The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Sleeping Giant's summit reaches 7,428 feet, dropping 810 vertical feet to a base at 6,617 feet across 48 runs spread over 184 acres just outside Yellowstone National Park's East Gate. Terrain splits 37 per cent intermediate, 35 per cent advanced, 15 per cent beginner and 13 per cent expert. Average annual snowfall reaches roughly 500 inches, among the highest totals of any ski area in Wyoming. The area has not run lifts for skiing since 2023 and is in the advanced stages of a sale to a new owner.
Three lifts, a double chair, a T-bar and a surface lift, historically served the mountain's 48 runs across the 810-foot vertical drop. The 35 per cent advanced and 13 per cent expert terrain share gave Sleeping Giant a steeper profile than its modest size suggested. Night skiing operated on Saturdays when the area was running, an unusual offering for a small Wyoming ski hill. The exceptional snowfall reflects the area's position near Yellowstone's high, snowy interior plateau.
Sleeping Giant dates to 1936, making it the eighth-oldest ski area in the United States, originally established as the Red Star Camp before taking its current name in 1938. The area closed in 2004 after its T-bar was found unsafe with no funds available to repair it, reopening in 2007 under the nonprofit Yellowstone Recreations Foundation following an 800,000 US dollar community fundraising campaign. It has been closed for skiing for the past three winters. Dallas-based HMH Capital is in advanced stages of purchasing the property, with reported plans to redevelop it as a summer recreation park rather than reopen it for skiing.
Given the current closure and pending sale, Sleeping Giant should not be treated as a bookable ski destination for the 2026-27 season pending confirmation of new ownership's plans. Historically, the area carried no multi-resort pass affiliation and operated as an independent, locally supported ski hill. If new ownership does reopen the area for skiing, its unusually high snowfall and varied terrain would make it a notable addition to Wyoming's smaller ski areas again. Visitors should check current status directly before planning a trip.
810ft
Vertical
48
Runs
184 acres
Skiable
42ft
Annual snow
The Terrain
48 runs across 184 acres skiable
Sleeping Giant spreads 48 runs across 184 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 37%, with 7 beginner runs to find your feet and 23 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
48
runs
48 runs across 4 grades
Beginner7 runs · 15%
Intermediate18 runs · 37%
Advanced17 runs · 35%
Expert6 runs · 13%
Time it right
When to visit Sleeping Giant
When operating, Sleeping Giant's season historically ran from early December through late March, similar to other small Wyoming ski areas at this elevation. The area has been closed for skiing for the past three winters, so no season currently operates. The high base elevation of 6,617 feet and exceptional local snowfall supported a reliable season length in past years. Any future season would depend on the outcome of the area's pending sale.
Average annual snowfall of roughly 500 inches ranks among the highest in Wyoming, a product of the area's position near Yellowstone's snowy interior plateau close to the park's East Gate. This natural snowfall made the area reliably deep in past operating seasons without heavy reliance on snowmaking. Base depth and season totals are not currently tracked given the area's closed status. The snowfall potential remains a notable asset should the area reopen under new ownership.
In past operating years, January and February offered the most reliable powder conditions, consistent with the broader Yellowstone-area storm pattern. Night skiing ran on Saturdays until 7pm when the area was open, giving Cody-area locals an after-work option. Late-season visits in March historically saw conditions vary with spring snowpack. None of this currently applies while the area remains closed for skiing.
Sleeping Giant's event calendar and night skiing programming have been dormant since the area's most recent closure. Dallas-based HMH Capital is reported to be planning a summer recreation park for the property, with a 2027 target, rather than a ski season reopening. Should new ownership choose to reopen lifts for winter use, the area's history of community fundraising, including the 2007 'Wake Up the Giant' campaign, shows local appetite for keeping it running. Current visitors should confirm operating status directly before planning any winter trip.
Season 2025 - 2026
6 Dec 2025
Opens
29 Mar 2026
Closes
113
Days open
42 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Sleeping Giant, and where to stay
Sleeping Giant sits at the East Gate of Yellowstone National Park, roughly 50 miles west of Cody, Wyoming, with a base elevation of 6,617 feet. The summit reaches 7,428 feet across an 810-foot vertical drop over 184 acres. The area sits within the Shoshone National Forest, immediately adjacent to Yellowstone's boundary. This location gives it some of the most Yellowstone-proximate skiing terrain of any Wyoming ski area, historically.
Cody, Wyoming, is the nearest town of any size, 50 miles east along the North Fork Highway. The neighbouring Shoshone Lodge has operated alongside the ski area since its earliest years as Red Star Camp in the 1930s. The East Gate area sits well outside Cody's town limits, in a remote, forested stretch of highway leading into Yellowstone. This isolation has historically limited casual day-trip visitation compared with ski areas closer to towns.
The North Fork Highway (US-14/16/20) provides the only paved access route, running directly past the ski area en route to Yellowstone's East Entrance. The drive from Cody takes roughly an hour under normal winter conditions. Winter driving on this stretch can include snowpack and wildlife on the road, given the route's position through the Shoshone National Forest. No public transport service reaches the area, making a car essential for any visit.
Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody is the nearest airport with scheduled commercial service, roughly 50 miles from the ski area. Billings Logan International Airport in Montana offers a larger range of connections, around two and a half hours away by road. Jackson Hole Airport sits considerably further south, making it a less practical option for this part of northwestern Wyoming. Most visitors historically combined a Sleeping Giant visit with a Yellowstone trip through the East Gate rather than a standalone ski journey.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Sleeping Giant, powered by Stay22.
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Sleeping Giant Lift System
Sleeping Giant historically ran three lifts: one double chair, one T-bar and one surface lift, serving 48 runs across 184 acres. There was no quad chair or gondola at this scale of area. The double chair handled the bulk of intermediate and advanced terrain access, while the T-bar and surface lift covered lower-mountain and beginner zones. The area has not operated these lifts for skiing since 2023.
The double chair provided the primary uphill route to the mountain's upper terrain, where the 35 per cent advanced and 13 per cent expert runs are concentrated. The T-bar served a secondary sector, a lift type uncommon at most modern Wyoming resorts but historically common at smaller, older ski areas. The surface lift covered the beginner learning zone near the base. Night skiing on Saturdays meant lift lighting was installed across at least part of the network.
All three lifts returned to the base area beside the historic lodge near Yellowstone's East Gate. There was no mid-mountain facility, consistent with the compact 184-acre footprint. The T-bar's mechanical failure in 2004 caused the area's first extended closure, underscoring how a single lift issue can shut down a small operation with no spare capacity. Whether the current lift infrastructure remains serviceable after several closed winters is not confirmed in available information.
Sleeping Giant's lift network has not been upgraded or replaced in recent years, reflecting both its small, community-driven operating model and its current closure. Any future reopening under new ownership would likely require inspecting and potentially repairing lifts left idle for multiple winters. The area's history already includes one lift-driven closure, in 2004, when the T-bar was deemed unsafe. Given HMH Capital's reported summer-recreation focus, further ski lift investment is not confirmed.
3lifts across 3 types
1
Double Chair
1
T-Bar
1
Surface Lift
Sleeping Giant lift system
Sleeping Giant is served by 3 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 Sleeping Giant intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.