West Virginia, Usa · Ikon
Snowshoe
61 runs, 1,502ft vertical, 257 acres in West Virginia's Alleghenies. Ikon Pass, summit village layout.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
28 Nov 2025
Closes
13 Apr 2026
Days open
136
Annual snow
15ft
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Snowshoe's summit reaches 4,848 feet, dropping 1,502 vertical feet to a base at 3,346 feet across 61 runs spread over 257 acres in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia. Terrain splits 38 per cent beginner, 30 per cent advanced, 24 per cent intermediate and 8 per cent expert. Average annual snowfall reaches roughly 180 inches, high for the Mid-Atlantic region. The resort operates on the Ikon Pass under Alterra Mountain Company ownership.
Snowshoe's defining feature is its Village, built near the summit rather than at the mountain's base, an unusual layout among North American resorts. Shuttle buses connect the summit village to the base lodge, roughly six miles and a 15-minute drive away. The 1,502-foot vertical drop and 180-inch average snowfall make Snowshoe the largest and snowiest resort in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Twelve lifts serve the 61-run network across the mountain.
The site was logged from around 1905 to 1960 before being abandoned, until dentist and ski area developer Thomas 'Doc' Brigham, who had previously built North Carolina's Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain, identified it as a resort site. Snowshoe opened to skiing on 13 December 1974. Tokyo Tower Development Company, a Japanese leisure developer, bought the resort in 1990, selling it to Canadian operator Intrawest in 1995. Intrawest was acquired in 2017 by a joint venture of KSL Capital Partners and Henry Crown and Company, forming Alterra Mountain Company, Snowshoe's current owner and the operator of the Ikon Pass.
Ikon Pass holders receive access to Snowshoe alongside dozens of other Alterra-owned and partner resorts worldwide. Adult day tickets range from 89 to 125 US dollars depending on date, with multi-day and lodging package options also available. The resort suits Mid-Atlantic and Southeast skiers seeking the region's largest terrain and highest snowfall, without needing to travel to the Rockies or New England. Its summit-village layout gives it a distinctly different feel from base-village resorts elsewhere on the Ikon network.
1,503ft
Vertical
61
Runs
257 acres
Skiable
15ft
Annual snow
Ikon
Pass
The Terrain
61 runs across 257 acres skiable
Snowshoe spreads 61 runs across 257 acres skiable of terrain. It leans beginner at 38%, with 23 beginner runs to find your feet and 23 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
61
runs
61 runs across 4 grades
Beginner23 runs · 38%
Intermediate15 runs · 24%
Advanced18 runs · 30%
Expert5 runs · 8%
Time it right
When to visit Snowshoe
The 2025-26 season at Snowshoe ran from 28 November 2025 to 13 April 2026, a roughly nineteen-week window, long for a Mid-Atlantic resort. The mountain's relatively high summit elevation of 4,848 feet for the region supports an extended season compared with lower Appalachian ski areas. Season dates can shift based on early and late-season snowfall and snowmaking capacity. This length places Snowshoe among the longer operating Mid-Atlantic seasons.
Average annual snowfall of roughly 180 inches is exceptional for the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, a result of Snowshoe's high elevation within the Allegheny Mountains catching more snow than surrounding lower terrain. This natural snowfall advantage, combined with extensive snowmaking, gives Snowshoe more reliable conditions than most regional competitors. Base depth builds through midwinter, supported by both natural accumulation and machine-made snow. The mountain's position makes it something of a snow island relative to the broader Mid-Atlantic region.
January and February typically bring the most reliable natural and machine-made conditions, consistent with the broader Appalachian storm pattern. Holiday periods from Christmas through New Year bring the heaviest crowds given Snowshoe's role as the region's premier destination. March offers a balance of strong snow totals and improving weather, extending into the mid-April close. Weekday visits are generally quieter than weekends throughout the season.
Snowshoe's summit-village setting supports a range of on-mountain dining and lodging options through the season, distinct from base-village resorts elsewhere. As part of Alterra's Ikon Pass network, specific event programming ties into the broader Ikon calendar alongside local operations. The resort's Mid-Atlantic and Southeast draw means it functions as a true multi-day destination rather than a day-trip hill. Its scale and snowfall keep it distinct from smaller regional competitors throughout the season.
Season 2025 - 2026
28 Nov 2025
Opens
13 Apr 2026
Closes
136
Days open
15 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Snowshoe, and where to stay
Snowshoe sits in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia, with a base elevation of 3,346 feet and a summit at 4,848 feet across a 1,502-foot vertical drop over 257 acres. The resort's Village sits close to the summit rather than the base, an unusual layout among North American ski areas. This is Pocahontas County, a rural, mountainous part of eastern West Virginia. The surrounding Monongahela National Forest adds to the area's remote, forested character.
There is no substantial town immediately adjacent to Snowshoe; the resort itself functions as the area's primary settlement, with the small community of Snowshoe, West Virginia, centred on the resort. Slatyfork and Marlinton are the nearest towns of any size, providing additional services beyond the resort itself. The broader region carries a rural Appalachian character rather than a ski-town identity. Charleston and other West Virginia cities lie a considerable drive away.
West Virginia state routes provide the main access to Snowshoe, climbing into the Allegheny Mountains from the surrounding lowlands. The drive from Charleston takes roughly three hours, while Washington DC is around four hours away, making Snowshoe accessible to a large Mid-Atlantic population. Winter driving on the mountain approach roads can include snowpack and ice, standard for a high-elevation Appalachian route. No public transport service reaches the resort, making a car necessary for access.
