The arrival of spring doesn’t mean you have to give up your winter sports. In fact, spring skiing may be the best skiing of all—especially for newbies.
“Spring is a great time for families to go skiing, especially if they’re beginners,” Dan Sherman, the chief marketing officer of Ski.com, shared with Travel + Leisure. “Warm, sunny days are conducive to learning because beginners don’t have to deal with making sure they have all the right layers to stay warm—one less thing to worry about.”
Spring skiing also brings plenty of its own charms, including longer days, which Sherman noted, “means the lifts run later, and there’s more time to hang outside on a sunny patio listening to live music.”
While early March tends to be busier due to school spring breaks, the mountains calm down around mid-March, ensuring plenty of space to carve your turns. Ready to see where you can ski well into the spring (and sometimes even summer) season? Here are 10 spectacular places to go spring skiing in North America.
- Wear sunscreen: “The sun is more powerful at higher elevations, and it gets amplified after reflecting off the snow.”
- Embrace corn snow: “Skiers love corn snow! In the spring, after the sun has a chance to warm up the snow a little, it turns to a granular, soft surface resembling corn kernels. It actually makes it easier for skiers and snowboarders to get on edge and carve a turn. I always refer to it as hero skiing, and it’s super fun.”
- Look for deals: “Spring is a great time to score a great deal on a ski vacation. At Ski.com, we work with all the resorts and can help people find the best deal for them. Lift ticket and lodging rates tend to drop significantly after spring break, and we’re here to help guide people through the entire process—for free.”
- Layer up: “The day can start in the 20s and end in the 60s, which is really warm under the mountain sun.”
Mammoth Mountain
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Location: Eastern Sierra Nevada, California
Season End Date: Late May or mid-June, sometimes deep into summer in exceptional snow years. In 2023, Mammoth stayed open until Aug. 6.
Mammoth Mountain has long been a haven for spring skiers. The mountain, which tops out at 11,053 feet, receives some of the highest snowfall totals in the nation, often surpassing 400 inches a season. That means it can stay open deep into spring and early summer. It also doesn’t hurt that the mountain’s off-season pricing kicks in during mid-March. Mammoth hosts plenty of spring skiing events, so make sure to check the events calendar before you book.
Mt. Hood Meadows
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Location: Northern Oregon
Season End Date: Mt. Hood Meadows plans to close operations for this season on May 2, 2026.
Mt. Hood Meadows is another West Coast destination that receives an absolutely epic amount of snow each year—430 inches on average. That means it too can stay open well into spring. The mountain stands out for its sprawling trails and panoramic vistas of the Cascade Range, along with its ultra-friendly vibe on and off the slopes.
Snowbird
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Location: Little Cottonwood Canyon, near Salt Lake City, Utah
Season End Date: The mountain currently lists its 2026 closing date as May 25, but it could extend if the conditions stay consistent.
Snowbird is an ideal mountain for those looking for longer springtime runs. About a 40-minute drive from Salt Lake City, the mountain benefits from the area’s lake-effect snowfall, which usually includes deep base depths that keep the snowpack fresh as long as possible.
Killington
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Location: Central Vermont, near Rutland
Season End Date: Killington hasn’t set a closing date for 2026 yet, though it did remain open until May 11 in 2025—and as late as June 1 in the 2023/24 season.
It’s not just Western mountains that enjoy lengthy seasons. Killington, better known as “The Beast of the East,” is beloved for its impressive vertical drop (3,050 feet) and its commitment to a long season. In 2024, the mountain remained open until June 1, giving skiers and riders the chance to shred down its 155 trails late into the afternoon. True East Coast spring skiing enthusiasts also know to plan their trip for mid-April, when the mountain hosts its famed pond skim ski competition.
Whistler Blackcomb
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Location: British Columbia, Canada
Season End Date: The mountain lists its 2026 closing dates as May 18 for Blackcomb Mountain and April 19 for Whistler Mountain.
Whistler Blackcomb, one of North America’s largest ski resorts, is an ideal place to bookend a ski season. It always boasts impressive early-season snow, which means its snowpack builds up quickly and remains substantial all season long. But that doesn’t mean it misses out on fresh powder. In fact, its March snowfall average is more than eight feet. The mountain also hosts the World Ski & Snowboard Festival in early April to usher in the T-shirt weather the right way.
Banff
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Location: Alberta, Canada
Season End Date: Sunshine Village plans to close on May 18 for the 2025/26 season.
Banff offers jaw-dropping views of the Canadian Rockies from the top of every run, and they look all the more spectacular on a bluebird spring day. Luckily, skiers and riders can enjoy its dry, light snow, thinner crowds, and warmer days all April long and well into May. Sunshine Village, which sits at 7,200 feet, is the star of the spring season. And as the SkiBig3’s tourism website states, the snow here in spring is fantastic for beginners or those looking to take easier turns, as it’s often more forgiving.
Crystal Mountain
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Location: Near Mount Rainier in the Cascade Range, Washington
Season End Date: The mountain currently lists May 25 as its 2026 closing date, but it could stretch depending on conditions.
Crystal Mountain, Washington State’s largest ski area, has 2,600 acres of terrain to explore—much of which stays open for weekend skiing throughout the month of April. Skiers and riders can hit the slopes and see fantastic views of Mount Rainier while rocking nothing but a T-shirt. There are also plenty of spring events, including backcountry clinics and First Tracks access for Ikon Pass holders in April.
Timberline
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Location: South slope of Mt. Hood, Oregon
Season End Date: Timberline hasn’t announced an official closing date for 2026, though it does typically remain open through mid-August.
Forget spring skiing; at Timberline, you can experience summer skiing, too. The mountain had an astonishingly long season in 2024/25, closing in mid-August, giving it the longest season of any mountain in the nation. The resort, along Mt. Hood’s southern flank, offers a little something for everyone, including gentle beginner runs and advanced glacier skiing. While it’s a smaller, family-operated mountain, it punches far above its weight with fun activities. It even offers Summer Snow Camps for kids and adults to practice their turns in the sun.
Breckenridge
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Location: Summit County, Colorado
Season End Date: The mountain hasn’t announced an official closing date, but plans to stay open “as long as possible into May” or “until the snow melts.”
Breckenridge sits at a lofty 12,840 feet, giving it the perfect climate for long seasons of fresh powder. Skiers and riders can make their way to the tippy top of the mountain on the higher bowls for a little fun on peaks 6, 7, and 8, but be warned—the mountain does not offer any beginner terrain in the spring season, so make sure your skills fall into the intermediate or advanced category. That said, you’re not totally out of luck if you’re a beginner, as the mountain offers lessons through mid-April.
Arapahoe Basin
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Location: Summit County, Colorado
Season End Date: Arapahoe Basin hasn’t announced an official closing date for 2026 yet, though it’s often open until mid-June.
Arapahoe Basin, also known simply as “A-Basin,” has established itself as one of the longest-season destinations in the nation, opening early and closing late. That’s thanks in large part to its high altitude position, with a base at 10,780 feet and a summit at 13,050. And truly, this mountain knows how to party when the weather hits its spring peak. Its annual Pride celebration, known as “Gay Basin,” takes place May 30–31 this year, marking the end of its event calendar in style.
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