Tamarack Resort
1,100 acres, 50 runs above Lake Cascade. Four-season resort with golf, marina, Indy Pass access.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
27 Oct 2026
Closes
11 Apr 2027
Days open
166
Annual snow
300in
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Tamarack Resort's summit reaches 7,700 feet, dropping 2,802 vertical feet to a base at 4,898 feet across 50 runs spread over 1,100 acres overlooking Lake Cascade in central Idaho. Terrain splits 45 per cent intermediate, 38 per cent advanced and 17 per cent beginner, with no expert-rated runs, and average annual snowfall of roughly 300 inches. The resort carries Indy Pass affiliation. Seven lifts, including five quad chairs, serve the mountain alongside one surface lift and one t-bar.
Tamarack's lake-view setting and four-season resort amenities, including golf and a marina, distinguish it from Idaho's more purely ski-focused mountains. The resort's turbulent financial history has shaped much of its development, with terrain and lift buildout proceeding in stages tied to successive rounds of investment rather than a single continuous expansion. Its current 1,100-acre footprint remains smaller than the resort's original master-planned scope.
The project was first announced in 1988 as Valbois Resort on West Mountain in Valley County before going bankrupt, and in 1998 Mexican businessman Alfredo Miguel Afif purchased the assets and renamed it Westrock. When it opened in 2004 as Tamarack, it was the first new destination ski resort built in North America in 23 years. The resort's majority owners filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2008 after failing to secure financing against an existing 262 million US dollar loan from Credit Suisse, and the resort closed in 2009.
A group of homeowners restarted limited ski operations in 2010 to keep the lifts running while foreclosure proceedings continued, with Credit Suisse ultimately gaining ownership through a 2014 sheriff's sale. New ownership group Tamarack Resort Holdings, a joint venture called Imperium Blue, took over in November 2018, and MMG Equity Partners assumed full ownership in October 2021, investing more than 245 million US dollars into the property since. Adult daily tickets run from 89 to 129 US dollars, with Boundless season passes from 699 dollars.
2,802ft
Vertical
50
Runs
1,100 acres
Skiable
300in
Annual snow
Indy
Pass
The Terrain
50 runs across 1,100 acres skiable
Tamarack Resort stretches 50 runs over about 1,100 acres (445 hectares) on West Mountain above Lake Cascade, rising from 4,900 feet (1,493 m) to 7,700 feet (2,347 m) for roughly 2,800 feet (854 m) of vertical. Intermediates dominate with 45% of the terrain, advanced skiers hold 38% and beginners 17%, with no expert-rated runs. Five quad chairs, a t-bar and a surface lift handle the uphill traffic, so the lift system is modern and efficient. The mountain faces east, which brings morning sun and a distinctly big-mountain feel for its size.
The Summit Express serves the upper mountain, where the steepest runs and the most challenging pitches sit. Tamarack Express loads straight from the base and leads to beginner and intermediate runs, along with several terrain parks. Wildwood Express works the northern boundary, with groomed trails and fun tree skiing. Runs descend a long way before reaching the base, which gives strong skiers plenty of consistent fall line to enjoy. Tamarack suits intermediates and advanced skiers wanting quad-chair efficiency, and its lake views and four-season amenities add appeal for families on longer stays.
Terrain split
50
runs
50 runs across 4 grades
Beginner9 runs · 17%
Intermediate23 runs · 45%
Advanced19 runs · 38%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Tamarack Resort
The 2025-26 season at Tamarack Resort ran from 27 November 2025 to 12 April 2026, a roughly nineteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 300 inches. This snowfall total supports a reasonably long season for a resort of Tamarack's size and elevation. Season dates can shift slightly depending on early and late-season weather.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions across the resort's intermediate and advanced terrain. As a resort still rebuilding its destination profile following years of financial difficulty, Tamarack's crowd patterns tend to be lighter than more established Idaho destinations, even during peak holiday periods. Weekday visits are generally quiet.
