Winter Park Opening Day '26/27 Season

It's time to dust off those skis, snowboards, and telemark set-ups. Here at Winter Park Lodging Company we are getting ready to welcome you back to fresh pow, Mary Jane bumps, and bluebird days at Colorado's best kept secret.

Here is the straight answer: Winter Park Resort has not announced a fixed date. The resort's official position for the 2026-2027 season is that it will open as soon as possible for the first day of skiing and riding, depending on early-season conditions and snowmaking.

That is not a dodge, it is how Winter Park has operated recently, and it works in your favor. Rather than committing to a date and hoping the weather cooperates, the resort spins lifts the moment the mountain is ready.

For reference, last season's dates:

Winter Park first day: October 31, 2025
Winter Park last day: April 19, 2026
Mary Jane first day: January 9, 2026
Mary Jane last day: March 28, 2026

How to be first to know: sign up for the resort's email newsletter, keep an eye on the hours of operation page, and watch the mountain report. You can also check conditions yourself any time on our live Winter Park cameras.

What Is New at Winter Park for 2026/2027?

An Extra Hour Every Weekend

This is the big confirmed change, and it is a genuinely good one. Starting this winter, lifts open at 8:00am on Saturdays and Sundays, giving everyone an extra hour on the mountain on weekend days. The 8am weekend start runs December 5, 2026 through April 4, 2027, subject to weather and conditions.

If you have ever watched the 9am crowd build at the base while the corduroy sat untouched, you understand why this matters. An extra hour on a Saturday is the difference between chasing groomers and getting them.

Local's tip: this makes staying in Winter Park the night before genuinely valuable. An 8am first chair is a rough ask from Denver, but it is an easy morning from a ski-in ski-out condo.

Early-Season Programming

Last season the resort ran a month-long early-season celebration with passholder lounges at Sunspot, rail jams, poker runs, forecast talks with OpenSnow, free waxes, and gear giveaways. Whether that lineup returns in the same form for 2026/2027 has not been announced yet. Keep an eye on the Winter Park Resort events calendar as fall progresses, and check our Winter Park events coverage for what we hear locally.

Snowmaking That Is Already Paying Off

Winter Park's $37 million snowmaking system is now several seasons into service, and the results are real. In its first year the system showed improved efficiency and cut energy consumption nearly in half. The practical upshot for you: more terrain open sooner, a longer and more reliable season on both ends, and better early-season conditions than the natural snowpack alone would deliver.

Mary Jane: Now 51 and Still Untamed

Mary Jane celebrated her 50th birthday in January 2026, and she has lost none of her attitude in the year since. Winter Park's famously wild second mountain remains one of North America's most iconic ski destinations, known for legendary bump runs, secret stashes, and steep tree skiing.

Worth knowing if you are planning around her: Mary Jane typically opens in January, later than the main mountain, and closes earlier in the spring. If Mary Jane is the reason you are coming, aim for mid-January through mid-March. See our guide to the best ski runs in Winter Park for where to point yourself once you are up there.

Dining on the Mountain

Winter Park has spent the last couple of seasons rebuilding its on-mountain dining, and the improvements have stuck. Lunch Rock, Sunspot, Snoasis, Chili Hut, Club Car, and Mary Jane Cafe all revised their menus based on guest feedback.

Ptarmigan Kitchen + Bar in the base-area Village, in the old Doc's space, has become the natural gathering spot at the bottom of the hill. Sunny patio across from the Gondola, approachable seasonal food, drinks to match.
Refreshed food stations at Mary Jane Cafe, Sunspot, and Moffat Market added grilled favorites, Indian and Himalayan options, empanadas, and street tacos. Considerably more variety than mountain food usually offers.
Fitch Ranch, a family-owned Grand County ranch, continues to supply local, sustainably raised beef and proteins.

Off the mountain, work through our list of the top restaurants in Winter Park.

Why Winter Park Works for Families and First-Timers

Winter Park leans into its reputation as one of the most family and beginner-friendly resorts in Colorado, and the deals back it up:

Kids Ski Free: kids 14 and under get a free lift ticket with a Ski & Ride School lesson, and kids 12 and under get free rentals with an adult three-day rental package.
Learn-to-Ski Guarantee: new skiers who cannot manage 10 designated green trails after three lessons get a fourth lesson free.
Pro Tip Sessions: 60-minute lessons for intermediate and advanced riders with early lift access.
The National Sports Center for the Disabled is based right here at Winter Park and runs one of the longest-standing adaptive programs in the country.

Two things to sort out before you arrive: book lessons early, since they sell out on peak days, and note that the resort does not offer guest childcare. See our guide to childcare and babysitting in Winter Park for the local options, and book a sitter when you book lodging.

Lift Tickets and Passes

Buy early, save more. That rule never changes. Explore tickets and passes at the resort, look at the Ikon Pass options for Winter Park, or consider a Winter Flex multi-day pack if you are here for a set number of days.

Then check our own lift tickets and passes page, our ski rental deals, and activity discounts around town before you pay full price on anything.

The Winter Park Express Ski Train

The Winter Park Express is the only ski train in the country that drops you at the base of the lifts, and it remains the single best way to skip I-70 entirely.

2026/2027 dates and fares have not been announced yet. Amtrak has made its announcement in early November for each of the last two seasons, so expect news around then. For a sense of scale, the 2025-2026 season ran 57 round trips, with holiday weekend service in late December followed by four-days-a-week service from January into late March. One-way fares started at $9, with kids ages 2 to 12 from $4.50, and skis and snowboards travelled free. The train serves both Winter Park Resort and neighboring Fraser.

Watch Amtrak's Winter Park Express page for the 26/27 schedule, and see our transportation options and getting around Winter Park pages for everything else, including the free town shuttle.

Your Opening Day Checklist

Book lodging first. Early-season rates are the best of the year, and you can be here whenever the lifts start turning.
Sign up for the resort newsletter so you hear the opening date the day it is announced.
Buy your lift tickets or pass early for the lowest price.
Reserve lessons and rentals, and remember lift access is usually separate from a lesson.
Book childcare if you need it, since the resort does not provide it.
Plan around the 8am weekend start from December 5. Staying in town the night before is how you actually use that extra hour.
Check the live cameras and the mountain report in the days before you drive up.

Stay With Winter Park Lodging Company

Love Winter Park? So do we. Our team lives here, skis here, and can help you plan the whole trip around whatever day the lifts start spinning.

Browse by area: Winter Park Resort, Town of Winter Park, Fraser and surrounding area, or Pole Creek. Or by home type: ski-in ski-out, Luxury Collection, private homes, townhomes, condos, pet friendly, or homes with a private hot tub.

Check current lodging deals, read our Winter Park tips, or dig into the full Winter Park guide.

Call us at 970-722-0707 or get in touch. We will see you on the hill.