Vail Mountain Opening Day

Gondola One, Vail Village · Photo: 76 vortex via Google

• When: Planned for Friday, November 13, 2026 (subject to weather and conditions)
• Where: Vail Mountain, Vail Village and Lionshead base areas, Vail, CO 81657
• Cost: Lift ticket or season pass required
• Organizer: Vail Resorts

Official Event Page

Vail Mountain plans to open for the 2026-27 winter season on Friday, November 13, 2026. Vail Resorts announced the date with its other openings for the season and notes that opening dates are subject to change based on weather and conditions, so treat it as the target rather than a promise. For recent opening and closing dates, see when Vail opens and closes; for the first opening day in 1962, see when Vail opened.

November 13 puts Vail a week after Breckenridge and twelve days before Beaver Creek on the company's schedule. Early-season terrain is usually limited to what snowmaking and natural snow can cover, so check the resort's terrain and lift status on the morning you plan to ski.

What else is on that weekend

Opening day is also the first night of the town's Stoke Sessions, free live music at Checkpoint Charlie in Vail Village on Friday afternoons from 4 to 7 pm through early December.

Tickets and passes

You need a lift ticket or a season pass to ski or ride. Both are sold through the resort's official site.

Where the lifts start

Vail's two main base areas are Vail Village, home to Gondola One, and Lionshead Village, home to the Eagle Bahn Gondola. Which lifts spin on opening day is announced by the resort closer to the date.

Where to stay for opening weekend

The Lodge at Vail is steps from Gondola One in Vail Village, and The Arrabelle sits at the Lionshead base. To compare everything in town, check Vail hotels for opening weekend, November 13 to 15.

Details checked against Vail Resorts' 2026-27 opening dates announcement on September 28, 2026. Dates and times can change; confirm with the organizer before you go.