Wyoming — The season started smoothly for Beartooth Basin. Operations kicked off on May 25th, following the opening of the Beartooth Highway a few days earlier. While it was a low-snow winter, the remaining snow has held up well enough for some late-spring/early-summer skiing. Unfortunately, one little issue with its infrastructure can lead to an extended closure.
Since last week, Beartooth Basin has been closed for necessary lift maintenance. Originally planning to be closed until June 8th, the plan is now to be closed through the 12th.
It’s unclear how long the operating schedule will be impacted by this. The previous plan was to stay open until June 14th. However, Beartooth Basin reports that the snow is holding up well, which could allow the schedule to be extended. They’ve also recieved snow this week, which doesn’t hurt.
I reached out to Beartooth Basin for comment on any updates to their plans but did not hear back.
About Beartooth Basin
Skiing operations in Beartooth Pass, situated in the Shoshone National Forest, began in 1962. Austrians Pepi Gramshammer, Eric Sailer, and Anderl Molterer began running ski camps at various locations along the Beartooth Highway to train athletes during the warmer months. In the 1970s, they settled on the current location of the ski area, which became known as The Red Lodge International Ski and Snowboard Camp. For decades, it was a private ski area for campers.
In 2003, the operation was sold to new owners, who made it a public ski area and renamed it Beartooth Basin. The ski area was previously listed for sale in 2024. However, while one of the owners sold their share, the rest decided to keep their stakes due to a lack of serious interest.
Beartooth Basin has had an inconsistent operating schedule. It has not operated for a few summers(including 2022 and 2024). These closures were due to a lack of snowpack. However, they had a fairly long season in 2025 by recent standards, which lasted from May 30th to June 15th.
The setup of Beartooth Basin is modest. It’s an upside-down ski area, meaning guests park at the top and then ski down to the lifts. At the top are some trailers to get tickets and merchandise, but there’s no actual lodge. The ski area features 9 trails, 2 lifts, a terrain park, and plenty of backcountry terrain to explore. The ski area can be reached via the Beartooth Highway, which has access points in Montana and Wyoming.
Image/Video Credits: Beartooth Basin, Bobby Thomson, Beartooth Highway, TNT ADVENTURES for FUN!
