Sipapu
200 acres, 42 runs in the Carson National Forest. New Mexico's first lift-served ski area, family-built.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
20 Nov 2026
Closes
28 Mar 2027
Days open
128
Annual snow
185in
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Sipapu's summit reaches 9,255 feet, dropping 1,056 vertical feet to a base at 8,199 feet across 42 runs spread over 200 acres in the Carson National Forest, New Mexico. Terrain splits 40 per cent intermediate, 25 per cent advanced, 20 per cent beginner and 15 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 185 inches. The resort offers Power Pass access and is typically the first ski area in New Mexico to open each winter. Six lifts, including one quad chair and two triple chairs, serve the mountain alongside two surface lifts and one t-bar.
Sipapu holds the distinction of being the first lift-served ski area established in New Mexico, a heritage still reflected in its small-scale, family-oriented character today. The resort's early-opening reputation each season has made it a reliable first stop for New Mexico skiers eager to start the winter. Its modest 200-acre footprint and varied terrain give it a genuine local mountain feel relative to the state's larger destinations.
In 1950, Lloyd and Olive Bolander bought 13 acres of riverfront property in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and in 1952 they installed a 100-foot portable rope tow and opened for business as Sipapu, a name drawn from the Tewa language. The Bolander family built the resort almost entirely by hand, hauling rock and cutting and peeling logs for vigas themselves, constructing the operation step by step over subsequent decades.
Lloyd Bolander was especially passionate about teaching new skiers, particularly children, and the resort's Sipapu School Program continues to offer deep discounts to local schools bringing in classes to learn the sport. James Coleman purchased Sipapu from the Bolander family in 2000, and the resort has continued to operate with the family-built, community-focused character established over its first half-century. Adult daily tickets run from 79 to 95 US dollars, with the Power Pass from 399 dollars.
1,056ft
Vertical
42
Runs
200 acres
Skiable
185in
Annual snow
The Terrain
42 runs across 200 acres skiable
Sipapu is a small ski area in the Carson National Forest, south of Taos, covering 200 acres (81 hectares) with 42 runs. The summit is 9,260 feet (2,821 m) and the base 8,200 feet, a vertical of about 1,060 feet (322 m). The split is 40% intermediate, 25% advanced, 20% beginner and 15% expert, a spread that is notable for a hill of this size. A quad chair, two triples and a few surface lifts serve the mountain, and snowfall averages about 185 inches a year. It is a modest, friendly mountain, and the numbers should be read in that light.
The resort lists 43 named trails and four terrain parks, so there is more variety than the acreage suggests, from gentle learning slopes to steeper advanced and expert pitches. With a vertical of just over 1,000 feet, laps are short and quick, which suits skiers who like to repeat a favourite run. A long-running school program means children and first-timers are a big part of the crowd. Sipapu suits families, school groups and intermediates who prefer a small, easygoing mountain to a big resort, and strong skiers will enjoy a few steeper pitches.
Terrain split
42
runs
42 runs across 4 grades
Beginner8 runs · 20%
Intermediate17 runs · 40%
Advanced11 runs · 25%
Expert6 runs · 15%
Time it right
When to visit Sipapu
The 2025-26 season at Sipapu ran from 20 December 2025 to 29 March 2026, a roughly fourteen-week season. Average annual snowfall of around 185 inches supports this window, and Sipapu has a longstanding reputation as the first ski area to open in New Mexico each winter, often ahead of the state's larger resorts. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season conditions.
Midwinter, from January through February, typically offers the most reliable natural conditions across the resort's varied terrain. The resort's Sipapu School Program brings in local school groups throughout the season, a defining part of its educational mission dating back to founder Lloyd Bolander's original teaching focus. Weekend crowds draw primarily from northern New Mexico, including Taos and Santa Fe.
As a Power Pass resort, Sipapu draws some visiting skiers holding that multi-resort pass in addition to its core regional and school-group visitor base. School holiday periods bring significant family visitation given the resort's beginner-friendly terrain and long-running youth teaching programs. The resort's early-season opening date makes it a particular draw for skiers eager to get on snow before New Mexico's other resorts.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations and the school program is not confirmed in available resort information. Since James Coleman's 2000 purchase, the resort has maintained the hands-on, family-built character established by the Bolander family across the previous half-century. Sipapu's identity as New Mexico's first lift-served ski area remains central to how the resort presents itself each season.
Season 2026 - 2027
20 Nov 2026
Opens
28 Mar 2027
Closes
128
Days open
185 in
Annual snow
The record
Historical snowfall at Sipapu
Daily snow reports at Sipapu go back to 2025, 2 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
8 in
Snowiest day
4 Dec 2025
0 in
This winter · 2026-27
so far
28 in
Typical winter
average of complete seasons
Winter totals
in
Past wintersThis winter
Getting there
Getting to Sipapu, and where to stay
Sipapu sits in the Carson National Forest in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico, with a base elevation of 8,199 feet and a summit at 9,255 feet across a 1,056-foot vertical drop over 200 acres. The resort's riverfront origins date to the Bolander family's original 13-acre purchase in 1950.
The nearby village of Peñasco, where founder Lloyd Bolander was born and raised, and the broader Sangre de Cristo foothills provide the resort's immediate surroundings, with Taos lying a further drive to the north. The Carson National Forest's mountainous terrain gives the area a genuinely rural, forested character distinct from New Mexico's more developed resort towns. Santa Fe lies within a couple of hours' drive to the south.
