USA — For years, spring skiing had consisted of the typical names. Ski resorts like Killington, Mammoth, Palisades Tahoe, and Timberline Lodge tend to be known as the bastions for skiing past the early spring. However, as the ski industry has evolved in the 2020s, so have the ski resorts that want to push it as late as possible.
With ski season basically being over, I thought it would be cool to analyze ski resorts that aren’t typically known for late seasons that have recently extended their seasons into May and even June. From Arizona to New Hampshire, these U.S. ski resorts have competed in recent years with the bigwigs to keep their skiing going as long as possible.
Arizona Snowbowl, You Can Probably Guess The State
Arizona isn’t known as a snowy place due to the hell-level temperatures in Phoenix, but there are some snowy spots. This includes Flagstaff, the mountain town that is home to the Arizona Snowbowl. Mountain Capital Partners, operator of the Snowbowl, tries to keep their mountains open as late as possible. At Arizona Snowbowl, they’ve closed for the season in May and even June. The 2024-25 season was their longest ever, concluding on June 1st.
While this past season was much shorter, they were able to extend it to April 19th, which was a few weeks longer than expected.
Black Mountain, New Hampshire
Once on the verge of closure, one of New England’s most historic ski areas was bought by Entabeni Systems (owner of the Indy Pass) in 2024. Originally eyed as a co-op venture, Entabeni Systems decided to keep it as a testing ground for independent ski areas.
Black Mountain has pushed New Hampshire’s lift-served ski season into May for the past two years. It concluded the 2024-25 season on May 3rd, its first-ever May offering. This past season, they made it to May 17th. They plan to invest in additional snowmaking improvements, ensuring they’re competing with Killington to be the last to close in New England.
Boyne Mountain, Michigan
Over the past two ski seasons, Boyne Mountain has pushed its season as late as possible. Piling a snowmaking “glacier” onto the Victor trail, Boyne Mountain has stayed open on weekends in May until the snow melts. This led them to make it to Memorial Day this past ski season (May 25th). With these efforts, Boyne has become the spring skiing destination in the Midwest.
Brian Head, Utah
The southernmost ski resort in Utah may not see the most snowfall in the state, but it does have one distinct advantage: its elevation. With a base area slightly under 10,000 feet, its snow retention remains strong even into the spring.
While Brian Head has typically ended its ski season in mid to late April, it’s been pushing their calendar with bonus weekends over the past few years. The 2023-24 season ended on May 12th, while the 2024-25 season ended on May 11th. Even with a dismal ski season for Utah, Brian Head concluded this past ski season on May 3rd.
Brighton, Utah
Up until a few years ago, Brighton typically ended its season in late April. However, Brighton changed their strategy during the historic 2022-23 season.
The Meltdown is a terrain-park-oriented event that keeps one terrain pod (Crest in recent years) open until May. They redesign the remaining snowpack to feature cool features that cater to terrain park skiers and snowboarders. This past ski season concluded for Brighton on May 10th, tying Snowbird to be the last to close in Utah.
Camelback Resort, Pennsylvania
While Pennsylvania has a stoic skiing culture, the season typically ends for most ski resorts in March. Camelback pushed that perception this past ski season thanks to a new operational strategy under new GM Jason Bays. Camelback ended up blowing an immense amount of snow on two trails: Nile Mile and Cliffhanger. This allowed them to stay open on weekends through April and into early May.
The Pennsylvania ski resort concluded its 2025-26 season on May 5th (Cinco de Mayo for you gringos out there). Camelback intends to have another deep spring for the 2026-27 season.
Solitude Mountain Resort, Utah
Snowbird once proclaimed itself to have the “longest season in Utah.” However, it typically doesn’t open until late November/early December, and it hasn’t pushed in recent years for June and July closings as it did in the past.
This is where Solitude Mountain Resort has stepped in to gain that title. They’ve been the first to open in Utah for some of the past few years, thanks to their Link lift. For late closings, Solitude has recently aimed to make it to at least May. While last ski season ended on April 19th, you’d imagine Solitude is eyeing a later closing date for next winter.
Image/Video Credits: Black Mountain, Boyne Mountain Resort, Brian Head, Camelback Resort
