Another Colorado Ski Resort Opens This Week as 2026-27 Season Gets Underway

The resort roster is about to get a little bigger.

Keystone, Colorado, will open for skiing on Friday, October 30, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with two miles of trails on Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon, as is early-season tradition.

Visitors will reach open terrain and a hike-to terrain park via the River Run Gondola, with laps off the Montezuma Express chairlift. At the end of the day, guests will download the River Run Gondola to the base of the resort, where the celebration continues with a live DJ performance.

“We’re thrilled to kick off our ski season,” said Shannon Buhler, Vice President and COO of Keystone Resort, in a release. “Opening in October is a huge testament to the tireless and innovative work of our team. Being one of the earliest resorts to open means so much to our employees and guests, and we can’t wait to share the first turns of the season with all of them.”

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Keystone Resort will continue to open more terrain as conditions allow. During the early season, uphill access remains closed and, once open, will be permitted only on designated routes before and after lift operating hours.

The opening comes just ahead of the Epic Pass’ price increase deadline on November 15.

It also arrives after another early-season contender’s opening day. Arapahoe Basin, Colorado, kicked the season off on Wednesday, October 28. Last winter, in an entertaining upset, Keystone narrowly snuck ahead of Arapahoe Basin to claim the “first open in North America” title on October 25, 2025.

Arapahoe Basin is now open seven days a week, with current access to the classic early-season trail, High Noon.

Per Keystone’s webcams, work is still underway to freshen up the slopes, with snowmaking visible on the Dercum Mountain cam.

While Keystone and Arapahoe Basin are getting the party started, skiers will likely be waiting a little longer to ride elsewhere. Most major resorts in North America tend to open in mid or late November, with some exceptions. 

Still, both these resorts firing up the lifts has become a regular waypoint for the ski season. Once they’re open, it’s only a matter of time before others join them.

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