
Jackson Hole
133 runs, 4,140ft vertical, 2,500 acres in the Tetons. 42% advanced terrain. Ikon Pass, Teton Village.
Jackson Hole's summit reaches 10,450 feet, dropping 4,140 vertical feet to a base at 6,310 feet across 133 runs spread over 2,500 acres in the Teton Range. Terrain splits 42 per cent advanced, 38 per cent intermediate, 16 per cent expert and just 4 per cent beginner, the steepest terrain mix of any major Wyoming resort. Average annual snowfall reaches 458 inches. The resort operates on the Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective, giving members access alongside dozens of partner resorts worldwide.
The 4,140-foot vertical drop ranks among the largest in North America, accessed via the Bridger Gondola and the original aerial tram, rebuilt since its 1966 debut. Corbet's Couloir, one of American skiing's best-known expert lines, drops off the summit ridge into Rendezvous Bowl. With only 4 per cent of terrain rated beginner, the mountain is built around advanced and expert skiing rather than progression terrain. Cody Bowl and the Hobacks add further steep, ungroomed terrain accessed from the tram summit.
The base area sits in Teton Village, a purpose-built village at the mountain's base rather than an existing town, with lodging, dining and shops clustered around the tram and gondola bases. Jackson itself lies 12 miles away, connected by a regular shuttle and Highway 22. The resort's reputation for difficulty and deep snow draws a mix of destination visitors and serious skiers rather than a beginner-focused crowd. Grand Teton National Park sits immediately north of the resort boundary.
Ikon Pass holders get a set number of days at Jackson Hole depending on pass tier, while Mountain Collective members receive two days regardless of tier. Adult day tickets range from 175 to 225 US dollars depending on date, with a five-day flex pass at 799 dollars. The resort suits experienced and advanced skiers seeking steep terrain and deep snow over a beginner-friendly progression mountain. Its position at the base of the Tetons, immediately south of Grand Teton National Park, gives it a mountain-town rather than purpose-resort feel despite the built Teton Village base.
Jackson Hole covers 2,500 acres (1,012 hectares) of the Teton Range above Teton Village, and its numbers explain the reputation. The vertical is 4,140 ft (1,262 m), from 6,310 ft (1,923 m) at the base to 10,450 ft (3,185 m) on Rendezvous Mountain. Across 133 runs, 42% are advanced and 16% expert, with 38% intermediate and only 4% beginner, so this is a mountain for strong skiers. Snowfall averages about 458 inches. Uphill access comes from an aerial tram, two gondolas, nine quad chairs, a double chair and a surface lift.
The aerial tram carries up to 100 passengers to the summit in about nine minutes, and from there the choices get serious. Corbet's Couloir is the famous drop-in, Rendezvous Bowl is the wide-open advanced way down, and Laramie Bowl and the Alta Chutes sit beside the Sublette Quad. Below that chair, the Hobacks drop nearly 3,000 ft of ungroomed vertical with no easy bail-out to a groomed run. Tensleep offers a way back towards the centre of the resort. Jackson Hole suits advanced and expert skiers, and good intermediates should choose their days and conditions carefully.
The 2025-26 season at Jackson Hole ran from 28 November 2025 to 12 April 2026, a roughly nineteen-week season typical for the resort's high elevation. The mountain's summit at 10,450 feet supports a long operating window relative to lower Wyoming ski areas. Early and late-season dates can shift based on snowpack, though Jackson Hole's high base snowfall makes early opening more reliable than at lower-elevation resorts. The season length places it among the longer in the region.
Average annual snowfall of 458 inches makes Jackson Hole one of the snowiest major resorts in the Rockies, a result of its position catching Pacific storms crossing the Snake River Plain before reaching the Teton Range. The mountain's steep, advanced-leaning terrain holds natural snow well given limited grooming on off-piste sectors like Cody Bowl. Base depth builds through midwinter, supporting the terrain that remains ungroomed through the season. Snowmaking plays a secondary role given the resort's naturally high snowfall totals.
January and February typically bring the deepest natural snowpack and the most reliable powder conditions in bowls like Cody and the Hobacks. Holiday periods from Christmas through New Year bring the heaviest crowds and longest tram queues of the season. March offers a balance of strong snow totals and improving weather, extending into the 12 April 2026 close. Early and late-season visits carry more variable conditions given the terrain's advanced-leaning, less-groomed character.
Jackson Hole does not run night skiing on its main mountain, unlike the town's smaller Snow King Mountain nearby. The resort's event calendar includes competitions tied to its expert terrain reputation, though specific festival programming varies by year. Grand Teton National Park's proximity adds wildlife-watching and other winter activities beyond the ski area boundary. The resort's identity centres on steep, deep-snow skiing rather than the groomed-cruiser or festival-driven programming found at some competitors.
Daily snow reports at Jackson Hole go back to 2025, 2 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort sits in Teton Village, Wyoming, in the Teton Range of the Rocky Mountains, immediately south of Grand Teton National Park. Base elevation is 6,310 feet, with the summit reaching 10,450 feet across a 4,140-foot vertical drop. The resort occupies the western edge of the Jackson Hole valley, with the Snake River running through the valley floor below. Teton Village itself was purpose-built around the resort base rather than growing from an existing settlement.
Jackson, Wyoming, lies 12 miles southeast of the resort, the valley's main town with the bulk of area lodging, dining and services beyond Teton Village itself. The town retains a Western character alongside its ski-tourism economy, with a historic town square and elk antler arches as local landmarks. Grand Teton National Park's southern boundary sits just north of the resort, giving the area frequent wildlife including elk, moose and bison. The broader Jackson Hole valley sits at high elevation itself, at roughly 6,200 feet even before reaching the mountains.
Highway 22 and Highway 390 connect Jackson to Teton Village, a straightforward 20-minute drive absent heavy snow or traffic. A regular START bus shuttle runs between Jackson and Teton Village throughout the ski season, reducing the need to drive daily. Winter driving conditions on the valley roads are generally well-maintained given the volume of ski traffic, though mountain passes further from the valley can close in storms. No direct highway crosses the Tetons themselves; Teton Pass to the south links Jackson to Idaho's Teton Valley.
Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) sits 11 miles northeast of Teton Village, inside Grand Teton National Park, the only commercial airport located within a US national park. The airport offers seasonal service to roughly 20 cities during ski season, more than most comparable Wyoming resorts. Idaho Falls Regional Airport offers an alternative roughly two hours away by road, sometimes with lower fares. No rail service reaches Jackson Hole, and the START bus shuttle only covers local valley routes rather than longer regional transfers.
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Halloween weekend brings a wet, windy storm to the Sierra Nevada. Our five-day forecast has Dodge Ridge on top with 19 in, followed by Bear Valley at 15 in and Mammoth Mountain at 12 in, with most of it landing on Saturday. A winter weather advisory covers the Tahoe Basin and Mono County until 7 AM Sunday, gusts could reach 47 mph and the freezing level swings between 4,900 and 8,700 ft, so some bases will see rain. A dry spell follows from Monday.

