammoth just moved opening day forward to Thursday, November 5, eight days ahead of schedule. A snowy weekend and cold snowmaking nights did the work, and our forecast shows up to 33 inches more landing on November 13 and 14. Here is what opens, what the weather looks like and where Mammoth sits among the early Ikon Pass openers.
3 Nov 2026
Utah Snow Storm Builds Early-Season Base Ahead of November Openings
Rain down low, snow up high, and a snow report full of zeros that mostly means ‘not updated yet’. Utah’s first proper storm of 2026-27 is rolling through the Wasatch, Snowbird’s snow stake is closing in on 10 inches, and Brian Head is five days from opening day. Early November snow rarely looks like much, but it is the layer every November opening date is built on. Here is where it stands.
1 Nov 2026
Sierra Nevada Halloween Storm: Dodge Ridge Forecast to Lead With 19 Inches
Halloween weekend brings a wet, windy storm to the Sierra Nevada. Our five-day forecast has Dodge Ridge on top with 19 in, followed by Bear Valley at 15 in and Mammoth Mountain at 12 in, with most of it landing on Saturday. A winter weather advisory covers the Tahoe Basin and Mono County until 7 AM Sunday, gusts could reach 47 mph and the freezing level swings between 4,900 and 8,700 ft, so some bases will see rain. A dry spell follows from Monday.
31 Oct 2026
Lake Louise Opens Early on 1 November With Juniper Express and Easy Street
The Rockies get their first lift-served turns of the season early. Lake Louise opens Sunday 1 November, five days ahead of schedule, after a cold October and round-the-clock work from the snowmaking and mountain crews. Terrain is limited to Juniper Express Chair and Easy Street, with two small terrain parks and the beginner area for lessons. Opening-day tickets are over 60% off, with prices rising as more lifts open. First chair is at 9:30 am under the resort’s new lift hours.
31 Oct 2026
Kitzbüheler Horn Summit Cable Car to Be Replaced After 70 Years
A Tyrolean summit lift that has been carrying guests up the Kitzbüheler Horn since 1955 is on borrowed time. Its licence runs to 2045, but a new inspection rule has made refurbishment uneconomic, so Bergbahn AG Kitzbühel will spend around €15 million on a replacement on the same line. It should hold roughly 100 people and keep running in winds that would stop today’s lift. Building starts in autumn 2027, which makes this winter and next summer the last chances to ride the old one.
30 Oct 2026
What’s New in Japan Skiing This Winter: Niseko Gondola, a Private Resort and a Bigger Ikon Pass
Niseko Village is replacing a lift from the early 1980s with an eight-person gondola, Tsugaike gets a six-person chairlift, Madarao joins the Ikon Pass and Togari opens Asia’s first private ski resort. Here’s what is actually new in Japan skiing for 2026/27, plus what is still a year or two away.
30 Oct 2026
Keystone Snow Report
Snow Report
Updated 3 Nov 2026
12,408ft
summit
+0in
new snow · last 24 hours
Clear16°F / 36°F · SE 16mph
Snowfall
24 hours
0in
48 hours
0in
7 days
0in
Base depth
18in
Season total
2in
Typical winter 127in
Total lifts20
Live open status isn’t available right now.
30 Oct 2026 - 11 Apr 2027
Hour by Hour
Next 44 hours· Updated Nov 3, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
11,781 ftUpdated Nov 3, 2026 at 5:02 PMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
6.3"
Days 8–14
0.7"
Wed, Nov 4
Heavy Snow
Temp36° / 16°°F
Snow6.2"(73%)
Wind16 mph SE
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Keystone snow report
Get the latest Keystone snow report — real-time snowfall, snow depth, and mountain weather for this Colorado resort, spanning 2828m to 3782m in elevation.
Snow measurements
Snow depth at Keystone is tracked at both the base and summit, since the two elevations often see different totals — roughly a 954m difference here. We report fresh snowfall over the last 24 hours and 7 days alongside the running season total, in both metric and imperial units.
Weather conditions
Snow quality tracks closely with temperature and wind. We surface both alongside the snowfall data so you can judge whether conditions at Keystone are holding up or starting to soften.
Data sources
Keystone snow data is collected through a combination of on-mountain reports and weather forecasting services, giving you both official resort updates and independent forecast data in one place. The mountain is served by 20 lifts, including 5 quad chairlifts and 2 6-person chairlifts.
When to check
Snow reports are typically updated early morning and late afternoon. For the most current conditions, check back regularly, especially if a winter storm is approaching.