Yeager Airport in Charleston, West Virginia, is a regional option, though many visitors fly into Washington Dulles International Airport, roughly four hours away, given the larger range of flights available there. Pittsburgh International Airport in Pennsylvania offers another regional alternative. No rail service reaches Snowshoe directly. Most visitors drive from the Washington DC, Pittsburgh or Charlotte metropolitan areas rather than flying into a small regional airport near the resort.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Snowshoe, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Spain Moves to Ban Smoking at Ski Resorts Under New Tobacco Law
Spain's government has approved a draft tobacco law that would ban smoking across a wide range of outdoor spaces, including sports venues - a category Spanish winter sports media expect to cover ski resorts, potentially extending to slopes and lifts themselves. The rules would also apply to e-cigarettes and vaping devices, even nicotine-free ones. The bill still has to clear the Spanish parliament before any ban, signage, or fines can take effect.
22 July 2026
South Tyrol Approves New 16-Person Ciampinoi Gondola in Val Gardena
South Tyrol has approved a full rebuild of the Ciampinoi cable car in Selva di Val Gardena, replacing the current 12-person gondola with a 16-person cabin and a new mountain-station restaurant. Capacity is capped at 3,200 people an hour rather than the 3,600 the operator wanted, and 250,000 euros must go toward compensatory measures. No construction or opening date has been set, though the upgrade is partly aimed at clearing bottlenecks before the 2031 Alpine Ski World Championships.
22 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Hoshino Tomamu - Corporate Japan's Mountain Playground Revisited
Hoshino Tomamu is the ski resort equivalent of a conference hotel that happens to have excellent powder. Built for corporate retreats and package tourists, it offers genuine Hokkaido snow on surprisingly limited terrain - 29 runs spread across 585 vertical metres.
21 July 2026
La Thuile's New Cable Car Replaces Two Ageing Chairlifts
La Thuile is spending 38.7 million US dollars on a new 10-person cable car linking Les Suches to Chaz Dura, replacing the La Combe and Chaz Dura chairlifts after nearly forty years of service. Built by Leitner, the new cable car runs 1,950 metres to a top station at 2,576 metres, carrying up to 3,000 people an hour with a six-minute ride. It also improves the connection to La Rosiere in France via the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass, and is on track to open for the 2026/27 season.
21 July 2026
The Remarkables Adds Scarpa Bowl to Its Inbounds Terrain
The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.
21 July 2026
Ski Portillo Cut Off After Storm Dumps More Than 4.5 Metres of Snow
Ski Portillo remains isolated after an extended storm buried the Chilean resort under more than 4.5 metres of snow, with both ground and air access suspended since Tuesday while crews monitor avalanche hazards and worsening weather. Resort officials say further snowfall is expected in the coming days and haven't set a timeline for reopening the mountain road. Once access resumes, the scale of the snowpack could set up a strong season at one of the Southern Hemisphere's most historic ski resorts.
21 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Lotte Arai - Japan's Corporate Ski Anomaly With 22 Metres of Annual Snowfall
Lotte Arai receives 22 metres of annual snowfall - exceptional even by Japanese standards - but its corporate ownership model and limited terrain create an unusual cost-benefit equation. Here's what the numbers actually mean on the ground.
19 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Banff Sunshine Village - Nine Metres of Snow and a Season That Runs Until May
Banff Sunshine Village sits at 1,660m base and receives 9.27m of snow annually. Inside Banff National Park, it offers a six-month season and terrain split that skews heavily advanced - though the crowds and lift infrastructure tell their own story.
18 July 2026
Current conditions
Snow Report
Updated 13 Aug 2026
4,849ft
summit
+0in
new snow · last 24 hours
Clear57°F / 70°F · W 13mph
Snowfall
24 hours
0in
48 hours
0in
7 days
0in
Base depth
0in
Season total
0in
Total lifts12
Live open status isn’t available right now.
28 Nov 2025 - 13 Apr 2026
Hour by Hour
Next 38 hours· Updated Aug 13, 2026 at 4:02 AM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
4,849 ftUpdated Aug 13, 2026 at 4:02 AMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
0.0"
Days 8–14
0.0"
Thu, Aug 13
Overcast
Temp70° / 57°°F
Snow0.0"(14%)
Wind13 mph W
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Snowshoe snow report
Get the latest Snowshoe snow report — real-time snowfall, snow depth, and mountain weather for this West Virginia resort, spanning 1020m to 1478m in elevation.
Snow measurements
Base depth, summit depth, and recent snowfall are the core numbers to watch. At Snowshoe, summit conditions (1478m) can differ noticeably from the base, so we break both out separately rather than showing a single average.
Weather conditions
Current weather conditions affect snow quality. Cold temperatures with low wind typically preserve snow quality, while warm temperatures or rain can impact conditions negatively — something worth watching closely at Snowshoe's 1020m base elevation, where temperatures run milder than the summit.
Data sources
Snowfall and depth figures for Snowshoe come from official mountain sources; weather and outlook data comes from independent forecasting services. The mountain is served by 12 lifts, including 3 quad chairlifts.
When to check
The biggest swings usually happen right after a storm. Check Snowshoe's report in the morning for the freshest numbers, and again in the afternoon as conditions evolve.