The Rockies get their first lift-served turns of the season early. Lake Louise opens Sunday 1 November, five days ahead of schedule, after a cold October and round-the-clock work from the snowmaking and mountain crews. Terrain is limited to Juniper Express Chair and Easy Street, with two small terrain parks and the beginner area for lessons. Opening-day tickets are over 60% off, with prices rising as more lifts open. First chair is at 9:30 am under the resort’s new lift hours.

A Tyrolean summit lift that has been carrying guests up the Kitzbüheler Horn since 1955 is on borrowed time. Its licence runs to 2045, but a new inspection rule has made refurbishment uneconomic, so Bergbahn AG Kitzbühel will spend around €15 million on a replacement on the same line. It should hold roughly 100 people and keep running in winds that would stop today’s lift. Building starts in autumn 2027, which makes this winter and next summer the last chances to ride the old one.

Niseko Village is replacing a lift from the early 1980s with an eight-person gondola, Tsugaike gets a six-person chairlift, Madarao joins the Ikon Pass and Togari opens Asia’s first private ski resort. Here’s what is actually new in Japan skiing for 2026/27, plus what is still a year or two away.

Colorado’s early-season dominoes keep falling. Arapahoe Basin opened on Wednesday, Keystone follows on Friday, and now Wolf Creek is joining in on Saturday 31 October, just in time for Halloween. A storm on 23 and 24 October left 20 inches of natural snow in the San Juans, and three lifts will turn from 9:00 am, covering about 30% of the mountain. Expect rocks, unmarked obstacles and open water, but also Local Appreciation lift tickets at $73 for adults.

