The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Snowy Range's summit reaches 9,633 feet, dropping 837 vertical feet to a base at 8,796 feet across 33 runs spread over 75 acres in the Medicine Bow National Forest. Terrain splits 40 per cent intermediate, 30 per cent advanced and 30 per cent beginner, with no expert-rated runs. The 8,796-foot base is among the highest of any Wyoming ski area. Average annual snowfall reaches roughly 230 inches, and the resort carries no major multi-resort pass affiliation.
At 75 acres, Snowy Range is one of the smallest ski areas in Wyoming, with 33 runs packed into a compact footprint relative to its run count. The 837-foot vertical drop is modest, suiting the resort's intermediate-leaning terrain split. Three lifts serve the full mountain, keeping travel between runs short. The absence of expert-rated terrain makes this a more approachable mountain than nearby higher-vertical resorts.
Snowy Range sits within the Medicine Bow National Forest, an area used historically by the Northern Arapaho, Oglala Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, Eastern Shoshone and White River Ute peoples. The Snowy Range itself was named in 1871 for the high peaks that hold snow through summer. Nearby Snowy Range Lodge, built in 1919 and completed in 1924, predates the ski area and now sits on the National Register of Historic Places. The ski area's high-elevation forest setting gives it a more rugged, undeveloped character than Wyoming's larger destination resorts.
With no major pass affiliation, Snowy Range operates independently of the Ikon, Epic, Indy and Mountain Collective networks used by larger Wyoming resorts. Adult day tickets range from 54 to 74 US dollars depending on date and peak status, with a season pass priced at 399 dollars. A senior ticket for skiers 70 and over is free. The resort suits University of Wyoming students and Laramie-area locals seeking an accessible, affordable mountain over a destination resort experience.
837ft
Vertical
33
Runs
75 acres
Skiable
19ft
Annual snow
The Terrain
33 runs across 75 acres skiable
Snowy Range spreads 33 runs across 75 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 40%, with 10 beginner runs to find your feet and 10 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
33
runs
33 runs across 4 grades
Beginner10 runs · 30%
Intermediate13 runs · 40%
Advanced10 runs · 30%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Snowy Range
The 2025-26 season at Snowy Range ran from 7 December 2025 to 29 March 2026, a roughly sixteen-week window. The resort's high base elevation of 8,796 feet supports a reasonably long season despite its small size and modest 837-foot vertical drop. Season dates shift year to year based on snowpack in the Medicine Bow National Forest. The late March close is typical for a mountain at this elevation without a major snowmaking investment.
Average annual snowfall of roughly 230 inches supports Snowy Range's season length, drawing on the Medicine Bow range's position to catch weather systems crossing southeastern Wyoming. The mountain's 8,796-foot base helps retain snow better than lower-elevation areas nearby. Specific snowmaking coverage is not confirmed in available resort information, suggesting a heavier reliance on natural snowfall than at larger, investment-backed resorts. Base depth and season totals vary year to year with Medicine Bow snowpack.
January and February typically offer the most reliable conditions once the season's snowpack has built up across the compact 75-acre terrain. The resort's proximity to Laramie, 32 miles away, makes it a practical option for University of Wyoming students and staff throughout the winter. Weekday visits are likely quieter than weekends, given the resort's role serving a local rather than destination market. Late-season conditions in March can vary with Medicine Bow's spring snowpack pattern.
Snowy Range does not appear to operate night skiing or a documented events calendar based on available resort information. The area's role as an accessible, affordable mountain for the Laramie region shapes its operating priorities more than event programming. The historic Snowy Range Lodge nearby, dating to 1924, offers a separate lodging and dining draw beyond the ski area itself. As one of Wyoming's smaller ski areas, the calendar centres on straightforward, reliable weekend and holiday operation.
Season 2025 - 2026
7 Dec 2025
Opens
29 Mar 2026
Closes
112
Days open
19 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Snowy Range, and where to stay
Snowy Range sits within the Medicine Bow National Forest in southeastern Wyoming, roughly five miles from the small town of Centennial. Base elevation is 8,796 feet, with the summit reaching 9,633 feet across an 837-foot vertical drop. The Snowy Range peaks themselves, visible from the ski area, hold snow through much of the summer, the source of the range's 1871 name. The surrounding forest is high-elevation and undeveloped rather than a built-up resort corridor.
Laramie, home to the University of Wyoming, lies 32 miles away, making Snowy Range the closest ski area to the university town. Centennial, the nearer of the two, offers a smaller service town directly on the approach route. The Medicine Bow National Forest carries deep historical significance, having been used by the Northern Arapaho, Oglala Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, Eastern Shoshone and White River Ute peoples. The historic Snowy Range Lodge, built in the 1920s, sits nearby as a separate lodging landmark.
Wyoming Highway 130, the Snowy Range Scenic Byway, provides the main access route from Laramie through Centennial to the ski area. The drive from Laramie takes under an hour under normal winter conditions, climbing steadily into the Medicine Bow range. Winter driving on the byway can include snowpack and closures during heavy storms, given the route's high-elevation forest crossing. No public transport service runs to the resort, making a car the only practical way to arrive.
Laramie Regional Airport offers limited commercial service and is the nearest airport, roughly 32 miles from the resort. Denver International Airport, around three hours south by road, offers substantially more flight options for visitors from further afield. Cheyenne Regional Airport provides a closer but more limited alternative to Denver. Most visitors drive to Snowy Range from Laramie or Denver rather than flying directly into a nearby regional airport.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Snowy Range, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.
4 Sept 2026
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured
An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.
28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do
A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.
27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September
Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.
26 Aug 2026
Snowy Range Ski Trails
Downloadable Snowy Range trail map
Terrain split
33
runs
Beginner30%
Intermediate40%
Advanced30%
Expert0%
75 acres skiable30 hectares
Resort Stats
Elevation
Base8,796ft
Summit9,633ft
Annual snowfall
19ft
Season
2025 - 2026
7 Dec 2025 - 29 Mar 2026
Trail coverage
33 runs
75 acres (30 ha)
Snowy Range ski trails
Snowy Range offers 33 runs across a mix of difficulties. The terrain split and trail map here show how the mountain breaks down so you can plan a day that suits your group.
- • Match runs to your ability - the terrain split shows how much of Snowy Range is beginner, intermediate and advanced.
- • Check grooming and open-run status against the live conditions before committing to the upper mountain.
- • Early season and after fresh snow, favour the lifts serving your preferred grade to make the most of the day.
More Snowy Range intelligence: trail map, lift system, resort overview.