Skiing and snowboarding season in Colorado is back.

Shortly after Arapahoe Basin in Summit County announced it would open for winter 2025-26 on Sunday, Keystone Resort upped the ante by announcing it would be open 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Keystone said Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon trails would be open into the early evening under the lights, with beer and hotdog specials. The festivities for the resort’s 55th season will continue at 9 a.m. on Sunday with music and free doughnuts and coffee.

Earlier on Saturday, Arapahoe Basin announced its opening day for its 79th year would be Sunday, Oct. 26, with first chair spinning at 8:30 a.m. Lifts will spin seven days a week until 4 p.m.

“This season is an opportunity for us to show everyone who A-Basin is,” Arapahoe Basin President & COO Alan Henceroth said. “For folks with the Ikon Pass, this may be your first time visiting us. For our returning community, we’d like to reintroduce ourselves – we’re the same A-Basin you know and love, only maybe even a little better.”

Parking reservations are not needed on opening day and are
only required on weekends from Jan. 3, 2026, to May 3, 2026.

“On opening day, skiers and riders can enjoy skiing and riding on High Noon, a mountain blue run, accessed via the Black Mountain Express,” Communications Manager Shayna Silverman said. “The resort has plans to continue snowmaking, opening more terrain as quickly as possible, heading up to the summit and starting next with Lenawee Face and Dercum’s Gulch.”

Last season, the first ski area in Colorado to open was southern Colorado’s Wolf Creek Ski Area, which opened on Oct. 22, 2024 after a snow storm dumped several inches of snow on the slopes and allowed the ski area to turn chairlifts and open a couple of trails.

Since 1996, Arapahoe Basin has opened first 12 different times and opened simultaneously with Loveland twice. Loveland has opened first nine different times, claiming the second spot for most ‘opened first’ times over the last 30 seasons.

First ski area to open in Colorado since 1996 opening dates:

• 2024: Wolf Creek (Oct. 22)
• 2023: Arapahoe Basin (Oct. 29)
• 2022: Arapahoe Basin (Oct. 23)
• 2021: Arapahoe Basin (Oct. 17)
• 2020: Wolf Creek (Oct. 28)
• 2019: Arapahoe Basin (Oct. 11)
• 2018: Arapahoe Basin (Oct. 15)
• 2017: Arapahoe Basin (Oct. 15)
• 2016: Arapahoe Basin (Oct. 19)
• 2015: Arapahoe Basin & Loveland (Oct. 29)
• 2014: Arapahoe Basin (Oct. 17)
• 2013: Arapahoe Basin (Oct. 13)
• 2012: Arapahoe Basin (Oct. 17)
• 2011: Wolf Creek (Oct. 8)
• 2010: Loveland (Oct. 24)
• 2009: Loveland (Oct. 7)
• 2008: Arapahoe Basin & Loveland (Oct. 15)
• 2007: Arapahoe Basin (Oct. 10)
• 2006: Arapahoe Basin (Oct. 13)
• 2005: Loveland (Oct. 14)
• 2004: Loveland (Oct. 15)
• 2003: Loveland (Oct. 28)
• 2002: Loveland (Oct. 17)
• 2001: Copper Mtn. (Oct. 17)
• 2000: Loveland (Oct. 20)
• 1999: Loveland (Oct. 19)
• 1998: Loveland (Oct. 13)
• 1997: Loveland & Keystone (Oct. 17)
• 1996: Loveland & Keystone (Oct. 21)

Opening day tickets and parking at Arapahoe Basin are as follows:

Lift tickets for opening day will go on sale at noon Saturday.

• Ikon Pass is now unlimited all season long at A-Basin. Ikon Base Pass holders get unlimited access to A-Basin till Dec. 19, 2025. After that date, they get 5 days to be used at any point of the season – no blackout dates. 
• A-Basin Season Passes, Fall Packs, lift tickets, and more are on sale now. Plus, Ikon Pass & A-Basin pass holders get 50% off Friends & Family tickets this month

Other opening day details: 

• Dining
  • 6th Alley Bar & Grill 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 
  • Black Mountain Lodge 10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.  
  • Legends Cafe 7:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• What else
  • Live music in the base area all day, giveaways in the lift lines, and plenty of good vibes. 
  • Looking for a place to stay? The Block in Silverthorne is offering $24 dorm room rates for our opening weekend.