Vail Resorts announced the opening dates for the 2026/27 winter season as skiers and riders track preseason forecasts for a potential Super El Niño. The announcement comes amid optimism regarding possible heavy snowfall for the upcoming winter.
Planned opening dates for several resorts were released, including Keystone Resort, which aimed to open as soon as possible in October. Other scheduled openings included Breckenridge on November 6 and Vail Mountain on November 13. Park City Mountain, Whistler Blackcomb, Heavenly, and Northstar were scheduled to open on November 20. Beaver Creek and Crested Butte were set for November 25, while Kirkwood and Stevens Pass were scheduled for December 4.
Bill Rock, President of Vail Resorts' Mountain Division, stated that the company was focused on preparing resorts to deliver a differentiated guest experience. Rock noted that while weather predictions are not exact, the possibility of significant snowfall has created optimism, and the company was taking an aggressive approach to snowmaking.
Epic Pass options for the season included the Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass, Epic Day Pass, Epic Military Pass, and Epic Adaptive Pass. The company introduced reduced pricing for young skiers and riders aged 13 to 30 for the 2026/27 season. Additionally, skiers who visited any of the 37 North American Vail Resorts locations during the 2025/26 season could save up to $175 on select Epic Passes.
New event announcements for the season included the Rockstar Energy Open snowboard competition at Breckenridge and a global snowboard and freeski halfpipe competition featuring Shaun White and The Snow League at Park City Mountain.