New Mexico State Route 518 provides the main route through the Peñasco area toward Sipapu, winding through the Sangre de Cristo foothills. Winter driving conditions on this rural mountain route can include snow and ice, and the resort's relatively remote setting means visitors should allow extra travel time compared with more accessible New Mexico resorts. There is no direct public transport service to the mountain.
Santa Fe Regional Airport and Albuquerque International Sunport both offer commercial service within a few hours' drive, though most Sipapu visitors travel by car from Taos, Santa Fe or the surrounding northern New Mexico communities. The resort's modest scale and school-focused programming mean it draws primarily regional rather than fly-in destination visitors.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Stays map loads when you scroll here
Hotels and lodges near Sipapu, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Val Gardena to Alpe di Siusi Lift Link Back in Play After Court Ruling
The Val Gardena-Alpe di Siusi lift link isn’t dead after all. A South Tyrol court has overturned Santa Cristina’s rejection of the new Monte Pana-Saltria link on procedural grounds, after the council skipped required public information sessions. Opponents want the missing sessions held and a fresh vote, and nothing has been approved. For now it’s still a bus between the two, but a plan first floated in 2017 is back in the conversation.
8 Nov 2026
Whistler Blackcomb Rockslide Zone Stays Closed Through 2026-27 Season
A section of Whistler Peak terrain will stay closed all 2026-27 season, Vail Resorts has confirmed, with rockslide mitigation work continuing into summer 2027. Peak Express is still expected to run this winter, but locals are already arguing about what’s actually off limits, whether the Whistler Bowl is gone, and why the news landed after pass sales wound down. Here’s where things stand.
7 Nov 2026
Loveland Ski Area Opens for 2026-27 and Marks 60 Years of Snowmaking
Loveland is open. The Colorado ski area started Chet’s Dream turning on Saturday 7 November to kick off 2026-27, with $60 adult lift tickets to mark 60 years of snowmaking. Expect three runs, nearly 1,000 vertical feet (about 300 metres) of top-to-bottom skiing, live music on the Basin Patio and no beginner terrain yet. Here’s what’s open, what it costs and when Loveland Valley follows.
7 Nov 2026
KFC Is Coming to the Slopes at Cortina and Madonna di Campiglio
Fried chicken is heading up the Dolomites. From 5 December KFC will run two restaurants on the slopes - one at 2,123 metres at Cortina, one at 1,700 metres at Madonna di Campiglio - and the polenta-and-canederli crowd has opinions. Local politicians, conservation groups and plenty of Facebook commenters are calling it a step too far, while others just want a cheaper lunch. Here’s what’s on the menu and what’s the fuss.
5 Nov 2026
Mt Rose Aims to Open First in Tahoe on November 6
Mt Rose is going for the first-in-Tahoe title, with the Lakeview Express due to spin at 9 a.m. on Friday, November 6. One main lift, three runs and plenty of snowmaking, sitting on the highest base elevation in the region at 8,260 ft. Here is what is open, what is not (sorry, tubing fans), and how the early North American openings are stacking up.
4 Nov 2026
Europe Snow Forecast: Serre Chevalier Leads With 82 cm Over the Next 10 Days
Europe has had a quiet start to November, but our 10-day forecast has Serre Chevalier on 82 cm and Les 2 Alpes on 71 cm. Two pushes are lined up: a western Alps top-up from Friday, then a bigger, wider system on Thursday, November 12 and Friday, November 13 that reaches Italy and Switzerland. Full leaderboard inside.
4 Nov 2026
Mammoth Mountain Opens Early on November 5 With Up to 33 Inches of Snow in the Forecast
Mammoth just moved opening day forward to Thursday, November 5, eight days ahead of schedule. A snowy weekend and cold snowmaking nights did the work, and our forecast shows up to 33 inches more landing on November 13 and 14. Here is what opens, what the weather looks like and where Mammoth sits among the early Ikon Pass openers.
3 Nov 2026
Utah Snow Storm Builds Early-Season Base Ahead of November Openings
Rain down low, snow up high, and a snow report full of zeros that mostly means ‘not updated yet’. Utah’s first proper storm of 2026-27 is rolling through the Wasatch, Snowbird’s snow stake is closing in on 10 inches, and Brian Head is five days from opening day. Early November snow rarely looks like much, but it is the layer every November opening date is built on. Here is where it stands.
1 Nov 2026
Sipapu Lift System
Sipapu runs six lifts: one quad chair, two triple chairs, two surface lifts and one t-bar, serving 42 runs across 200 acres in the Carson National Forest. The quad and triple chairs provide the resort's main uphill capacity, while the surface lifts and t-bar support beginner and learning terrain tied to the resort's long-running school program.
The lift network has grown from the Bolander family's original 100-foot portable rope tow, installed in 1952, into today's six-lift configuration built up over more than seven decades of hands-on development. Much of this early infrastructure was built directly by the Bolander family themselves, a hands-on approach that shaped the resort's identity well beyond its lift system alone.
With terrain spread across beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert categories, the current lift network supports a genuinely varied skill-level mix despite the resort's modest 200-acre scale. There is no gondola or high-speed six-pack chair, consistent with Sipapu's identity as a small, community and education-focused mountain rather than a large commercial destination.
Since James Coleman's 2000 purchase from the Bolander family, lift investment has continued to support the resort's long-standing school program and family-oriented visitor base. Specific recent lift replacement or expansion projects beyond the current six-lift network are not confirmed in available resort information. The resort's Power Pass access connects it to a broader network of Southwest ski areas while retaining its small-scale character.
6lifts across 4 types
1
Quad Chair
2
Triple Chairs
1
T-Bar
2
Surface Lifts
Sipapu lift system
Sipapu is served by 6 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 Sipapu intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.