Two Decades of Ski Season’s Craziest Race: Which U.S. Resorts Opened First?

We finally made it! It’s been over 100 days since the last U.S. ski resort shut its doors for the 2025-26 season, and in many regions of the country, lift-served skiing and riding hasn’t been available for nearly half a year. But in the coming weeks, that’s all about to change, as October marks the time of year when the very first American resorts start spinning lifts again for snow-deprived, eager skiers.

September has been full of early-season teases, as ski areas from Utah to California to Washington and Nevada have already seen their first dustings of the year. Some mountains have even fired up their snowmaking equipment — most for testing but perhaps some in an attempt to claim the prestigious title of first ski resort to open in the country.

With natural and artificial snow already beginning to cloak sun-baked summer slopes, let’s take a look back in time to see which ski areas may actually be first to spin lifts this winter, and how much longer we’ll all have to wait before we can finally get back to the sport we love. Below is a list of the earliest resorts to open each of the past 20 years, and when they were able to get up and running.

2005-2006 — Loveland, CO, October 14

Given its extensive snowmaking coverage and Colorado’s cold, dry early-season climate, Loveland is often one of the first resorts to open in the country. 2005 was no different, as the resort was able to offer top-to-bottom skiing, aided by an early-season storm that dropped nearly a foot and a half of natural accumulation on top of groomed artificial snow.

2006-2007 — Arapahoe Basin, CO, October 13

Another high-elevation Colorado resort famous for early openings is Arapahoe Basin. In 2006, an early-season cold front moved in, allowing for ideal snowmaking conditions. The mountain was able to operate an intermediate run of decent length, despite receiving no significant natural snowfall.

2007-2008 — Arapahoe Basin, CO, October 10

Arapahoe Basin came out on top again, as the resort surprisingly opened on a Wednesday, setting a new record for its earliest opening date.

2008-2009 — Arapahoe Basin and Loveland, CO, October 15

This year came with a bit of drama, as both resorts competed to be first to open. Arapahoe Basin initially announced it would spin its first chair of the year at 9 a.m. on October 15. In a last-minute attempt to steal the crown, Loveland announced its opening for 8:30 a.m. that same day. In response, A-Basin bumped up its opening to 8:30 a.m. as well, in a sign of a friendly truce between the two rival resorts, as they went on to simultaneously kick off the 2008 U.S. ski season together.

2009-2010 — Loveland, CO, October 7

Thanks to exceptionally cold early-season conditions, Loveland was able to fire up its snowguns as early as September 21. This allowed the resort to build an 18-inch base before opening on October 7, in what was one of the earliest American openings on record.

2010-2011 — Loveland, CO, October 24

Loveland defended its crown thanks to an early-season storm that dropped 8 inches of fresh snow on the resort just 48 hours before its late-October opening.

2011-2012 — Wolf Creek, CO / Lee Canyon, NV, October 8

A massive early-season storm blanketed much of the West, as Wolf Creek received nearly 3 feet of fresh snow just days into October. This shook up the traditional Loveland-versus-A-Basin rivalry, as Wolf Creek, a resort that relies far less on artificial snowmaking capabilities, was able to spin lifts thanks to unseasonably early natural snow. Lee Canyon, however, contested Wolf Creek’s claim as the first American resort to open in 2011, asserting that it had opened skiing on a single strip of snow at 7:33 a.m. that same morning — 27 minutes before Wolf Creek got its lifts spinning.

Neither Wolf Creek nor Lee Canyon were able to keep operations open until the core season. They were forced to shut down for brief periods of time before more snow arrived. The first ski resort to start continuous operations in 2010 was Arapahoe Basin, which opened on October 13.

2012-2013 — Wild Mountain, MN, October 7

In a surprise to many, Wild Mountain claimed the crown in 2012, beating out perennial favorites in Colorado by well over a week. The Minnesota resort took advantage of a Midwestern cold pattern that allowed for early-season snowmaking. Wild Mountain was able to open a rope tow servicing a small patch of snow in early October, although it was forced to temporarily pause operations shortly thereafter.

Arapahoe Basin was the first resort to start continuous operations in 2012, opening on October 17.

2013-2014 — Crystal Mountain, WA, October 1

In another surprise appearance on this list, Crystal Mountain shocked everyone by opening for a single day, thanks to a 3-foot storm that blanketed the Cascadian resort. Its high-elevation Green Valley zone was open to skiers and riders on October 1, before shutting back down until the core season brought further snow.

A-Basin was once again first to begin continuous operations, beginning on October 13.

