Most Idaho ski resorts open during the holidays
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The following is a news release from the Idaho Ski Areas Association (aka Ski Idaho).
BOISE — Skiers and snowboarders throughout Idaho have much to celebrate this holiday season, with 16 of 18 Gem State ski resorts either already open or opening before the New Year.
All three resorts in North Idaho — Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area near Mullan, Schweitzer Mountain Resort near Sandpoint, and Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg — are open daily for the season. Lookout Pass, which straddles the Idaho-Montana border, is Idaho’s oldest ski area and is celebrating its 85th anniversary this season.
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Only one North Central Idaho ski area — Bald Mountain outside Pierce — will be open for the holidays, beginning operation this Saturday, Dec. 26. Cottonwood Butte Ski Area near Cottonwood and Snowhaven Ski & Tubing Area in Grangeville will not open before the New Year arrives.
Three of the four ski areas in Southwest Idaho — Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area near Boise, Brundage Mountain Resort near McCall, and Tamarack Resort near Donnelly — are open daily for the season. Plus, the Little Ski Hill in McCall will open this Saturday, Dec. 26, with a brand new lift and lighting system for night skiing.
Southern Idaho’s three resorts — Magic Mountain Ski Resort near Hansen, Pomerelle Mountain Resort near Albion, and Soldier Mountain Ski Area near Fairfield — are open daily, although Magic Mountain will be closed Christmas Day. Soldier Mountain will resume its normal Thursday-through-Sunday-plus-holidays schedule the first week of January.
Sun Valley Resort in Central Idaho is open seven days a week. North America’s first destination ski resort and the birthplace of the chairlift, Sun Valley is celebrating its 85th season and was recently recognized for the first time as the top U.S. ski resort in SKI Magazine’s annual resort guide.
The region’s other ski area, Lost Trail on the Idaho-Montana border near Conner, Montana, is open daily through Jan. 3 and then open Thursdays through Sundays and major holidays the rest of the season.
Two Eastern Idaho ski areas — Kelly Canyon Ski Resort in Ririe and Grand Targhee Resort in Alta, Wyoming — are open daily for the season, although the former is closed on Christmas Day. Affiliating with Ski Idaho because it’s only accessible via Driggs, Idaho, Grand Targhee was recently ranked No. 28 among Western U.S. ski areas in SKI Magazine’s annual resort guide.
The remaining Eastern Idaho mountain — Pebble Creek Ski Area in Inkom — anticipates opening Dec. 27.
Idaho’s ski areas are following the National Ski Areas Association’s “Ski Well, Be Well” guidelines for COVID-19 safety. Please visit skiidaho.us/covid for more details.
Founded in 1982, the Idaho Ski Areas Association, aka Ski Idaho, is a nonprofit association funded in part by the Idaho Travel Council via the state’s 2 percent lodging tax paid by travelers and collected by hotel, motel, and private campground owners. Boasting 28,000 vertical feet of terrain spanning more than 20,000 acres, Idaho is the birthplace of lift-assisted skiing, home to America’s first destination ski resort, and often considered the soul of skiing. Its 18 family friendly Alpine ski resorts offer trails and backcountry for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and skill levels, breathtaking views, hundreds of inches of fresh powder, and short lift lines. Many Ski Idaho resorts open for the summer season, as well, to serve up lift-served mountain biking, scenic chairlift rides, hiking and trail running, disc golf, and more. Visit skiidaho.us for more details.