
1,100 acres, 54 runs near Pocatello. Advanced terrain, uncrowded slopes, three triple chairs.
Pebble Creek's summit reaches 8,556 feet, dropping 2,198 vertical feet to a base at 6,358 feet across 54 runs spread over 1,100 acres in the Portneuf Range east of Pocatello, Idaho. Terrain splits 43 per cent advanced, 35 per cent intermediate, 12 per cent beginner and 10 per cent expert, making it one of the more challenging terrain profiles in southeastern Idaho. Average annual snowfall runs around 225 inches, and the resort carries no major multi-resort pass affiliation. Three triple chairs serve the entire mountain.
The heavily advanced-weighted terrain and comparatively low beginner share give Pebble Creek a reputation among southeastern Idaho skiers as a steep, uncrowded local mountain rather than a family learning hill. The three-lift network is lean relative to the 1,100-acre footprint, spreading skiers across a substantial amount of terrain without the density of lifts found at larger destination resorts. This combination has helped the area retain a strongly local, low-key character.
The area's ski history traces to the 1930s, when the US Forest Service and Civilian Conservation Corps developed the Lead Draw Recreation Area nearby. The Pocatello Ski Association formed in the 1950s and secured a Forest Service lease to develop terrain on Mount Bonneville, with the ski area opening in 1949 under the name Skyline with two rope tows and a warming hut. It was sold in 1978 and again in 1979 to the Pebble Creek Land Company, which renamed it Pebble Creek.
A CTEC triple chairlift was added in 1980 alongside additional terrain, and the resort was sold again in 1981 to Pebble Creek Ski Area Ltd, a group of local investors who operated it for more than three decades. In 2016, internet personality Shay Butler purchased the resort from that investor group, and it remains under his ownership today. Adult daily tickets run from 76 to 95 US dollars, with season passes from 386 dollars for seniors up to 858 dollars for adults.
Pebble Creek covers 54 runs and about 1,100 acres (445 hectares) on Mount Bonneville in the Portneuf Range, near Pocatello. The base is at 6,360 feet (1,938 m) and the summit at 8,560 feet (2,609 m), giving a vertical of roughly 2,200 feet (671 m), which is big for a three-chair mountain. Terrain leans hard toward the steeper end: 43% advanced and 10% expert, against 35% intermediate and just 12% beginner. Three triple chairs provide all the uphill capacity, and the lift lines tend to stay short because the mountain has a quiet, local following.
With so few lifts, the mountain skis like a series of long pitches, and runs have plenty of fall line to reward linked turns. The north-western aspect holds snow well, and the black diamond runs and tree skiing are the main appeal. Pebble Creek also has a dedicated giant slalom and slalom course, reflecting its racing pedigree. Beginners are not forgotten, but the mountain mostly rewards confident intermediates and advanced skiers. It suits southeastern Idaho locals and travellers wanting steep, uncrowded skiing without the price tag of a destination resort.
The 2025-26 season at Pebble Creek ran from 13 December 2025 to 29 March 2026, a roughly fifteen-week season shorter than many nearby Idaho resorts. Average annual snowfall of around 225 inches supports the season's length, though the resort's steep, advanced-weighted terrain means conditions can vary more noticeably with storm timing than at gentler mountains. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather.
Midwinter, from January through February, typically offers the most consistent conditions for the resort's predominantly advanced and intermediate terrain. The area's uncrowded reputation means weekday skiing in particular tends to be notably quiet, appealing to skiers seeking steep runs without the crowds of larger regional resorts. Weekend visitation draws primarily from the nearby Pocatello and southeastern Idaho population.
As a locally focused mountain without major multi-resort pass affiliation, Pebble Creek's season programming leans toward straightforward operations rather than large-scale events. The ISU Student Season Pass reflects its role serving the nearby Idaho State University community in Pocatello. School holiday periods bring some increase in family visitation, though the terrain mix skews toward more experienced skiers overall.
Specific event programming beyond standard lift operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Since Shay Butler's 2016 purchase, the resort has maintained its identity as an authentic, no-frills local mountain rather than pursuing destination-resort amenities. The 2,198-foot vertical drop remains a significant draw for skiers seeking steep, extended runs within a short drive of Pocatello.
Pebble Creek sits in the Portneuf Range within the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, east of Pocatello in southeastern Idaho, with a base elevation of 6,358 feet and a summit at 8,556 feet across a 2,198-foot vertical drop over 1,100 acres. This puts the resort within the broader southeastern Idaho mountain landscape rather than the more heavily trafficked resort corridors further north.
Pocatello is the nearest significant town, offering lodging, dining and the services of a mid-sized Idaho city, along with Idaho State University's student population contributing to the resort's visitor base. The surrounding Caribou-Targhee National Forest provides additional outdoor recreation beyond skiing, with the Portneuf Range's steep terrain shaping both the resort and the wider regional landscape.
Local roads connect Pocatello to the resort, with the drive typically taking well under an hour depending on starting point within the city. Winter driving conditions on the approach can include snow and ice given the elevation gain into the Portneuf Range, though the route is well used by the resort's predominantly local visitor base. There is no direct public transport service to the mountain.
Pocatello Regional Airport offers limited commercial service nearby, while Idaho Falls Regional Airport and Salt Lake City International Airport, further south, provide more extensive flight options for visitors travelling from further afield. Most Pebble Creek visitors, however, are southeastern Idaho locals driving from Pocatello and the surrounding communities rather than fly-in destination travellers.
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The Alps are about to swap mild, sunny October weather for something far more wintry. A cold front arrives Tuesday, and SnowStash forecasts have Monterosa Ski out in front with 64 cm over 14 days, ahead of Blatten Belalp (55 cm) and Verbier (43 cm). The snow line should fall below 2000 metres by Wednesday night, and glaciers across Switzerland, Italy and Austria are in line for the best of it. The wind will have a say too.

A large avalanche struck near Laguna del Inca adjacent to Ski Portillo on Saturday afternoon, killing four people and injuring four others. The group were day visitors mountaineering in the backcountry after reportedly being warned about elevated avalanche risk by resort staff.

Europe’s ski season is open, technically. After a record-warm summer, glaciers in Austria, Switzerland and Italy are running a few pistes apiece, Sölden, Stubai and Kitzsteinhorn started late, Titlis has pushed back to 24 October, and Zermatt reopens a few lifts on 14 October after more than two months shut. Finland’s Levi and Ruka are skiing on stored snow. Here is what is open, and what you actually get at each.

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.
Pebble Creek's 2026 - 2027 season typically runs from December 26 through March 21. That window is roughly 85 calendar days, though daily operations depend on snow cover, weather, and lift maintenance.
Resorts in Idaho, 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.
Pebble Creek lists about 1,100 acres skiable of marked terrain spread across 54 named runs (445 hectares alongside 1,100 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 Pebble Creek breaks down roughly as 12% beginner, 35% intermediate, 43% advanced, 10% 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.
Pebble Creek operates 3 lifts. The fleet includes 3 triple chairs.
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 Pebble Creek is about 6,358 ft (1,938 m), with the summit around 8,560 ft (2,609 m), giving roughly 2,201 ft (671 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.
Pebble Creek averages about 225 inches (572 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.
Published single-day adult pricing on SnowStash currently spans US$15 to US$83, depending on date band and whether you are buying peak or regular windows. Multi-day products (multi-day 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 1 live mountain webcam, a downloadable piste map, and the daily snow report for Pebble Creek 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 Pebble Creek. 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.
Pebble Creek sits in Idaho, 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.