(Kellogg, ID) — At least 15 of Idaho’s 19 ski areas will be open this holiday season.
All three ski areas in North Idaho — Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area near Mullan, Schweitzer near Sandpoint, and Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg — are open daily. Skiers and snowboarders dressed from head to toe as Santa can purchase a lift ticket at Lookout Pass for only $20 today, Monday Dec. 23. Guests can ski with Santa at Schweitzer from 1-3:30 p.m. today and tomorrow, Monday-Tuesday Dec. 23-24, and he might make some turns at Silver Mountain Christmas Day after a long night delivering presents. For New Year’s Eve, Lookout Pass is hosting a torchlight parade, Schweitzer is staging a bevy of events including evening tubing sessions and twilight skiing, and Silver Mountain will extend its hours, serve a prime rib dinner at Noah’s Canteen, and feature extended hours and a balloon drop at Silver Rapids.
All three North Central Idaho ski areas — Bald Mountain near Pierce, Cottonwood Butte Ski Area near Cottonwood, and Snowhaven Ski & Tubing Area in Grangeville — have not opened yet. However, Snowhaven was anticipating a potential opening date Dec. 28. Check the ski areas’ websites and social media feeds for updates.
All four ski areas in Southwest Idaho — Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area near Boise, Brundage Mountain Resort near McCall, the Little Ski Hill in McCall, and Tamarack Resort near Donnelly — are open daily. Visit Tamarack dressed up as Santa on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, and receive a free lift ticket while enjoying the Santa-only VIP zone at the top of Tamarack Express with free drinks and snacks all day. Tamarack will also serve Christmas dinner at The Reserve and host a New Year’s Eve party and torchlight parade. Santa Shreds Brundage is confirmed for Christmas Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Brundage will host a New Year’s Day fireworks and LED and torchlight parades Jan. 1. Aside from closing early Christmas Eve, Bogus Basin is open for extended hours daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Jan. 5. It will host a New Year’s Day torchlight parade and fireworks, too.
Sun Valley Resort in Central Idaho has been open since Thanksgiving, and Lost Trail Ski Area on the Idaho-Montana border near Conner, Mont., is open daily though Jan. 6. Meanwhile, Rotarun Ski Area in Hailey opened over the weekend with a party to celebrate the launch of its Rotarun History Project. Sun Valley has a wealth of festivities planned between now and New Year’s, including a Christmas Eve torchlight parade and fireworks and a New Year’s Eve Snow Ball and night skiing. Through Christmas Eve, Lost Trail is posting clues on its social media feeds to help guests find the hidden elf on the mountain; those who do and post a selfie with it are eligible to win a 10-day shareable pass worth $630.
In Southern Idaho, Magic Mountain Ski Resort near Hansen needs a little more snow before it can open for skiing and snowboarding, as well as tubing. However, Pomerelle Mountain Resort near Albion is open daily for the season except Christmas, and night skiing will commence Dec. 26. And Soldier Mountain near Fairfield opened 100 percent of the resort over the weekend. It is open every day except Christmas between now and Jan. 5 before resuming its normal Thursday-Sunday operations. Soldier will host a New Year’s Eve torchlight parade and fireworks celebration at dusk.
The two ski areas in Eastern Idaho — Kelly Canyon Ski Resort in Ririe and Grand Targhee Resort in “Wydaho,” a.k.a. Alta, Wyo. — are open daily. So is Gateway to Kelly Canyon, a snow-tubing park in Idaho Falls that Kelly Canyon operates in partnership with Eagle-based Gateway Parks. The first 25 Santas at Kelly Canyon tomorrow, Christmas Eve Dec. 24, ski free but Santa costumes must be more than just a hat. Grand Targhee is hosting an ugly Christmas sweater party at the Trap Bar Christmas Eve, Christmas Dinner at Powder Cache, and a New Year’s Eve rail jam, torchlight parade, fireworks celebration, and après-ski childcare for kids ages 1-5.
Southeastern Idaho‘s sole ski area — Pebble Creek Ski Area near Inkom — is currently open for weekends and will re-open Dec. 26 for daily operations through March 30.
Check the ski areas’ websites for more details and operating hours.
Early season conditions exist at many of these destinations, so skiers and riders should use caution.
