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    Idaho, USA · Ikon

    Schweitzer Mountain

    2,900 acres, 92 runs above Sandpoint. Idaho's largest resort with Ikon Pass access and lake views.

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    Season 2026 - 2027
    Opens
    27 Nov 2026
    Closes
    11 Apr 2027
    Days open
    135
    Annual snow
    300in
    Snow record
    0in
    Last winter · 2026-27
    0% of a typical winter55in
    Explore 2 winters of snowfall→
    The Overview
    MF
    Michael Fulton
    Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.

    Schweitzer's summit reaches 6,401 feet, dropping 2,401 vertical feet to a base at 4,000 feet across 92 runs spread over 2,900 acres above Sandpoint, Idaho. Terrain splits 40 per cent intermediate, 35 per cent advanced, 15 per cent expert and 10 per cent beginner, with average annual snowfall of roughly 300 inches. The resort carries Ikon Pass access and is Idaho's largest ski area by acreage. Ten lifts, including three quad chairs, one six-person chair and two triple chairs, serve the mountain alongside two double chairs, one surface lift and one t-bar.

    Schweitzer's setting above Lake Pend Oreille gives it panoramic lake views uncommon among Idaho resorts, alongside terrain extensive enough to support genuinely varied skiing across two connected bowls. The resort's scale as Idaho's largest ski area supports a diverse mix of terrain parks, tree skiing and open bowls. Its Ikon Pass affiliation, gained through Alterra Mountain Company ownership, brings destination-level visitor traffic to what began as a modest local mountain.

    Jim Brown recognised Schweitzer's potential as early as the 1930s, and Spokane advocates Jack Fowler, a dentist, and Grant Groesbeck, an architect, joined him in pushing for its development. Brown, Fowler and Groesbeck formed a partnership in the early 1960s, and Schweitzer opened on 30 November 1963 with a day lodge and a mile-long double chairlift. Brown later bought out the other stockholders, making Schweitzer a family-run business until his death in 1989.

    Brown's daughter Bobbie Huguenin then led the resort through further additions and improvements. Harbor Properties purchased Schweitzer from US Bank for 18 million US dollars on 31 December 1998, partnering with the McCaw family of Mission Ridge to bring the resort out of bankruptcy. Following Harbor Resorts' dissolution in 2005, Seattle's McCaw Investment Group became sole owner until MKM Trust sold the resort's operations to Alterra Mountain Company in 2023, bringing Ikon Pass access. Adult daily tickets run from 89 to 119 US dollars, with season passes from 899 dollars.

    2,402ft
    Vertical
    92
    Runs
    2,900 acres
    Skiable
    300in
    Annual snow
    Ikon
    Pass
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    The Terrain

    92 runs across 2,900 acres skiable

    Schweitzer Mountain is Idaho's largest ski area, with 92 runs over about 2,900 acres (1,174 hectares) above Sandpoint and Lake Pend Oreille. The base is at 4,000 feet (1,219 m) and the summit at 6,400 feet (1,951 m), a vertical of roughly 2,400 feet (732 m). Intermediates make up 40% of the terrain, advanced skiers 35%, experts 15% and beginners 10%. Ten lifts operate across two bowls, including a six-pack, three quads and two triples. That is plenty of variety for several days of skiing, and the terrain is spread widely enough that crowds rarely concentrate.

    Schweitzer Bowl and Outback Bowl sit either side of the Great Divide ridge. Outback is the steeper side, with double black diamond pitches near the top that ease into single blacks and blues lower down. The Stella six-pack suits intermediates cruising on the front, the Cedar Park chair adds more blue runs, and the Great Escape quad leads over to Outback. Tree skiing is a feature of both bowls, and the terrain parks give freestylers somewhere to play. Schweitzer suits mixed groups, from first-timers to experts, who want variety without leaving one mountain.

    Terrain split
    92
    runs
    92 runs across 4 grades
    Beginner9 runs · 10%
    Intermediate37 runs · 40%
    Advanced32 runs · 35%
    Expert14 runs · 15%
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    Time it right

    When to visit Schweitzer Mountain

    The 2025-26 season at Schweitzer ran from 21 November 2025 to 13 April 2026, a roughly twenty-one-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 300 inches. This substantial snowfall total, combined with the resort's 2,900-acre footprint, gives Schweitzer one of the more reliable natural seasons among Idaho resorts. Season dates can shift slightly depending on early and late-season storm activity.

    Midwinter, from December through February, typically delivers the most consistent conditions across Schweitzer's two connected bowls. As an Ikon Pass destination, the resort sees a mix of Sandpoint locals and visiting pass holders, with weekends and holiday periods drawing heavier crowds than the Idaho resort's earlier decades as a purely local mountain. Weekday visits generally remain quieter.

