There are still around 12 open ski resorts across the United States, some of which have better conditions than others. A fair number of those ski areas will stay open until Memorial Day, May 26, while others will close after this weekend. But the real question is, what ski resort will stay open the latest into the summer?
There area a few very easy answers to this question. The first location to bring up is Big Snow American Dream, an indoor ski area in New Jersey. While it just has one lift, two carpets, one t-bar, and a handful of trails, being inside a mall means Big Snow American Dream does not have to close for the summer. So if we allow indoor ski areas into the equation, they’re the obvious answer.
If we decide not to include indoor ski areas, then our attention must turn toward Oregon’s Timberline Lodge. Skiing and snowboarding on the Palmer Snowfield area of Mount Hood continues late into the summer, often stretching until October, and provides both public and private lanes throughout the warmer months. So if you want to keep skiing outside all summer long, Timberline Lodge is the place to go.
So if we choose to forget indoor ski areas and Timberline Lodge for the time being, who then will be open the latest? Right now it seems like California’s Mammoth Mountain could hold that title with operations set to continue into June. Another potential contender is Colorado’s Arapahoe Basin, who are yet to set a closing date and will keep spinning lifts as late as they possibly can.
Arapahoe Basin’s reported base depth is currently 53 inches, while Mammoth has a range between 58-112 inches. We’ll just have to wait to see who can keep things going the longest.
