Utah, Usa · Ikon
Snowbasin
Snowbasin: 107 runs, 884m vertical, 2002 Olympic venue. 53km from Salt Lake City with two gondolas and luxury day lodges.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
29 Nov 2025
Closes
22 Mar 2026
Days open
113
Annual snow
25ft
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Snowbasin spans 3,000 acres across six peaks in Weber County, Utah, with 107 runs distributed across a 884-metre vertical drop from 1,966 to 2,850 metres elevation. The resort hosted downhill, super-G and combined events at the 2002 Winter Olympics and will reprise this role in 2034. Terrain divides 7% beginner, 37% intermediate, 47% advanced and 9% expert, with an annual average snowfall of 762 centimetres supplemented by snowmaking across 21% of runs. The resort includes Ikon Pass access with 5 days for Base holders and 7 days for full passholders.
Three distinct zones define the mountain: Strawberry Gondola accesses wide bowls including Sisters Bowl and Middle Bowl Cirque, Needles Gondola serves groomed cruisers and terrain parks, whilst John Paul Express leads to steep tree skiing and the Olympic downhill courses. The Grizzly Downhill drops 884 metres over 3.2 kilometres and has been called the most difficult downhill in North America. The Allen Peak Tram rises an additional 155 metres from John Paul Lodge, providing access to expert chutes and panoramic views across five states on clear days. Elk Ridge off Strawberry ranks amongst Utah's longest runs at 4 kilometres top-to-bottom.
Three day lodges provide upmarket facilities: Earl's Lodge anchors the 1,925-metre base area with 4,181 square metres of space, whilst John Paul Lodge at 2,743 metres and Needles Lodge at 2,652 metres offer table-service dining with views of Ogden Valley and the Great Salt Lake. The Overlook bar opened in 2021 at Needles as a 21-plus venue. Parking capacity exceeds any Utah resort with no reservations required, and weekend carpool lanes prioritise vehicles with three or more occupants. Daily operations run 9am to 4pm with lodges opening from 8am.
Access via Ikon Pass has increased visitation since the resort joined the network, with weekends drawing Salt Lake crowds when Cottonwood Canyon resorts close due to avalanche risk. The 2025-26 season ran from 29 November to 22 March, closing earlier than planned due to limited snowfall. Snowbasin suits confident intermediates through experts who value wide groomers, Olympic terrain and fewer lift queues than Wasatch resorts 55 kilometres south. Three terrain parks range from Crazy Kat beginner features to advanced rails at Apex Park, whilst no on-mountain lodging keeps the focus on day skiing.
2,900ft
Vertical
107
Runs
3,000 acres
Skiable
25ft
Annual snow
Ikon
Pass
The Terrain
107 runs across 3,000 acres skiable
Snowbasin spreads 107 runs across 3,000 acres skiable of terrain. It leans advanced at 47%, with 7 beginner runs to find your feet and 60 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
107
runs
107 runs across 4 grades
Beginner7 runs · 7%
Intermediate40 runs · 37%
Advanced50 runs · 47%
Expert10 runs · 9%
Time it right
When to visit Snowbasin
The 2025-26 season operated from 29 November 2025 to 22 March 2026, closing earlier than the typical mid-April end date due to below-average snowfall. Standard seasons run late November through mid-April depending on conditions, with lifts operating 9am to 4pm daily throughout winter. Snowbasin opened in 1940 as one of America's oldest continually operating ski areas, originally developed by Ogden to restore the Wheeler Creek watershed with support from legendary skier Alf Engen and the Civilian Conservation Corps. The resort underwent major expansion in 1998 ahead of the 2002 Olympics, doubling terrain with new access to Allen Peak, Strawberry Peak and DeMoisy Peak.
Annual snowfall averages 762 centimetres at mid-mountain elevation, less than Cottonwood Canyon resorts 55 kilometres south but supplemented by extensive snowmaking covering 38 runs. Base elevation of 1,966 metres ranks amongst Utah's lowest, requiring artificial snow for early-season coverage and causing faster spring melt on sun-exposed terrain. Upper elevations hold snow well on north-facing aspects, particularly in Middle Bowl and terrain off Allen Peak. The resort averages 73% terrain open by Christmas, with 30% of seasons reaching less than half open by year-end. January week 2 historically delivers peak snowfall averaging 28 centimetres.
