Vail Kicks Off Its Season

Vail Mountain started spinning lifts for the first time this winter today (Nov. 14), officially launching the resort’s 2025–26 season. Skiers got to explore 80 acres of terrain on opening day, including laps on Ramshorn and Swingsville via Gondola One and Chair 4. Over in Lionshead, a small beginner zone was also accessible through the Eagle Bahn Gondola and Chair 15.

Running from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the early-season schedule puts Vail seventh in line among Colorado resorts to open this year—following Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Loveland, Breckenridge, Winter Park, and Copper Mountain.

For now, there’s no on-snow connection between Vail Village and Lionshead. Anyone ending their day on the Vail side but linking up with friends in Lionshead will need to download and hop on the free in-town bus system.

October’s warm, dry stretch didn’t bring much natural snowfall; however, Vail’s snowmaking crews have been firing around the clock anytime temperatures permit. And relief looks possible: the National Weather Service is calling for several rounds of snow beginning Sunday and continuing into early next week.

As soon as conditions allow, Vail plans to expand terrain and reopen connectivity between the villages.

The start of the season also brought back Vail’s winter parking rates. Expect $10 per hour, capped at $50 for more than five hours, with overnight parking running $60.

To make opening day feel festive, the resort offered free strudel and morning giveaways; a long-standing early-season tradition.

A one-day lift ticket for tomorrow is listed at $319 on Vail.com. Epic Pass options remain available for now, including:

Epic Day Pass (1 day): $128

Epic Day Pass (3 days at Vail): $358

Epic Local Pass (10 days at Vail): $833

Epic Pass (full access): $1,121

Prices increase on Nov. 17, and although Vail Resorts hasn’t announced a cutoff date for pass sales, they typically end in early December.