Wyoming — While this past winter was pretty bad for the Western U.S., it surprisingly isn’t impacting America’s summer ski area that much.
Over the past month, Beartooth Basin has been giving incremental updates regarding the 2026 ski season. Recent updates have shown avalanche blasting, grooming the slopes, and preparing the lifts for action.
According to Beartooth’s website, the plan is to open around May 25th. However, this opening date depends on the reopening of Beartooth Pass, the road that provides access to the ski area. The Beartooth Highway is scheduled to reopen on May 22nd. Ticket sales are now available from May 28th to June 10th. There’s a chance the season lasts longer than that, but it’s obviously weather-dependent. Lift tickets cost $50 per person, with a season pass going for $395.
Beartooth Basin has had an inconsistent operating schedule, with it not operating for a few summers in recent years (including in 2022 and 2024). However, they had a fairly long season in 2025 by recent standards, which lasted from May 30th to June 15th.
About Beartooth Basin
Operations at Bearooth Basin, 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, the listing no longer shows up on its website, making it unclear whether it was sold or taken off the market.
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. When it’s open, Beartooth typically operates daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Image/Video Credits: Beartooth Basin, Mike Miller, Ben Eminger
