Arizona Ski Resort Invests $1 Million Ahead of Next Winter, Adding RFID Tickets and More
Just outside of Flagstaff, Arizona Snowbowl is pouring more than $1 million into resort improvements ahead of the 2026-27 ski season.
While they don’t include a new chairlift, the investments cover several tweaks local skiers will spot when next winter arrives.
First up is an expansion to Arizona Snowbowl’s snowmaking fleet, with four new tower guns near Big Spruce, a surface lift by the base area. Those guns, the resort said, will “improve early-season terrain and snow reliability.”
In the same area, Arizona Snowbowl’s longest beginner conveyor is being installed alongside Big Spruce and Little Spruce, “increasing uphill capacity for first-time skiers and riders,” according to the resort.
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Arizona Snowbowl’s also moving toward the industry standard for mountain access: RFID tickets and passes with self-serve pickup boxes.
Finally, as part of forest health work, the resort is removing dead and downed trees, reducing the amount of possible wildfire fuels in some areas. That work includes additional glading below Spur Catwalk and Midway Catwalk, near the Upper and Lower Volcano trails, and near the Sunset Chairlift.
The latest investment joins lift additions at Arizona Snowbowl in the past few years. In 2024, the resort debuted the Aspen quad, a replacement for an old two-seater that dated back to the 1960s. At the time of its opening, it served four new trails, plus the existing Aspen Meadows run.
A few seasons earlier, Arizona Snowbowl upgraded its Agassiz lift to a gondola, which now serves as the focal point for the mountain’s intermediate and advanced terrain.
After an extension, Arizona Snowbowl ended the 2025-26 ski season on April 19. The resort has developed a reputation for its long seasons—last winter it lasted until June—but as any skier can tell you, summer skiing simply wasn’t possible at most Western resorts this year. Warm weather, little snowfall, and the March heatwave saw to that.
Looking ahead, Arizona Snowbowl plans to start the daily summer season on May 15, with scenic lift rides and other activities on tap.
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