Winter is Coming: Vail Resorts Announces 2025/26 Winter Opening Dates and What's Ahead for Upcoming Season

Rhea-AI Summary

Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) has announced its 2025/26 winter season opening dates and strategic initiatives across its global portfolio of more than 90 resorts. Keystone Resort will lead the season opening in mid-October, with other major resorts following through November. The company unveiled several key developments including: the new Sunrise Gondola at Park City Mountain, two six-seater chairlifts at Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis, and the launch of Epic Friend Tickets offering 50% off lift tickets for pass holders' friends.

The company is introducing enhanced digital features in the My Epic app for Ski and Ride School across Colorado resorts. Notable celebrations include Whistler's 60th Anniversary with new Wonder Routes, Heavenly's 70th anniversary, and the Birds of Prey Olympic qualifier at Beaver Creek. The Epic Pass is currently available at $1,075 for adults and $548 for children until September 1, 2025.

Positive

• Introduction of Epic Friend Tickets offering 50% discount for pass holders' friends
• Significant infrastructure improvements including new Sunrise Gondola at Park City and two chairlifts in Switzerland
• Enhanced digital features in My Epic app for improved Ski School experience
• No advance reservations required at any Epic Pass resorts for 2025/26 season
• 20% discounts on various services through Epic Mountain Rewards program

Negative

• Epic Pass prices increased to $1,075 for adults compared to previous season

News Market Reaction

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On the day this news was published, MTN declined 0.83%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.

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•         Spend More Than Half the Year on the Slopes with Epic Pass, which Provides Access to More than 90 Resorts Across the World

•         Epic Pass Holders Now Get "Epic Friend Tickets;" Lowest Price of Fall Ends Sept. 1

BROOMFIELD, Colo., Aug. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vail Resorts today announced target winter opening dates for the 2025/26 ski and ride season for resorts located in the North American Rocky Mountains and West, as well as Europe—plus a sneak peek at what's in the mix for guests this season. Guests get access to all of these resorts and more with the Epic Pass, available now at the lowest price of the Fall until September 1. Now is the time to mark your calendars, get the trip out of the group chat with new "Epic Friend Tickets," and unlock your adventure with five easy steps.

1. Pick Your Resorts

The season is less than 75 days away, and the resorts are gearing up. Keystone will be blazing the trail, opening as early as possible in October with the help of Mother Nature and the resort's state-of-the-art, energy-efficient snowmaking system. The rest of Vail Resorts' larger resorts in North America and Switzerland plan to open in the weeks that follow, and the season will last more than half the year, going all the way to May at Breckenridge and Whistler Blackcomb.

Target Opening Dates*

• Mid-October (pending early season conditions): Keystone (CO)
• November 7: Breckenridge (CO)
• November 14: Vail Mountain (CO)
• November 15: Gemsstock at Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis (Switzerland)
• November 21: Heavenly (CA), Northstar (CA), Park City Mountain (UT), Whistler Blackcomb (British Columbia)
• November 26: Beaver Creek (CO), Crested Butte (CO)
• November 29: Crans-Montana (Switzerland)
• December 5: Kirkwood (CA), Stevens Pass (WA)

*All opening dates are subject to change, based on weather and conditions

Vail Resorts will announce opening day targets for its resorts in the East closer to the start of the season. Those resorts expect to open consistent with target dates shared in years past.

2. Pick Your Fun

There's so much fun to pick from this year across Vail Resorts' portfolio, including guest experience enhancements, headline music acts, world-class competitions, signature dining experiences and more. Starting at Whistler Blackcomb, get ready to celebrate winter in a big way with the 60^th Anniversary of Whistler Mountain and the new Wonder Routes. Alpine Sampler? Going for Gold? Glade Stashes? Or, here for the Après? No matter your ski and ride style, Wonder Routes offers a network of trails, waypoints, and stops to help you discover all of the wonders and jaw-dropping experiences that make Whistler Blackcomb one of the best resorts in the world. When you're ready to call it a day on the mountain, the fun continues with a vibrant village and legendary après scene to carry the celebrations well into the evening.