    The resort's Ikon Pass affiliation, gained through Alterra Mountain Company's 2023 acquisition, has expanded its visibility well beyond its historic Sandpoint catchment. This has brought a broader range of programming and visitor services in line with other Alterra-operated resorts. School holiday periods and Ikon Pass blackout considerations shape much of the resort's peak-season crowd patterns.

    Late-season conditions into April benefit from the area's substantial snowfall total and elevation, often extending good coverage across the mountain's varied terrain. Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Schweitzer's combination of lake views, extensive terrain and Ikon Pass access has increasingly positioned it as a destination resort rather than purely a local's mountain.

    Season 2026 - 2027
    27 Nov 2026
    Opens
    11 Apr 2027
    Closes
    135
    Days open
    300 in
    Annual snow
    The record

    Historical snowfall at Schweitzer Mountain

    Daily snow reports at Schweitzer Mountain go back to 2025, 2 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.

    13 in
    Snowiest day
    17 Feb 2026
    0 in
    This winter · 2026-27
    so far
    55 in
    Typical winter
    average of complete seasons
    Explore historical snowfall →
    Winter totals
    in
    Past wintersThis winter
    Getting there

    Getting to Schweitzer Mountain, and where to stay

    Schweitzer sits above Sandpoint in the Idaho Panhandle, with a base elevation of 4,000 feet and a summit at 6,401 feet across a 2,401-foot vertical drop over 2,900 acres. The resort's position offers sweeping views over Lake Pend Oreille, one of the largest lakes in the northwestern United States, a defining feature of the Schweitzer experience.

    Sandpoint is the nearest town, a lakeside community offering lodging, dining and a distinct small-city character that has grown alongside the resort's increasing destination profile. The broader Idaho Panhandle region combines lake recreation with mountain skiing, giving Sandpoint a four-season appeal beyond winter sports alone. Spokane, Washington lies within a comfortable driving distance to the southwest, extending the resort's practical catchment area.

    US Route 95 connects Sandpoint to the broader regional highway network, with local roads leading up to the resort itself from the town below. Winter driving conditions on the approach can include snow and ice, though the route is well maintained given Schweitzer's status as a major regional destination. There is no direct public transport service to the mountain from Sandpoint.

    Spokane International Airport, roughly 90 minutes to the southwest, is the nearest airport with substantial commercial service, making Schweitzer accessible to fly-in visitors from across the country via its Ikon Pass network. This combination of lake views, extensive terrain and reasonable airport access has helped transform Schweitzer from a local Sandpoint mountain into a genuine Pacific Northwest ski destination.

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    Schweitzer Mountain Lift System

    Schweitzer runs ten lifts: two double chairs, three quad chairs, one six-person chair, two triple chairs, one surface lift and one t-bar, serving 92 runs across 2,900 acres above Sandpoint. This is a substantial and varied lift network for Idaho's largest ski area, with the six-person chair providing high-capacity access to some of the mountain's most popular terrain.

    The original 1963 lift infrastructure consisted of a single mile-long double chair, since expanded significantly through decades of ownership by the Brown family, Harbor Properties, the McCaw family's MIG and now Alterra Mountain Company. Each ownership era has added capacity to match Schweitzer's growth from a local Sandpoint mountain into Idaho's largest resort. The current ten-lift network reflects this cumulative investment.

    The three quad chairs and six-person chair carry the bulk of skier traffic to the mountain's two main bowls, while the two triple chairs and remaining double chairs distribute access across additional terrain. The surface lift and t-bar serve beginner and learning areas near the base. This layout supports Schweitzer's varied terrain mix from open bowls to dense tree skiing.

    Since Alterra Mountain Company's 2023 acquisition of the resort's operations from MKM Trust, further lift investment has followed the pattern of Alterra's broader Ikon Pass network of resorts. Specific planned lift upgrades beyond the current ten-lift configuration are not confirmed in available resort information. Schweitzer's lift capacity continues to support both its Ikon Pass destination traffic and its longstanding Sandpoint local skier base.

    10lifts across 6 types

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    Live Schweitzer Mountain conditions, webcams & maps. Opens straight here.

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    Open in the app

    Live Schweitzer Mountain conditions, webcams & maps. Opens straight here.

    Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play
    1
    6-Person Chair
    3
    Quad Chairs
    2
    Triple Chairs
    2
    Double Chairs
    1
    T-Bar
    1
    Surface Lift
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    Schweitzer Mountain lift system

    Schweitzer Mountain is served by 10 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.

    More Schweitzer Mountain intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.