
Grand Targhee's summit reaches 9,918 feet, dropping 2,067 vertical feet to a base at 7,851 feet across 97 runs spread over 2,602 acres in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Terrain splits 33 per cent beginner, 37 per cent intermediate, 25 per cent advanced and 5 per cent expert. Average annual snowfall reaches 464 inches, among the highest totals of any resort on the Wyoming-Idaho border. The resort operates on the Mountain Collective pass, giving members two days of access alongside more than 20 other partner resorts.
The mountain sits on the western, leeward side of the Teton Range, catching storms that Jackson Hole's eastern slopes miss, which explains its outsized snowfall relative to its modest 2,067-foot vertical drop. Intermediate terrain dominates at 37 per cent, spread across groomed runs on the mountain's two main peaks. Advanced skiers get access to glade skiing and steeper pitches, while the five per cent expert terrain sits near the summit. The 97-run count is spread wide rather than steep, favouring cruising over technical descents.
Grand Targhee opened on 26 December 1969 as a joint venture of east Idaho investors trading under Grand Targhee, Inc., formed in 1966. The resort takes its name from Chief Targhee, a 19th-century leader of the Bannock people. Idaho Governor Don Samuelson formally dedicated the resort on 2 February 1970, six weeks after its opening lifts began running. The base village remains small and low-key compared with Jackson Hole, an hour and a half away by road.
Mountain Collective pass holders receive two days at Grand Targhee as part of a network spanning more than 20 resorts worldwide. Full-day adult tickets range from 103 to 110 US dollars depending on date, with a season pass priced at 849 dollars. The resort suits skiers prioritising snow quantity and a quieter base area over Jackson Hole's steeper terrain and larger crowds. Its position on the far side of the Tetons from Jackson keeps visitor numbers lower despite the exceptional snowfall.
Grand Targhee spreads across 2,602 acres (1,053 hectares) on the western side of the Tetons, making it one of the larger ski areas in Wyoming. Elevations run from 7,850 ft (2,393 m) at the base to 9,920 ft (3,023 m) at the top, a vertical of 2,070 ft (630 m), and the 97 runs split 33% beginner, 37% intermediate, 25% advanced and 5% expert. That balance suits mixed groups well. Snowfall is the real draw, averaging about 464 inches a year, and four quad chairs, a six-pack and a surface lift keep the skiing uncomplicated.
Terrain is split between Fred's Mountain and Peaked Mountain. The Dreamcatcher lift near the summit of Fred's gives confident beginners a way up high, while Dreamcatcher and Sacajawea serve wide, groomed intermediate cruising. Some of the toughest skiing is on the north face of Peaked Mountain, and the hike-to terrain on Mary's Nipple offers untouched snow with real alpine exposure. Open bowls, glades and ridgelines fill the gaps between. Grand Targhee suits powder-minded skiers of every level who prefer deep snow and short lift lines over steep vertical, and it is best planned around the weather forecast.
The 2025-26 season at Grand Targhee ran from 22 November 2025 to 12 April 2026, a roughly twenty-week window that ranks among the longer seasons in Wyoming. The resort's high base elevation of 7,851 feet supports an extended operating window compared with lower Wyoming ski areas. Opening and closing dates shift slightly year to year based on early and late-season snowpack. The nearly five-month season reflects the mountain's position as one of the higher-elevation resorts in the region.
Average annual snowfall of 464 inches ranks Grand Targhee among the snowiest resorts in the Rocky Mountain region, a product of its exposure to Pacific storm systems crossing the Snake River Plain before hitting the Tetons' western slopes. This orographic position gives Targhee notably more snow than Jackson Hole, roughly 40 miles away on the range's drier eastern side. Base depths build steadily through midwinter given the volume of natural snowfall. Snowmaking plays a secondary role compared with resorts reliant on machine-made cover.
January and February typically deliver the deepest natural snowpack, consistent with the broader Rocky Mountain storm pattern. March and early April often extend the season with spring storms layered on a deep base, a pattern the 12 April 2026 close date reflects. Early season conditions in late November can be thinner before the snowpack builds. Midweek visits generally carry lighter crowds than weekends, given the resort's reliance on destination rather than day-trip visitors from Jackson.
Grand Targhee does not compete on event programming to the extent some larger resorts do, with its calendar centred on reliable powder skiing rather than festivals. The resort's position 42 miles from Jackson by road, but accessible only via Driggs, Idaho, limits casual day-trip crowds relative to Jackson Hole. Mountain Collective pass holders add to visitor numbers during their two allotted days per season. The base area's smaller scale, relative to Jackson Hole's Teton Village, keeps the atmosphere quieter despite the resort's snowfall reputation drawing visitors from further afield.
Grand Targhee sits in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest on the western slope of the Teton Range, in Alta, Wyoming, though the resort is reachable only from the Idaho side of the mountains. Base elevation is 7,851 feet, with the summit reaching 9,918 feet. The resort lies 42 miles northwest of Jackson as measured directly, but no through road crosses the mountains in winter, making the practical route far longer. Its position on the leeward side of the Tetons defines both its access and its snowfall.
Driggs, Idaho, sits just 12 miles from the resort and serves as the nearest town of any size, with Idaho Falls a further hour's drive beyond that. Jackson, Wyoming, lies on the opposite side of the range and is reached via a roughly 90-minute drive around the mountains rather than the shorter direct distance. The Teton Valley on the Idaho side has a quieter, more agricultural character than the tourist-driven town of Jackson. Both valleys share the Teton Range as a backdrop but differ substantially in development and visitor infrastructure.
Idaho State Highway 33 and local roads provide the main access route from Driggs, climbing into the Caribou-Targhee National Forest to reach the resort. Reaching Grand Targhee from Jackson typically means driving via Teton Pass to Victor and Driggs on the Idaho side, rather than a direct route across the range. The drive from Jackson takes roughly 90 minutes under normal winter conditions. Winter driving on the approach roads can include snowpack and icy sections, standard for a high-elevation forest route in the Tetons.
Jackson Hole Airport (JAC), inside Grand Teton National Park, is the nearest airport with scheduled commercial service, roughly 90 minutes from the resort by road. Idaho Falls Regional Airport offers an alternative roughly 83 miles away, often with more affordable fares than Jackson's seasonal-driven pricing. Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Montana sits within four hours' drive for visitors combining multiple destinations. No rail or scheduled bus service reaches Alta, Wyoming, or Driggs, Idaho, making a rental car the standard way to arrive.
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Europe’s ski season is open, technically. After a record-warm summer, glaciers in Austria, Switzerland and Italy are running a few pistes apiece, Sölden, Stubai and Kitzsteinhorn started late, Titlis has pushed back to 24 October, and Zermatt reopens a few lifts on 14 October after more than two months shut. Finland’s Levi and Ruka are skiing on stored snow. Here is what is open, and what you actually get at each.