Park City Mountain is set to debut the new Sunrise Gondola for winter 2025/26, replacing the Sunrise limited-access lift with a high-speed 10-person gondola for faster, more reliable access out of Canyons Village all the way to the Red Pine Lodge area. Paired with upgrades to beginner terrain and the kids' Ski and Ride School area at Red Pine Lodge, these enhancements beckon guests to ignite their passion in a setting where they truly belong. Also returning this season, the new signature Orange Bubble Bite, a complimentary daily sweet treat made with orange, rosemary and honey, welcomes guests back to Canyons Village after a day on the mountain.

Starting this December in Colorado, Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek Resort, Keystone Resort and Breckenridge Ski Resort will be launching a new technology in the My Epic app that takes Ski and Ride School to the next level. With innovative new features, parents and students can easily check in for lessons, receive real-time updates and photos, track progress, and celebrate milestones and skills with digital badges, all from the convenience of their phone.

Keystone's River Run Village is set to debut the highly anticipated Kindred Resort at the base of River Run Gondola. Kindred Resort will open as Colorado's newest premier luxury development, featuring ski-in, ski-out residences along with a RockResorts-branded hotel. This new development will also be the new home of Keystone Ski and Ride School, and slopeside retail and rental. At Breckenridge, guests can expect the high-energy vibe and unique town-to-mountain connection to continue this season, with weekend concert series and high-level competitions to be announced closer to the season.

Special celebrations for milestone anniversary years are coming together across a number of Vail Resorts' North American resorts. In addition to Whistler's 60th anniversary, Heavenly is celebrating 70 years of fun and iconic Lake Tahoe views. On the East coast, Okemo celebrates 70 years of Vermont adventure, while Liberty hits 60 years of carving memories in the snow.

In Switzerland, Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis is adding two new six-seater chairlifts for the upcoming 2025/26 winter season. These new lifts will better connect Val Val to Cuolm Val and Val Val to Calmut, significantly increasing uphill capacity and reducing lift wait times. Additionally, Crans-Montana Mountain Resort has invested in upgraded snowmaking throughout the Verdets area with new energy-efficient snow guns, elevating the slope and snow quality.

Resorts across the portfolio will be celebrating this Olympic year with world-class competitions, including Birds of Prey at Beaver Creek, which will welcome back the U.S. Men's Ski Team and racers from around the world and act as an Olympic qualifier from December 4-7. Whistler Blackcomb will host the World Ski and Snowboard Fest in April once again, and more events will be announced closer to the start of the season.

3. Pick Your Epic Friends

Last week, Vail Resorts announced it is cutting lift ticket prices in half for friends of Epic Pass Holders with new Epic Friend Tickets, making it easier for our most loyal guests to bring their friends to the slopes.

Season-long Pass Holders will receive 6-10 Epic Friend Tickets, depending on when they purchase their Pass. Epic Friend Tickets provide 50% off lift tickets at the company's 37 North American resorts for the 2025/26 winter season. In addition, friends can apply 100% of the cost of one redeemed Epic Friend Ticket toward an eligible 2026/27 Epic Pass.**

Just like the Epic Pass, Epic Friend Tickets can be purchased through EpicPass.com and then activated in the My Epic app for direct-to-lift access, cutting out the need to stand in line at the ticket window.  

4. Pick Your Pass

Epic Passes give guests the opportunity to choose their Pass based on where they want to ski and ride. Passes are on sale now for the lowest price of the Fall before prices increase after September 1, 2025. Whether hitting the mountain for one day or all season, there's an option for every skier and rider, from first timers to powder pros.

The 2025/26 Epic Pass ($1075 adults; $548 children) offers access to more than 90 resorts across the world, plus unlimited, unrestricted access to Vail Resorts' 42 owned and operated mountain resorts. Iconic partner resorts and ski areas include Telluride, Colorado; Rusutsu and Hakuba Valley, Japan; Verbier 4 Vallées, Switzerland; Sölden, Austria; Saalbach and Zell am See-Kaprun, Austria; and more across Europe. In addition, Telluride Resort will not require reservations for Epic Pass Holders this year. This means that for the 2025/26 season, no Epic Pass resorts will require advance reservations.

