The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Kelly Canyon's summit reaches 6,601 feet, dropping 1,001 vertical feet to a base at 5,600 feet across 51 runs spread over 740 acres near Idaho Falls, Idaho. Terrain splits 45 per cent intermediate, 35 per cent beginner and 20 per cent advanced, with no expert-rated runs. Average annual snowfall is a modest 200 inches, and the resort carries no major multi-resort pass affiliation. Five lifts, including four double chairs and one surface lift, serve the mountain.
The absence of expert terrain and heavy beginner-to-intermediate weighting give Kelly Canyon a clear identity as a family and learning mountain for eastern Idaho. Night skiing is a significant part of its offering, extending the ski day for the nearby Idaho Falls population. The double-chair-dominant lift network reflects the resort's mid-sized, community-focused scale rather than destination-resort ambitions.
Kelly Canyon was established in 1957 by a local investor group led by E. Bud Johnson, in a canyon originally known as Cedar Creek before being renamed for John Kelly, an early figure in the area's skiing history. The resort relied heavily on community support and local investment through lean economic periods, preserving its family-oriented character even as larger regional resorts expanded around it.
Ownership transitioned in 2020 to Kelly Canyon Winter Park LLC under managing partner Mike VanSteenkiste, bringing renewed investment into facilities and a diversification into summer activities such as mountain biking. Snowmaking capability was added in 2022 to supplement the resort's natural snowfall. Adult daily tickets run from 99 to 119 US dollars, with a Family Season Pass from 1,899 dollars, positioning Kelly Canyon as an affordable, close-to-home option for eastern Idaho families.
1,001ft
Vertical
51
Runs
740 acres
Skiable
17ft
Annual snow
The Terrain
51 runs across 740 acres skiable
Kelly Canyon spreads 51 runs across 740 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 45%, with 18 beginner runs to find your feet and 10 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
51
runs
51 runs across 4 grades
Beginner18 runs · 35%
Intermediate23 runs · 45%
Advanced10 runs · 20%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Kelly Canyon
The 2025-26 season at Kelly Canyon ran from 27 November 2025 to 29 March 2026, a roughly seventeen-week season. The resort's modest average annual snowfall of 200 inches means the addition of snowmaking capability in 2022 has become an increasingly important part of maintaining reliable conditions throughout the season. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically offers the most consistent conditions once natural snowpack and snowmaking combine to build a solid base. Night skiing extends availability for the nearby Idaho Falls population well beyond standard daylight hours, a significant part of the resort's identity as a community mountain. Weekday evenings and off-peak periods tend to be noticeably quieter than weekends.
As a family and learning-focused resort with no expert terrain, Kelly Canyon's calendar centres on ski school and youth programming rather than festival-style events. The Family Season Pass pricing structure reflects this focus, with the resort positioned as an accessible option for eastern Idaho households. School holiday periods bring the heaviest visitation given the beginner and intermediate-weighted terrain mix.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations and night skiing is not confirmed in available resort information. Since the 2020 ownership change, the addition of summer mountain biking has extended the resort's operating season beyond winter alone. The combination of snowmaking and natural snowfall since 2022 has helped stabilise the length and reliability of the winter season.
Season 2025 - 2026
27 Nov 2025
Opens
29 Mar 2026
Closes
122
Days open
17 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Kelly Canyon, and where to stay
Kelly Canyon sits near Idaho Falls in eastern Idaho, with a base elevation of 5,600 feet and a summit at 6,601 feet across a 1,001-foot vertical drop over 740 acres. The resort's location places it within easy reach of the Idaho Falls metropolitan area, making it the primary local ski hill for the region's residents.
Idaho Falls is the nearest significant town, offering lodging, dining and services for visitors, with most Kelly Canyon skiers day-tripping from the city rather than staying at the resort itself. The surrounding eastern Idaho region includes agricultural communities and the broader upper Snake River valley, with skiing as one part of a varied outdoor recreation scene that also includes the nearby Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
Local roads connect Idaho Falls to Kelly Canyon, with the drive typically taking well under an hour depending on starting point within the metropolitan area. Winter driving conditions on the approach roads can include snow and ice, though the routes are well used given the resort's role as the area's primary local mountain. There is no direct public transport service to the resort.
