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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.

    Season 2025 - 2026
    Opens
    21 Nov 2025
    Closes
    13 Apr 2026
    Days open
    143
    Annual snow
    25ft
    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
    25ft
    Annual snow
    Ikon
    Pass
    The Terrain

    92 runs across 2,900 acres skiable

    Schweitzer Mountain spreads 92 runs across 2,900 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 40%, with 9 beginner runs to find your feet and 46 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.

    Terrain split
    92
    runs
    92 runs across 4 grades
    Beginner9 runs · 10%
    Intermediate37 runs · 40%
    Advanced32 runs · 35%
    Expert14 runs · 15%
    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 2025 - 2026
    21 Nov 2025
    Opens
    13 Apr 2026
    Closes
    143
    Days open
    25 ft
    Annual snow
    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.

    Where to stay

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    Hotels and lodges near Schweitzer Mountain, powered by Stay22.

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    Schweitzer Mountain Trail Map

    Downloadable Schweitzer Mountain trail map

    Schweitzer Mountain trail map↓ Download PDF
    Terrain split
    92
    runs
    Beginner10%
    Intermediate40%
    Advanced35%
    Expert15%
    2,900 acres skiable1,174 hectares
    Resort Stats
    Elevation
    Base3,999ft
    Summit6,401ft
    Annual snowfall
    25ft
    Season
    2025 - 2026
    21 Nov 2025 - 13 Apr 2026
    Trail coverage
    92 runs
    2,900 acres (1,174 ha)

    About Schweitzer Mountain's trail map

    Explore Schweitzer Mountain's full trail map with 92 runs across the mountain, colour-coded by difficulty and shown alongside the terrain split. Use it to plan a day that matches your ability, find lift-served pockets of your favourite grade, and see how the resort links together. Download the piste map (PDF) ↗

    More Schweitzer Mountain intelligence: snow report, lift system, webcams, resort overview.