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'Winter is here' as first US ski resorts of the season open their lifts
Summer Hull has been covering (and using) travel tips, rewards credit cards and loyalty programs for over a decade. She has flown close to a million miles, often on points and miles and with her family in tow.
Jennifer is a contributing writer to The Points Guy where she focuses on family travel. She is also the founder of Deals We Like where she helps her readers travel on a deal.
October 26, 2025 • 7 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
Keystone Resort was the first major U.S. ski resort to open for the 2025-2026 season, narrowly beating Arapahoe Basin with an afternoon launch on Oct. 25.
Early season skiing offers limited terrain, making it less ideal for beginners, with more runs expected to open as natural snowfall increases.
Several other major resorts in Colorado and beyond plan to open by mid-November, while East Coast resorts typically open later, often in mid-November or December.
Discounted ski days for children are available through various state "ski passport" programs, and using hotel points can help offset lodging costs.
What to consider
Early openings feature limited available runs, so conditions may not suit less experienced skiers.
Day lift tickets can be expensive, but multi-resort season passes and state-specific children's programs can provide significant savings.
Projected opening dates for many resorts may shift based on weather and snowmaking progress.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed overview of which ski resorts open earliest, plus strategies for saving on lift tickets and lodging during ski season.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Each year, there’s an unofficial race to see which ski resort will be the first one in the U.S. to start turning its lifts. It's partially bragging rights, but it is also a big milestone that all in the ski community cheer as it means the ski season is upon us.
We now have our winner for the first ski resort to open for the 2025-2026 ski season — and it was a very close race.
Keystone Resort is this year's winner by a snowflake as it is the first major ski resort to open in the U.S. It started turning its lifts from 3 - 6 p.m. on Oct. 25, and $5.50 hot dogs and beer were available, all priced to commemorate the resort's 55th year of operation.
It will begin full-day operations from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. today, Oct. 26. Keystone is known not only for its early opening but also for its long, easy 3.5-mile Schoolmarm run and family-focused approach, including its kids ski free offering (for kids 12 and under when parents book two nights or more of lodging through Keystone Resort).
TPG tip: There is also a Category 4 Hyatt Place at Keystone Resort, which can be a great place to use your Category 4 Hyatt certificates or points for a ski trip.
Keystone Resort on opening day in 2020. SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY
But it's not just Keystone that started the season this weekend; nearby Arapahoe Basin also started full-day, seven-day-per-week operations today, losing out on the first-to-open title as Keystone snuck in an afternoon opening the day before.
If you are prepping for your first ski trip, you may want to wait a little longer, as the early season is not a very beginner-friendly time to ski due to very limited terrain available.
Limited paths are open at both resorts, and it will likely remain that way for at least several weeks or until Mother Nature provides a greater assist to supplement the mountains' snow-making capabilities.
By mid-November, many additional resorts, such as Vail Ski Resort in Colorado, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in California, Winter Park Resort in Colorado and Eldora Mountain Resort in Nederland, Colorado, plan to open. You'll want to pay attention to the social media pages for these and other resorts to get a real-time feed of the first tracks of the season.
On the East Coast, you’ll likely have to wait a few more weeks before ski resorts are really open. Some — such as Killington Resort in Vermont, Sunday River in Newry, Maine, and Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont — often try to open in mid-November, while others likely won’t be open until December. From what we've seen in past years, many of these projected dates can get pushed back as well. Similarly to what we're seeing with out West, the terrain will likely be extremely limited at first.
Not too late to ski for less with a season pass — even if you only take one trip
Whether you're able to get an early start on the season or not, if you are hitting the powder this year, make sure to lock in your ski season pass now, as they will start to go off sale soon.
Day lift tickets can cost between $100 and $200 per day, if not more. Pricey resorts like Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, typically charge at or over the $300 per day mark for passes.
However, the Epic Pass will give you a head start at Keystone, Vail, Breckenridge and Heavenly Mountain Resort in California, to name a few; the Ikon Pass will come in handy at Winter Park, Mammoth, Arapahoe Basin and Copper Mountain and others. With these passes, you can pay under $100 per day at many big-name resorts, even if you are only taking one short trip.
If you’re planning a family ski trip, it’s not too late to get some discounted ski days if you have a child in third, fourth, fifth or sixth grade.
Through many “ski passport” programs, you can get a limited number of ski days at participating mountains within the respective state. This includes programs in Colorado (kindergarten through sixth grade), Utah (fourth, fifth and sixth grade), Idaho (fifth and sixth grade), the Northwest Rockies (fifth grade), Minnesota (fourth grade), New York (third, fourth and fifth grade), Vermont (fifth grade) and New Hampshire (fourth and fifth grade).
For several of these passport passes (including Colorado), residency within the specific state is not needed, so kids throughout the U.S. can ski at a significant discount.
With the ski season starting, you’ll want to dust off your skis or boards and make a game plan for winter. With all the ways you can use your points to book that ski-friendly hotel, you can be on the mountain in no time.
Fingers crossed for a snowy winter and that many more resorts see opening day sooner rather than later.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
