:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/TAL-mammoth-california-SPRINGSKISPOTS0225-6dfff90d14ac43cc86570f8439a98464.jpg?w=1500&resize=1500,998&ssl=1)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/TAL-mammoth-california-SPRINGSKISPOTS0225-6dfff90d14ac43cc86570f8439a98464.jpg)
The first day of spring is right around the corner on March 20, but that doesn’t mean you need to give up your winter sports just yet. In fact, spring skiing may just be the best skiing of all — especially if you’re a newbie.
“Spring is a great time for families to go skiing, especially if they’re beginners,” Dan Sherman, the chief marketing officer of Ski.com, shared with Travel + Leisure. “Warm, sunny days are conducive to learning because beginners don’t have to deal with making sure they have all the right layers to stay warm – one less thing to worry about.”
Spring skiing also brings plenty of its own charms, including longer days, which Sherman noted, “means the lifts run later, and there’s more time to hang outside on a sunny patio listening to live music.”
While early March tends to be busier due to school spring breaks, the mountains calm down around mid-March, ensuring plenty of space to carve your turns. Ready to see where you can ski well into the spring (and sometimes even summer) season? Here are 10 spectacular places to go spring skiing in North America.
Spring Skiing Tips, According to Sherman
- Wear sunscreen: “The sun is more powerful at higher elevations, and it gets amplified after reflecting off the snow.”
- Embrace corn snow: “Skiers love corn snow! In the spring, after the sun has a chance to warm up the snow a little, it turns to a granular soft surface resembling corn kernels. It actually makes it easier for skiers and snowboarders to get on edge and carve a turn. I always refer to it as hero skiing, and it’s super fun.”
- Look for deals: “Spring is a great time to score a great deal on a ski vacation. At Ski.com, we work with all the resorts and can help people find the best deal for them. Lift ticket and lodging rates tend to drop significantly after spring break, and we’re here to help guide people through the entire process — for free.”
- Layer up: “The day can start in the 20s and end in the 60s, which is really warm under the mountain sun.”
Mammoth Mountain
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Location: Eastern Sierra Nevada, California
Season End Date: Often late May or June, sometimes deep into summer in exceptional snow years. In 2023, Mammoth managed to stay open until Aug. 6.
Mammoth Mountain has long been a haven for spring skiers. The mountain, which tops out at 11,053 feet, receives some of the highest snowfall totals in the nation, often surpassing 400 inches a season. That means it can stay open deep into spring and early summer. It also doesn’t hurt that the mountain’s off-season pricing kicks in during mid-March. The mountain hosts plenty of spring skiing events, so make sure to check its calendar before you book.
Mt. Hood Meadows
Craig Mitchelldyer/Getty Images
Location: Northern Oregon
Season End Date: Mt. Hood Meadows plans to close operations for this season on May 3, 2025.
Mt. Hood Meadows is another West Coast destination that receives an absolutely epic amount of snow each year — upwards of 530 inches if they get lucky. That means it too can stay open well into spring. The mountain stands out for its sprawling trails and panoramic vistas of the Cascade Range, along with its ultra-friendly vibe on and off the slopes. If you can, plan a visit for April 26, when the mountain hosts its “Suits and Boots” event in honor of the Citizens Climate Lobby. That way, it’s totally socially acceptable to ski in your bathing suit.
Snowbird
Debbie Galbraith/Getty Images
Location: Little Cottonwood Canyon, near Salt Lake City, Utah
Season End Date: The mountain currently lists its closing date as May 27, but it could extend if the conditions stay consistent.
Snowbird is an ideal mountain for those looking for longer springtime runs. Located a short drive from Salt Lake City, the mountain benefits from the area’s lake-effect snowfall, which usually includes deep base depths that keep the snowpack fresh as long as possible. The mountain also offers special spring skiing pricing, which starts at $130 for an adult pass and kicks off on May 18.
Killington
Dustin Satloff/Getty Images
Location: Central Vermont, near Rutland
Season End Date: Killington hasn’t set a closing date for 2025 yet, though it did remain open until June 1 in the 2023/24 season.