Optimal timing targets January through early March for powder and consistent coverage, with February offering the most reliable deep base and coldest temperatures. December conditions vary significantly depending on early-season storms and snowmaking progress. Late March and April provide spring corn skiing when temperatures cooperate, though south-facing terrain can become slushy by midday. Weekdays see substantially lighter crowds than weekends, when Ikon Pass access brings Salt Lake skiers to Ogden Valley. The resort remains quieter than Park City or Cottonwood resorts even on busy powder days.
Snowbasin hosts no regular night skiing but offers seasonal events including the Blues, Brews & BBQ summer concert series running Sundays from June through September. The resort operates Needles Gondola on summer weekends for hiking and mountain biking access, with services beginning in late June. Oktoberfest, Haunted Basin in October, and an annual spring pond skim in April round out the events calendar. The resort will host 2034 Olympic alpine events on the same courses used in 2002, with infrastructure already meeting international competition standards.
Season 2025 - 2026
29 Nov 2025
Opens
22 Mar 2026
Closes
113
Days open
25 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Snowbasin, and where to stay
Snowbasin sits on the eastern slopes of Mount Ogden in Weber County, Utah, at the western terminus of State Route 226 in Huntsville. The base area elevation of 1,966 metres places the resort on the back side of the Wasatch Range, overlooking Ogden Valley and Pineview Reservoir to the east with views west toward the Great Salt Lake. Mount Ogden summit reaches 2,917 metres, whilst the resort's highest lift-served terrain tops out at 2,850 metres on Allen Peak. Approximately 60% of the resort operates on U.S. Forest Service land under special-use permit, with 557 hectares transferred to private ownership in 1996 as part of Olympic venue development.
Huntsville village lies 15 kilometres southeast of the resort with limited services, whilst Ogden (population 87,000) sits 27 kilometres west as the nearest substantial city. Eden and Liberty provide closer lodging options in Ogden Valley, 10 to 15 minutes from the mountain. Salt Lake City lies 53 kilometres southwest, a 45-minute drive via Interstate 84 and State Route 167. Park City sits 90 minutes southeast, making Snowbasin accessible for multi-resort itineraries. The resort operates in relative isolation compared to clustered Wasatch resorts, with no slopeside village or overnight accommodation at the mountain itself.
Road access follows Interstate 84 north from Salt Lake City to exit 96 at Mountain Green, then State Route 167 (Trappers Loop Road) east through Huntsville to State Route 226. The final approach climbs State Route 226 for 8 kilometres to the base area. Roads remain well-maintained through winter with rare closures, offering more reliable access than Cottonwood Canyon resorts subject to avalanche closures and traffic restrictions. The resort provides more free parking than any Utah resort across five lots, with Earl's Lot closest to base facilities and Canyon Rim expanded by 124 stalls in 2024.
Salt Lake City International Airport lies 53 kilometres south, a 45-minute transfer in typical conditions making same-day arrival and skiing feasible. Ogden-Hinckley Airport sits 23 kilometres west with limited commercial service. Utah Transit Authority operates ski buses on Route 675 from Ogden and Route 677 from Layton FrontRunner station mid-December through March, with Snowbasin season passholders receiving free UTA passes. Private shuttle companies including Black Diamond Shuttle, Canyon Hop and Utah Mountain Shuttles offer door-to-door transfers from Salt Lake airport and Park City. No passenger rail serves Ogden Valley directly, though FrontRunner commuter rail connects Salt Lake to Ogden with bus connections to the resort.
Where to stay
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Good to know
Frequently asked
When is Snowbasin's ski season?
Snowbasin's season typically runs from November 29 to March 22, roughly 113 days, weather and conditions permitting.
How much skiable terrain does Snowbasin have?
Snowbasin has about 3,000 acres skiable across 107 runs.
How many lifts does Snowbasin have?
Snowbasin operates 9 lifts in total.
How much snow does Snowbasin get?
Snowbasin averages around 300 inches (25 feet) of snowfall per season.
Where can I buy Snowbasin lift tickets?