The Epic Local Pass ($799 adults; $416 children) provides season-long access at an incredible value to 29 resorts, plus access to more destination resorts with some restrictions. Epic 1-7 Day Passes provide up to 65% savings compared to lift ticket prices by purchasing ahead of the season. More details on Pass options for the 2025/26 season are linked here.  

5. Pick Your Perks

All Epic Passes come with Epic Mountain Rewards, which offer exclusive discounts including 20% off on-mountain food and beverage, lodging, group ski and ride lessons, equipment rentals, and more – all winter long.

All skiers and riders get access to the My Epic app, which includes Mobile Pass and Mobile Lift Tickets with hands-free access – scannable straight from your pocket. It features interactive trail maps, tracks your stats, Finds Your Friends on the mountain, shares lift line status times, provides real-time mountain alerts, and more.

Now in its second year, My Epic Gear is better than renting and easier than owning. Guests can join for a seasonal membership fee, which then unlocks access to the latest gear from the top brands, including more than 60 of the latest ski and snowboard models. You can reserve in advance in the My Epic app for a low daily use fee that includes slopeside pick-up and drop-off at one of 12 participating resorts.

**Friends who do not hold a 2025/26 Pass can apply the full cost of a single redeemed Epic Friend Ticket towards eligible 2026/27 Passes, including Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass, and other regional passes for a limited time. The full list of eligible Passes will be available once 2026/27 Passes are on sale. 2025/26 Pass Holders are not eligible for this promotion.   

About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)  
Vail Resorts is a network of the best destination and close-to-home ski resorts in the world including Vail Mountain, Breckenridge, Park City Mountain, Whistler Blackcomb, Stowe, and 32 additional resorts across North America; Andermatt-Sedrun and Crans-Montana Mountain Resort in Switzerland; and Perisher, Hotham, and Falls Creek in Australia – all available on the company's industry-changing Epic Pass. We are passionate about providing an Experience of a Lifetime to our team members and guests, and our EpicPromise is to reach a zero net operating footprint by 2030, support our employees and communities, and broaden engagement in our sport. Our company owns and/or manages a collection of elegant hotels under the RockResorts brand, a portfolio of vacation rentals, condominiums and branded hotels located in close proximity to our mountain destinations, as well as the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Vail Resorts Retail operates more than 250 retail and rental locations across North America. Learn more about our company at www.VailResorts.com, or discover our resorts and pass options at www.EpicPass.com.   

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SOURCE The Vail Corporation

FAQ

When does Vail Resorts (MTN) start its 2025/26 winter season?

The season begins in mid-October 2025 at Keystone Resort (weather permitting), with other major resorts opening throughout November. Vail Mountain opens November 14, while Beaver Creek and Crested Butte open November 26.

What is the price of Vail Resorts' Epic Pass for 2025/26?

The Epic Pass costs $1,075 for adults and $548 for children at the lowest Fall price until September 1, 2025. The Epic Local Pass is available at $799 for adults and $416 for children.

What are Epic Friend Tickets at Vail Resorts?

Epic Friend Tickets are a new benefit for pass holders offering 50% off lift tickets for friends at 37 North American resorts. Season-long pass holders receive 6-10 Epic Friend Tickets, and friends can apply the full cost toward a 2026/27 Epic Pass.

What new improvements is Vail Resorts adding for 2025/26?

Key improvements include the new Sunrise Gondola at Park City Mountain, two new six-seater chairlifts at Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis, enhanced Ski School features in the My Epic app for Colorado resorts, and upgraded snowmaking at Crans-Montana.

Do Vail Resorts require advance reservations for 2025/26 season?

No, none of the Epic Pass resorts will require advance reservations for the 2025/26 season, including Telluride which previously required them.