Photo courtesy of Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area
All 19 Idaho ski areas open during the holidays
BOISE, Idaho (Dec. 19, 2022) — Skiers and snowboarders throughout Idaho have much to celebrate this holiday season, with all 19 Gem State ski areas either already open or opening the day after Christmas.
All three ski areas in North Idaho — Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area near Mullan, Schweitzer near Sandpoint, and Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg — are fully open for the season. In fact, Lookout Pass just opened its new Eagle Peak expansion that nearly doubles its terrain and boosts its vertical to 1,650 ft. Skiers and snowboarders dressed from head to toe as Santa can purchase a lift ticket at Lookout for only $20 on Thursday Dec. 22.
One North Central Idaho ski area — Snowhaven Ski & Tubing Area in Grangeville — has already opened for the season and the remaining two will begin operations during the holidays. Both Bald Mountain near Pierce and Cottonwood Butte Ski Area near Cottonwood are slated to open Dec. 26.
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 for the season. Bogus Basin is celebrating its 80th birthday tomorrow, Dec. 20. Visit Tamarack dressed as Santa, Mrs. Claus, or an elf on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, and ski or snowboard for free while enjoying the VIP zone at mid-mountain, where a live DJ will help celebrate a night well done delivering gifts to all the Santas on the mountain.
Image courtesy of Tamarack Resort
All three Southern Idaho ski areas — Magic Mountain Ski Resort near Hansen, Pomerelle Mountain Resort near Albion, and Soldier Mountain near Fairfield — are open for the season.
Sun Valley Resort in Central Idaho has been open since Thanksgiving, and the region’s other ski areas — Lost Trail Ski Area on the Idaho-Montana border near Conner, Mont., and Rotarun Ski Area in Hailey — opened last week.
The three ski areas in Eastern Idaho — Kelly Canyon Ski Resort in Ririe, Grand Targhee Resort in Alta, Wyo., and Pebble Creek Ski Area near Inkom — are open for the season. Kelly Canyon is offering the first 25 guests who dress from head to toe as Santa free lift tickets on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24.
Image courtesy of Kelly Canyon
Most Idaho ski areas are open daily for the holidays through Jan. 2. However, not all ski areas are open Christmas Day and some are closing early Christmas Eve, so make sure to check their websites for more details and operating hours.
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Ski Idaho stocking stuffer ideas
The Idaho Peak Season Passport — which lets 5th graders ski or snowboard three days for free at each of 17 ski areas throughout the state and offers 6th graders two days free at those mountains — is a great, last-minute holiday stocking stuffer.
Complete the online application at skiidaho.us/passports and pay an $18 processing fee to order a passport for your child and Ski Idaho will email you a passport you can print out and place in their stocking. Children must have a parent or guardian present with them to use the passport, and they must show their passport (a printout or on a smartphone) to receive the lift ticket.
Meanwhile, the Idaho Department of Motor Vehicles offers two different ways for skiers and snowboarders to show their support for their hometown ski hills: personalized specialty license plates for vehicles and customizable souvenir plates.
In addition to personalization and vehicle registration fees, Ski Idaho vehicle license plates have a $35 program fee for the first year with a $25 renewal fee each year thereafter. Ski Idaho souvenir plates — which are for novelty purposes only and cannot legally be used as license plates on vehicles — cost $30.
Both types of plates are customizable with a maximum of six characters including spaces, cannot contain punctuation, and must be tasteful in any language.
Visit www.accessidaho.org/itd/driver/plates to order Ski-Idaho-themed personalized vehicle and souvenir plates.
About Ski Idaho
Founded in 1982, the Idaho Ski Areas Association, a.k.a. 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, private campground, and vacation rentals owners. Boasting 29,000 feet of vertical spanning more than 21,000 acres, Idaho is home to America’s first destination ski resort, the birthplace of the chairlift, and often considered the soul of skiing. Its 19 family friendly alpine ski areas offer trails and backcountry for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and skill levels, breathtaking views, hundreds of inches of fresh powder, affordable passes, and short lift lines. Many Ski Idaho destinations open for the summer season, as well, to provide lift-served mountain biking, scenic chairlift rides, hiking and trail running, disc golf, horseback riding, and more. Visit skiidaho.us for more details.