Keystone is next. After Arapahoe Basin claimed the first chairlift skiing of the season on Wednesday, Keystone opens on Friday 30 October at 9:00 am with more than two miles of snowmaking-built terrain on Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon, plus free donuts, coffee and a live DJ. Last year the order was reversed, when Keystone squeezed in a three-hour afternoon session to beat A-Basin by a day. Snowmaking has been running since 15 October.

Beaver Creek is getting ready for the biggest Birds of Prey ever, and this time it is not leaving the snow to chance. Crews started making snow on 27 October with 16 newly installed automated guns on the lower third of the course, after last December’s warm spell forced a downhill off the schedule. Seven races across two weekends run from 3 to 13 December, the most the course has hosted since its 1997 debut, and the guns start themselves whenever the weather allows.

Winter has officially started in North America, and it is one blue run long. On Wednesday 28 October, Arapahoe Basin fired up the Black Mountain Express at around 10:30 am after a surprise announcement just hours earlier, becoming the first major North American resort open for 2026/27. Cold nights, a dusting of natural snow and a lot of snowmaking made it happen in the resort’s 80th winter. More terrain is promised as the snow guns keep running.
Opening day for the winter 2026 - 2027 season is scheduled for Nov 27, 2026 (subject to change). Lift tickets at Jackson Hole typically go on sale well before the start of the ski season.
Our lift ticket pricing was last updated on Sep 28, 2026.
Day passes start from US$51, with peak rates up to US$339.
Winter Lift Ticket for youth 5-12 at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for the 2026/27 season. Jackson Hole uses fully dynamic date-based pricing; regular/peak reflect the confirmed low/high price observed on the resort's own booking calendar for December 2026 ($50.85 for early December to $203.40 for the Dec 28-31 holiday stretch). December sample only - January/February peak weeks may run higher.
Buy passWinter Lift Ticket for teens 13-18 at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for the 2026/27 season. Dynamic date-based pricing; regular/peak reflect the confirmed low/high price observed on the resort's own booking calendar for December 2026 ($67.80 for early December to $271.20 for the Dec 28-31 holiday stretch). December sample only.
Buy passWinter Lift Ticket for adults 19-64 at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for the 2026/27 season. Dynamic date-based pricing; regular/peak reflect the confirmed low/high price observed on the resort's own booking calendar for December 2026 ($84.75 for early December to $339.00 for the Dec 28-31 holiday stretch). December sample only - January/February peak weeks may run higher.
Buy passWinter Lift Ticket for seniors 65+ at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for the 2026/27 season. Dynamic date-based pricing; regular/peak reflect the confirmed low/high price observed on the resort's own booking calendar for December 2026 ($106.79 for early December to $305.10 for the Dec 28-31 holiday stretch). December sample only.
Buy passMulti-day Winter Lift Ticket (2 of 3 Days) for adults 19-64 at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for the 2026/27 season - total price for the pack, dynamic date-based pricing. Confirmed sample price for a Dec 1-3, 2026 window; price varies by start date across the season.
Buy passMulti-day Winter Lift Ticket (3 of 4 Days, 5% off) for adults 19-64 at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for the 2026/27 season - total price for the pack, dynamic date-based pricing. Confirmed sample price for a Dec 1-4, 2026 window; price varies by start date across the season.
Buy passThe Peak Pass (Adult) at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for the 2026/27 season - the resort's top-tier pass with the most access and best benefits, the full JHMR experience. Confirmed current price from the resort's own season pass page; prices increase Oct 1, 2026 (amount of the increase not yet confirmed).
Buy passThe Grand Pass (Adult) at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for the 2026/27 season - unlimited skiing and riding, all winter season. Confirmed current price from the resort's own season pass page; prices increase Oct 1, 2026 (amount of the increase not yet confirmed).
Buy passMidweek ByPass (Adult) at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for the 2026/27 season - unlimited skiing and riding Monday-Friday all winter season; weekends and blackout dates excluded. Confirmed current price from the resort's own season pass page; prices increase Oct 1, 2026 (amount of the increase not yet confirmed).
Buy passMore Jackson Hole intelligence: snow report, webcams, resort overview.