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Keystone, Colorado, Wants To Open for Skiing and Snowboarding in October

Originally posted on Powder | By Ian Greenwood | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 12:50 PM ET

Keystone, Colorado, is hoping to become one of the first—if not the first—ski resort open in the state this season. The mountain, alongside several other Vail Resorts destinations, announced its planned opening date earlier this month.

Among this crowd, Keystone is the clear frontrunner—if everything goes according to plan, it’ll welcome skiers and snowboarders in mid-October. Keystone’s optimistic October plans are, of course, tentative.

The weather has the final say and could force the ski resort to open a bit later in November. Ski resorts don’t necessarily need natural snow to open, but cold temperatures—so they can use their snowmaking machines—are a must.

Last season, Keystone narrowly missed the October mark, opening on November 2, 2024.

Another Vail Resorts property, Breckenridge, Colorado, is close behind, with a planned opening date of November 7, 2025. Tap or click below to watch Keystone's start of ski season announcement video.

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Keystone will have competition, too. Each year, Arapahoe Basin, Colorado, also pushes to open as soon as it can. In 2024, it opened on the same day as Keystone.

But neither resort was the first in Colorado. That honor went to Wolf Creek Ski Resort, Colorado, which, after a round of early-season snowfall, opened on October 22, 2024. Loveland Ski Area, Colorado, is another mountain to watch that regularly opens in October.

While Keystone waits for winter to arrive, it’s still hosting off-season activities. The River Run Gondola is open Thursday through Monday until Labor Day for bike park access. When September arrives, the gondola will shift to a Friday through Sunday schedule. It closes for summer operations on September 21.

Golf at the ski resort will remain open until October 5, though—Keystone wrote in an email that this will give skiers “the chance to (hopefully) golf down low and ski up high in the same month!”

As is now tradition, several other ski resorts throughout the country have shared their opening day plans this August. Mammoth Mountain, California, is aiming for November 14. Brian Head Resort, Utah, put November 7 on the calendar. Another Utah ski area, Solitude Mountain Resort, wants to open a week later on November 14.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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