• Related: [PHOTOS] A Foot of Snow Just Fell at Crystal Mountain, WA — While Summer Lifts Are Still Running

2014-2015 — Arapahoe Basin, CO, October 17

Back to the usual suspects: in 2014, Arapahoe Basin was the first U.S. ski resort to open, followed closely behind by Loveland.

2015-2016 — Killington, VT, October 18

Thanks to warmer-than-average temperatures out West, the East Coast was able to steal the spotlight in 2015. A sudden blast of October Arctic air caused temperatures in Vermont to plummet into the 20s, allowing Killington to build a 12-inch base of artificial snow — just enough for early-season skiing and riding.

Killington was forced to briefly close after the opening weekend due to unseasonably warm weather. A-Basin and Loveland both opened and operated continuously from October 29.

2016-2017 — Arapahoe Basin, CO, October 21

In what was a relatively late start to the season for A-Basin, lifts started spinning the morning of October 21, thanks to an early-season dusting that complemented intense artificial snowmaking. Killington, the surprise early-season savant, followed close behind, opening on October 25, just days behind.

2017-2018 — Arapahoe Basin, CO, October 13

A-Basin came out on top again, as the spinning of the Black Mountain Express officially kicked off the 2017 U.S. ski season.

2018-2019 — Wolf Creek, CO, October 13

While Loveland and A-Basin were fighting their typical early-season battle to produce enough artificial snow to be first to open, Wolf Creek received a massive 2-foot dump of mid-autumn snow. Thanks to the early-season storm, Wolf Creek was able to open on 100% natural snow before either Loveland or Arapahoe Basin.

Wolf Creek operated a weekend-only schedule during the early season, meaning A-Basin was the first to start continuous operations, opening on October 19.

2019-2020 — Arapahoe Basin, CO, October 11

The early-season king came out on top yet again, in what was one of the more hotly contested first-to-open competitions. During the previous offseason, Vail Resorts had invested millions of dollars into snowmaking at nearby Keystone, Colorado. Via social media, Keystone triumphantly proclaimed its snowmaking success, announcing an opening date of October 12. However, just hours after the announcement, A-Basin shocked everyone with an impromptu opening of its slopes at 3:30 p.m. on October 11, refusing to lose its crown.

2020-2021 — Wild Mountain, MN, October 19

Claiming a second surprise victory for the Midwest, the Minnesota resort once again capitalized on a localized cold front that allowed for the operation of a rope tow servicing a small beginner terrain park.

Wild Mountain closed operations briefly after opening weekend. Wolf Creek, which received a tremendous amount of autumn snow, was able to open and remain continuously operational on October 28.

2021-2022 — Wolf Creek, CO, October 16

An early-season storm allowed Wolf Creek to open just a day before A-Basin, spinning three lifts and offering decent early-season terrain.

Wolf Creek began the season on a weekends-only schedule. A-Basin, which opened on October 17, was the first resort to begin continuous operations for the 2021-2022 season.

2022-2023 — Wild Mountain, MN, October 18

Minnesota once again proved a surprise capital of early-season skiing, as not one but two resorts in the state opened before any others in the country. Andes Tower Hills, Minnesota, lost out on the crown by a single hour, as Wild Mountain beat it to the punch, opening at noon on October 18.

First to open continuous operations that year was Arapahoe Basin, which opened October 23.

2023-2024 — Ski Ward, MA, October 22

That’s right, MA stands for Massachusetts. Believe it or not, Ski Ward beat out all other resorts in the country, using an all-weather snowmaking system that allowed it to open a small patch of snow serviced by a magic carpet. To celebrate the unprecedented achievement, the ski area sold tickets for just $5 on opening day.

First to open continuous operations was once again Arapahoe Basin, which opened October 29.

2024-2025 — Ski Ward, MA, October 19

The underdog did it again. Ski Ward completed its title defense in 2024, opening three days earlier than the previous year, again beating out Colorado titans such as Wolf Creek, Loveland, and A-Basin.

First to open continuous operations was Wolf Creek, which opened three days later on October 22.

2025-2026 — Keystone, CO, October 25

Vail’s snowmaking investments at Keystone finally paid off, as the resort returned the early-season title to Colorado, after the Centennial State’s four-year hiatus.

2026-27 — ?

Snow has already fallen across the West, snowguns are firing, and resorts are watching the forecast closely. The title of first lift-served skiing and boarding of the 2026-27 U.S. ski season could come from Colorado, Washington, Minnesota, Vermont, or somewhere nobody is expecting.

Whoever gets there first, the countdown is officially on.

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