The resort's four-season amenities, including golf and a marina on Lake Cascade, mean Tamarack's identity extends beyond winter operations alone, though ski season remains the primary draw during the colder months. As an Indy Pass resort, Tamarack draws some visiting skiers holding that multi-resort pass in addition to its regional Idaho base. School holiday periods bring increased family visitation to the resort's lodging and amenities.
Specific event programming beyond standard lift operations is not confirmed in available resort information. MMG Equity Partners' substantial ongoing investment since 2021 continues to shape the resort's development, with improvements extending across lodging and amenities as well as the ski terrain itself. The resort's lake-view setting remains a distinguishing feature relative to other central Idaho ski areas.
Season 2026 - 2027
27 Oct 2026
Opens
11 Apr 2027
Closes
166
Days open
300 in
Annual snow
The record
Historical snowfall at Tamarack Resort
Daily snow reports at Tamarack Resort go back to 2025, 2 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
11 in
Snowiest day
18 Feb 2026
0 in
This winter · 2026-27
so far
165 in
Typical winter
average of complete seasons
Winter totals
in
Past wintersThis winter
Getting there
Getting to Tamarack Resort, and where to stay
Tamarack Resort sits above Lake Cascade in Valley County, central Idaho, with a base elevation of 4,898 feet and a summit at 7,700 feet across a 2,802-foot vertical drop over 1,100 acres. The resort's West Mountain location places it within a scenic lake-and-mountain setting roughly 90 miles from Boise.
The nearby town of Donnelly and the larger community of McCall offer additional lodging and dining options beyond the resort's own on-site facilities. Lake Cascade itself is a significant regional recreation draw beyond winter sports, contributing to Tamarack's four-season resort identity. Boise, the nearest major city, supplies much of the resort's weekend and holiday visitor base.
Idaho State Highway 55 connects Boise to the Cascade and Donnelly area, with local roads then leading to the resort on West Mountain above the lake. The drive from Boise typically takes around 90 minutes depending on conditions, with winter weather occasionally requiring extra caution on the mountain roads near the resort. There is no direct public transport service to Tamarack.
Boise Airport is the nearest airport with substantial commercial service, roughly 90 miles south of the resort. This makes Tamarack accessible to fly-in visitors willing to make the drive north through the Treasure Valley and into the mountains. Most visitors, however, arrive by car from Boise or the broader western Idaho region rather than flying in directly.
Where to stay
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Tamarack Resort Lift System
Tamarack Resort runs seven lifts: five quad chairs, one surface lift and one t-bar, serving 50 runs across 1,100 acres above Lake Cascade. The five quad chairs provide the bulk of uphill capacity across the mountain's intermediate and advanced terrain, a relatively modern and efficient lift mix for a resort of this scale.
The current lift network reflects Tamarack's restart under successive ownership groups following its 2008 bankruptcy and 2009 closure. Homeowners who kept limited operations running from 2010 preserved the core lift infrastructure through the resort's most difficult period, before Imperium Blue's 2018 purchase and MMG Equity Partners' full 2021 takeover brought renewed capital for maintenance and improvement. MMG's investment of more than 245 million US dollars since 2018 has extended well beyond lifts into broader resort infrastructure.
The quad chairs distribute skiers across Tamarack's intermediate and advanced terrain, while the t-bar and surface lift serve beginner areas near the base. There is no expert-rated terrain and correspondingly no lift dedicated to extreme terrain access, keeping the network focused on approachable, intermediate-friendly skiing.
Specific recent lift replacement or expansion projects beyond the current seven-lift configuration are not confirmed in available resort information. MMG Equity Partners' substantial investment since taking full ownership in 2021 has been directed at completing the broader resort vision left unfinished by the project's turbulent 1988-2014 history. The resort's Indy Pass affiliation brings additional visiting skiers without requiring further lift capacity beyond the current network.
7lifts across 3 types
5
Quad Chairs
1
T-Bar
1
Surface Lift
Tamarack Resort lift system
Tamarack Resort is served by 7 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 Tamarack Resort intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.