Lift tickets for Snowbasin can be purchased directly from the resort online, or in person at the ticket office. See the full pricing breakdown on the lift tickets page.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Sundance Mountain Resort Is Getting a New High-Speed Quad and More Back Mountain Terrain This Winter
Sundance Mountain Resort's back mountain is finally getting a proper lift. The Electric Horseman Express opens for 2026-27, unlocking a new bowl next to Bishop's Bowl and three expert gladed chutes across roughly 105 fresh acres - on top of the Storyteller ridge run that debuted in preview form last season. It's Sundance's biggest expansion since 1985, and it turns a three-lift slog into a single six-minute ride to Bearclaw Summit.
19 Aug 2026
Nassfeld Invests €13 Million in New 6-Seater Chairlift for 2026/27 Season
Nassfeld is putting €13 million into a new 6-seater chairlift, the Tressdorfer Almbahn, connecting Sonnleitn with the Tressdorfer Alm from December 2026. It replaces three ageing drag lifts and will run through summer too, from June 2027, moving up to 2,500 people an hour on the roughly three-minute ride. It's the latest step in Carinthia's largest ski resort building out a genuine year-round offering, following last year's Gartnerkofelbahn gondola.
17 Aug 2026
Stelvio Glacier Suspends Summer Skiing, Leaving Continental Europe Without a Lift-Served Slope
Italy's Stelvio Glacier has pulled the plug on summer skiing from August 15. It was the last lift-served ski option left standing in continental Europe, and now there's none. Operator SIFAS pointed to persistent heat, storms, and a snowpack that simply wasn't refreezing overnight anymore. The cable car keeps running. Whether skiing comes back later this summer depends on the weather turning - and right now, nobody's promising anything.
15 Aug 2026
Maverick Mountain's Only Chairlift Destroyed as Sand Creek Fire Tears Through Montana Ski Area
Firefighters saved every base building at Maverick Mountain, Montana, but the resort's sole chairlift didn't survive the Sand Creek Fire. Owners Erik and Kristi Borge say the lift is "most likely" out for the 2026/27 season after flames tore through the mountain on August 8. The wildfire has since grown past 27,700 acres with zero percent containment. It's a gutting result for the tiny, one-lift operation near Dillon - though the lodge, groomers and equipment all made it through untouched.
15 Aug 2026
Fairmont Niseko: New Luxury Resort Revives Stalled La Plume Site for Early 2028 Opening
Fairmont is bringing its second Japanese property to Niseko, and this one's got history. The 165-room resort will rise on the site of the stalled La Plume project, which collapsed into bankruptcy in 2025 before J-Will Partners bought the site for redevelopment. Set between Mount Yotei and Mount Annupuri, it's slated for an early 2028 opening - putting it in play for the 2027/28 season. Expect two restaurants, a spa, onsen bathing, and a kids' club, a short drive from Niseko Village and Hirafu.
12 Aug 2026
Saas-Fee Closes Its Glacier to Summer Skiing as Heat Wave Drags On
Saas-Fee is closing its glacier to summer skiing from Monday, August 10 - the second major Swiss resort to shut in under two weeks after Zermatt suspended operations on August 1. Persistent heat and warm nights that won't let the glacier refreeze are behind the call, per Saastal Bergbahnen. That leaves Italy's Stelvio as the only glacier ski area open in the Alps. Reopening could come as early as August 17, though nothing's confirmed - and racing teams are already looking south instead.
8 Aug 2026
Silvretta Montafon Plans New 10-Person Gondola to Replace Ageing Hochjoch Lift
Silvretta Montafon wants to retire one of its most distinctive lifts. The plan: a single 10-person gondola running direct from Schruns to 1,870 metres, replacing both the two-stage Hochjoch cable car and the 1985 Kropfen chairlift in one move. Capacity jumps from 620 to 3,000 people an hour, and the mid-station transfer disappears entirely. The public hearing lands August 27, 2026 - construction hasn't been confirmed yet, though lift databases are pointing to 2027.
5 Aug 2026
Ski Pass on Your Smartphone: Dolomiti Superski's Plans for the Next Three Years
Dolomiti Superski's general assembly has unanimously re-elected Andy Varallo for a third consecutive term, running through 2029. Alongside the leadership renewal comes a bigger shift: a Smartpass that puts your ski pass on your smartphone, more AI in guest services, and an expanded Dolomiti Supersummer program. The 46-year-old Alta Badia cable car entrepreneur says the region's marketing is moving beyond skiing alone, toward positioning the Dolomites as a year-round destination.
4 Aug 2026