It’s finally happening. This Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, Keystone Resort and its neighbor Arapahoe Basin will both start their lifts and open their slopes for the first skiers of the 2024/25 season. Vail and Arapahoe Basin (now owned by Alterra Mountain Company) both announced their opening days on Oct. 31.

Wolf Creek Ski Area was the first resort in the state to open on Oct. 22. It’s currently operating with just 25% of its terrain open, but with more snowstorms on the horizon, that could soon change.

By now, most Colorado ski mountains have announced their opening dates. In the coming weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, 12 more are scheduled to open. Ski season is offically underway in the Centennial State.

Arapahoe Basin & Keystone Kick Off Seasons

Both resorts will open on Saturday with limited terrain and lifts. Arapahoe Basin expressly warns in its press release that opening day “is not a beginner experience.” The snow will be early-season quality, and the few available runs will likely be crowded. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be fun.

“Every winter at The Basin brings something new,” Arapahoe Basin COO Alan Henceroth said in the Arapahoe Basin press release. “But this season, it’s all about delivering the A-Basin experience skiers and riders know and love — our mountain, our team, our vibe.”

Arapahoe Basin was excited to announce that this will be the first full season it is operating at a net zero carbon emissions, the result of a years-long project to reduce and offset its footprint.

Last season, Keystone added 550 acres with its new Bergman Express lift, vastly expanding the mountain’s intermediate and advanced terrain.

“We are thrilled to get back on snow at Keystone!” Keystone Resort vice president and general manager Shannon Buhler said in Vail’s press release. “There’s a lot to look forward to this winter, from year two of Bergman Bowl with its fun and approachable high alpine terrain for all levels, to the return of the World’s Largest Mountaintop Snow Fort.”    

Starting on Nov. 28, Keystone will also be opening its night skiing operations on select Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays.

If you haven’t bought your season pass but plan on getting an Ikon or Epic pass, act soon. Prices for the Epic Pass will increase again on Nov. 17. Following that, pass sales are usually pulled sometime in early December.

Other Resorts’ Opening Days

Wolf Creek broke the seal and was the first in Colorado to open after a heavy snowstorm in late October. Arapahoe Basin and Keystone will follow suit this weekend. After that, the deluge will truly begin as mountains across the state start firing up their engines.

Here are the anticipated opening dates for the rest of the state’s resorts:

• Breckenridge: Nov. 8
• Cooper: Nov. 8
• Copper Mountain: Nov. 8
• Eldora Mountain Resort: Nov. 15
• Loveland Ski Area: Nov. 15
• Vail: Nov. 15
• Winter Park: Nov. 15
• Purgatory: Nov. 16
• Powderhorn: Nov. 22
• Steamboat: Nov. 23
• Beaver Creek: Nov. 27
• Crested Butte Mountain Resort: Nov. 27
• Aspen Snowmass: Nov. 28
• Ski Granby Ranch: Nov. 28
• Telluride: Nov. 28
• Howelsen Hill: Nov. 30
• Monarch Mountain: Dec. 4
• Sunlight Mountain Resort: Dec. 6
• Echo Mountain: Dec. 13
• Silverton Mountain: Dec. 28