Aspen Mountain and Snowmass to open Thursday for 75th Anniversary Season with 57 Acres of Terrain

Aspen Mountain and Snowmass will open for daily operations Thursday, Nov. 25, with 57 acres of skiable terrain between the two mountains. Lifts will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“We’re thrilled to be open,” said Katie Ertl, Senior Vice President of Mountain Operations at Aspen Snowmass. “Amid a challenging start to winter, it has been great to see our teams come together to give us all the chance to get out on the hill and make some turns. We will continue to work hard to open more terrain as we get cold temperatures and more natural snow, and we’ll have a ton of people working out on the hill, so please be alert and aware out there.”

Aspen Mountain will open with 50 acres of terrain accessed from the Ajax Express and Gent’s Ridge lifts, with uploading and downloading on the Silver Queen Gondola. There is no beginner terrain available on Aspen Mountain. The Sundeck will be open for food and beverage service. Open trails will include portions of Silver Bell, Upper Copper, Lazy Boy and Deer Park. Lift tickets for Aspen Mountain will be $149 for adults and $99 for children, teens and seniors. Sightseeing tickets are $40 for adults and $30 for children, teens and seniors. 

Snowmass will open with seven acres of terrain in the Elk Camp Meadows Learning Area. The Elk Camp Gondola will provide access to the Elk Camp Meadows Learning Area, the Breathtaker Coaster, and Elk Camp Restaurant. A pocket terrain park will be open on Fanny Hill, and the climbing wall at Limelight Hotel Snowmass will be open in the afternoons. Access to Snowmass will be free on Thursday and Friday. Beginning Saturday, access to the Elk Camp Gondola will be $40 for adults and $30 for children, teens, and seniors for sightseeing, skiing and riding. For pricing and details on other on-mountain activities, visit https://www.aspensnowmass.com/visit/activities/winter.

To celebrate the kickoff of Aspen Snowmass’ 75th anniversary season, there will be music and festivities at the base and at the top of Aspen Mountain, as well as at Elk Camp restaurant on Snowmass. Additionally, games and activities will be available at Elk Camp. 

The Ski & Snowboard School will offer both group and private lessons for all ages at Snowmass, including children’s lessons out of the Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center. Private lessons will be available at Aspen Mountain. Four Mountain Sports will be open for rentals and gear.

Per Pitkin County guidelines, masks are required in all indoor facilities. For these guidelines, gondolas are considered to be indoor spaces and masks are required. For full COVID-19 procedures and information visit https://www.aspensnowmass.com/safety/covid19-operating-procedures.

The Aspen Snowmass app will be updated with tracking, snow reporting, parking lot status and skier information as well as on-demand, on-mountain dining options for takeout. For more information, visit: https://www.aspensnowmass.com/aspen-snowmass-app/mobile-app.

For information on parking at Snowmass or in the Town of Aspen, visit https://www.aspensnowmass.com/while-you-are-here/see-all-guides/getting-around.

Beginning Monday, Nov. 22, Aspen Mountain will be closed to uphill travel for ski area preparation. All other mountains are open to uphilling, with purchase of an Uphill Pass. Early season conditions exist and there is heavy vehicle traffic with snowmaking, grooming and mountain prep underway on all mountains. Uphillers are advised to be alert and avoid heavily trafficked areas. For the most up-to-date uphill policies and information on purchasing an Uphill Pass, please visit https://www.aspensnowmass.com/policies/uphill-policy.

Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk are scheduled to open Dec. 11.