Wyoming — While Beartooth Basin originally planned to close on June 14th, the season isn’t over yet.
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 led to an extended closure.
Beartooth Basin had been closed since June 3rd for necessary lift maintenance. According to the Cowboy State Daily, the main drive of Poma 1 (the upper lift) broke. Originally planning to be closed until June 8th, needed lift repairs and snow clearance on the Beartooth Highway kept them closed… until yesterday.
Beartooth Basin reopened yesterday at 9 a.m. The current operating plan is to operate daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s unclear what their official closing date will be, as the previous plan was to stay open until June 14th. However, Beartooth Basin stated that the snow is holding up well. Add in the fact that they received snow last week, and it’s leading to a longer-than-expected season. Tickets are currently being sold for June 15th-21st. However, they do sell out, so it’s best to book your ticket in advance.
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, TNT ADVENTURES for FUN!