Zermatt is having another crack at a World Cup downhill, and this time nobody has to cross a border. Around 13 million Swiss francs is going into rebuilding the Gornergrat piste, including a jump fed by a roughly 300-metre in-run across the roof of the Gornergrat Railway gallery, with the Matterhorn lined up behind it for the TV cameras. First men’s race is pencilled in for March 2028, pending FIS homologation.

Lake Tahoe’s highest base elevation is paying off early: Mt. Rose has started making snow for 2026-27 after the first flurries and a cold snap. The Nevada resort is backing it with nearly US$2 million in upgrades, including a replacement snowmaking main line, a new PistenBully groomer and restraint bars on every lift. Opening day is yet to be confirmed, though Heavenly and Northstar are already eyeing 20 November.

Utah is still building flat out. For 2026-27, Powder Mountain opens a steep new Skytrac chair into more than 1,000 acres of advanced terrain, Deer Valley adds 200 acres on Hail Peak, Sundance gets a new quad and Park City adds a gondola from its new parking structure. Snowmaking is expanding almost everywhere, Eagle Point stays closed after the Cottonwood Fire, and the 2034 Games are setting the pace. Here’s what’s new, resort by resort.

Mt Hutt is getting busier, and its base lodge is about to catch up. NZ$12 million goes into a heated sun deck roughly three times the current size (430 m² to 1,300 m²), plus a new toilet block, heated steps down to snow level, extra storage and a new food and beverage outlet. Building starts after the 2026 season, with everything due for winter 2027.

Vermont's season is slow to take shape. Stratton is tentatively targeting 18 November and Sugarbush 21 November, while Pico has Friday 11 December on the calendar. Killington never sets a date and opens when the snowmaking allows, and Vail Resorts has yet to name days for Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow. The forecasts disagree about snow, and the main El Niño worry for the Green Mountains is warmth.

Less than four months out from the Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships, the man running the organising committee has stepped down. Claude-Alain Schmidhalter resigned as Swiss-Ski vice president and OC president after being indicted over a business dispute unrelated to skiing. He denies the allegations and faces court on October 27. Interim leaders are in place for the February 1-14 event.

Kelly Canyon had a rough 2025-26, and the Idaho resort has spent the summer making sure it doesn’t repeat. Snowmaking now reaches the top of Goldrush, the terrain park is doubling in size with a stereo system, lights and a snack shack, and the car park is getting bigger. Grooming is stepping up too. Target opening is December 4, conditions permitting.
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