Idaho Falls Regional Airport is the nearest airport with commercial service, offering a practical option for visitors flying in rather than driving from further afield. Most Kelly Canyon visitors, however, are eastern Idaho locals rather than fly-in travellers, given the resort's identity as a community mountain rather than a destination resort. No other regional airport offers a closer or more direct option.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Kelly Canyon, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.
4 Sept 2026
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.
4 Sept 2026
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
Kelly Canyon Webcams
3 live angles across the mountain. Tap any camera to go full-screen.
About Kelly Canyon's live webcams
Check live conditions across Kelly Canyon with 3 real-time webcams showing snow, weather, and lift operations, updated every 10 minutes. Check high-elevation cams for powder visibility and base-area cams for crowd levels before you head up.
Camera guide
- Gold Rush6,348ft
- Experience Eastern Idaho's premier family ski destination through this elevated Kelly Canyon webcam perched at 1935 meters at the summit of the double chairlift. This Kelly Canyon live cam offers a sweeping downhill perspective across the resort's most popular trails, revealing current snow coverage and visibility conditions in real-time. Perfect for planning your family ski adventure, this Kelly Canyon web cam showcases snow quality across all 51 runs at this beloved local mountain, helping you time your visit for optimal skiing conditions just minutes from Idaho Falls.
- Lost Treasure5,597ft
- Capture the heartbeat of Idaho's favorite family ski destination through this essential Kelly Canyon webcam positioned at the base area at 1706 meters elevation. Mounted strategically on the double chair terminal roof, this Kelly Canyon live cam provides immediate snapshots of current mountain conditions where all the skiing action begins. Monitor morning arrival patterns, snow quality, and lift operations in real-time through this Kelly Canyon web cam, ensuring you maximize every moment on this charming 740-acre mountain playground that's become Eastern Idaho's go-to winter destination.
- Magic Carpet5,597ft
- Witness the magic of first skiing experiences through this heartwarming Kelly Canyon webcam focused on the learning area at 1706 meters elevation. Overlooking the resort's dedicated beginner zone and magic carpet lift, this Kelly Canyon live cam offers parents and instructors perfect visibility of new skiers taking their first turns. Essential for families exploring Eastern Idaho's most welcoming winter destination, this live snow cam showcases Kelly Canyon's commitment to creating future generations of skiing enthusiasts in a supportive, affordable mountain environment.
Kelly Canyon snow cams FAQ
How often do Kelly Canyon snow cams update?
All Kelly Canyon snow cams and webcams update every 10 minutes with fresh images showing current mountain conditions. This frequent update schedule ensures you have access to near real-time conditions for planning your ski day at Kelly Canyon.
Which Kelly Canyon webcam shows the best powder conditions?
The high-elevation Gold Rush webcam at 1,935m provides the clearest view of powder conditions and snowfall. These Kelly Canyon webcams capture fresh snow accumulation and visibility better than base area cameras.
Can I see Kelly Canyon lift queues on the webcams?
Yes. Multiple Kelly Canyon snow cams specifically show lift queue areas and chairlift operations, helping you time your arrival and avoid peak queue periods.
When is the best time to check Kelly Canyon snow cams?
Check Kelly Canyon webcams early morning (7-8am) for overnight snowfall assessment, and mid-afternoon for current crowd levels and weather. The live cams are most useful after storm events to assess fresh powder.
How can I check current conditions before buying Kelly Canyon lift tickets?
Use our Kelly Canyon webcams alongside the live snow report to assess conditions before purchasing lift tickets. The webcams show real-time visibility, snow quality, and operational status.
Do Kelly Canyon webcams work on mobile devices?
Yes. All Kelly Canyon snow cams and webcams are optimized for mobile viewing, so you can check live conditions from anywhere using your phone or tablet.
More Kelly Canyon intelligence: snow report, lift tickets, trail map, resort overview.