It’s not just Western mountains that enjoy lengthy seasons. Killington, better known as “The Beast of the East,” is beloved for its impressive vertical drop (3,050 feet) and its commitment to a long season. In 2024, the mountain remained open until June 1, giving skiers and riders the chance to shred down its 155 trails late into the afternoon. True East Coast spring skiing enthusiasts also know to plan their trip for late April, when the mountain hosts its famed pond skim ski competition.
Whistler Blackcomb
AscentXmedia/Getty Images
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Season End Date: The mountain lists its 2025 closing dates as May 19 for Blackcomb Mountain and April 21 for Whistler Mountain.
Whistler Blackcomb, one of North America’s largest ski resorts, is an ideal place to bookend a ski season. It always boasts impressive early-season snow, which means its snowpack builds up quickly and remains substantial all season long. But that doesn’t mean it misses out on fresh powder. In fact, the mountain shared that its March snowfall average is more than eight feet. The mountain also hosts the World Ski & Snowboard Festival in early April to usher in the T-shirt weather the right way.
Banff
EyesWideOpen/Getty Images
Location: Alberta, Canada
Season End Date: Sunshine Village plans to close on May 19 for this season.
Banff offers jaw-dropping views of the Canadian Rockies from the top of every run, and they look all the more spectacular on a bluebird spring day. Luckily, skiers and riders can enjoy its dry, light snow, thinner crowds, and warmer days all April long and well into May. Sunshine Village, which sits at 7,200 feet, is the star of the spring season. And as the SkiBig3 explained, the snow here in spring is fantastic for beginners or those looking to take easier turns, as it’s often more forgiving. As the ski destination’s website says, “As you ride down, you can enjoy some soft, smooth, and buttery turns and easy carvable bumps.”
Crystal Mountain
bpperry/Getty Images
Location: Near Mount Rainier in the Cascade Range, Washington
Season End Date: The mountain currently lists April 20 as its 2025 closing date, but it could stretch depending on conditions.
Crystal Mountain, Washington State’s largest ski area, has more than 2,600 acres of terrain to explore — much of which stays open for weekend skiing throughout the month of April. Skiers and riders can hit the slopes and see fantastic views of Mount Rainier while rocking nothing but a T-shirt. It too offers plenty of spring events, including snowshoeing, backcountry clinics, and even First Tracks access for Ikon Pass holders in April.
Timberline
GarysFRP/Getty Images
Location: South slope of Mt. Hood, Oregon
Season End Date: Timberline hasn’t announced an official closing date for 2025, though it did remain open through mid-August in 2024.
Forget spring skiing; at Timberline, you can experience summer skiing, too. The mountain had an astonishingly long season in 2024, closing on Aug. 18, giving it the longest season of any mountain in the nation. The resort, along Mt. Hood’s southern flank, offers a little something for everyone, including gentle beginner runs and advanced glacier skiing. It’s a smaller, family-operated mountain, but it punches far above its weight with activities and fun. It even offers Summer Snow Camps for kids and adults to practice their turns in the sun.
Breckenridge
Sean Pavone/Getty Images
Location: Summit County, Colorado
Season End Date: The mountain hasn’t announced an official closing date but did state it plans to stay open “as long as possible into May” or “until the snow melts.”
Breckenridge sits at a lofty 12,000 feet, giving it the perfect climate for long seasons of fresh powder. Skiers and riders can make their way to the tippy top of the mountain on the higher bowls for a little fun on peaks 6, 7, and 8, but be warned. The mountain does not offer any beginner terrain in the spring season, so make sure your skills fall into the intermediate or advanced category. That said, you’re not totally out of luck if you’re a beginner, as the mountain offers lessons through April 21.
Arapahoe Basin
sboice/Getty Images
Location: Summit County, Colorado
Season End Date: Arapahoe hasn’t announced an official closing, though it’s often open until early June.
Arapahoe Basin, also known simply as “A-Basin,” has established itself as one of the longest-season destinations in the nation, opening early and closing late. That’s thanks in large part to its high altitude position, with a base at 10,780 feet and a summit at 13,050. And truly, this mountain knows how to party when the weather hits its spring peak. Its annual Pride celebration, known as “Gay Basin,” is taking place May 17-18 this year, marking the end of its event calendar year in style.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/TAL-mammoth-california-SPRINGSKISPOTS0225-6dfff90d14ac43cc86570f8439a98464.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1&description=10+Best+Places+for+Spring+Skiing+in+North+America){kind=link}