Updated October 24th, 2026 by Aaron McFarland

Idaho has 19 ski areas, and the first lifts of the 2026-27 season are scheduled to turn the week of Thanksgiving: Grand Targhee on November 20th, Sun Valley on November 26th, and Tamarack, Brundage and Schweitzer on November 27th, with Bogus Basin aiming for late November as snow allows. For Boise, the short list is Bogus Basin 16 miles up the hill, Tamarack and Brundage about two hours north near Donnelly and McCall, and Sun Valley under three hours east, which opens two new high-speed lifts this winter.

Below are all 19, ordered by driving distance from Boise, with highlights, what’s new, ticket prices and estimated opening dates. Last winter was one of the driest on record in Idaho and three small hills never opened, so check each mountain’s snow report before you drive. Where 2026-27 prices aren’t posted yet, we’ve listed last season’s for reference.

Boise’s home mountain is a nonprofit ski area 16 miles up Bogus Basin Road, and the only one close enough for a weeknight after work. It’s the second-largest ski area in Idaho, with downhill, night skiing, Nordic trails, tubing and a mountain coaster all in one place.

Highlights

• 2,600 acres, 1,800 ft vertical, 10 lifts and 88 runs
• Four high-speed quads
• 200 acres of night skiing
• 37 km of Nordic trails at Frontier Point
• 800-foot tubing hill and the Glade Runner mountain coaster
• About 250 inches of snow a year

What’s New for 2026-27

Lifts now open at 9am every day, night skiing runs to 9pm Sunday through Thursday and 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and blackout dates are gone from every pass. Two new groomed runs opened in the Pine Creek zone, and The Outpost, a 250-seat food and event building next to Pioneer Lodge, is slated to open this winter. Record snowmaking means early-season beginner terrain should open on manmade snow again.

Lift Tickets and Passes

2026-27 day ticket prices haven’t been posted yet. Last season an adult weekday ticket was about $84, juniors 7-12 were $37 and kids 6 and under were $10. Season passes are unchanged, from $129 for the Night pass to $779 for True Bogus, which includes Powder Alliance and Freedom Pass partner days. Bogus is not on Ikon, Epic or Indy.

Drive from Boise

It’s 16 miles of switchbacks from the North End. The road is plowed but steep, so snow tires, 4WD or chains are strongly advised. Parking is free, and a $10 cash bus runs from Nampa, Meridian, Eagle and the Bogus Basin Road park-and-ride on weekends and holidays (details below).

Tamarack has the biggest vertical drop within two hours of Boise and the area’s only full base village, with condos, restaurants, a spa and a Nordic center above Lake Cascade. Travel + Leisure named it the top resort in the West for 2026.

Highlights

• 1,610 acres, 2,800 ft vertical, 7 lifts and 57 runs
• About 300 inches of snow a year
• 3 terrain parks
• Groomed Nordic trails ($15 day pass)
• Base village lodging, dining and spa

What’s New for 2026-27

Tamarack joined the Ikon Pass as a Bonus Mountain, so full Ikon Pass holders get two days here, with a few holiday blackouts. New automated snowmaking now covers Waltz, the main beginner run, and Serenity from top to bottom.

Lift Tickets and Passes

Day tickets are dynamically priced and cheaper when you buy 10 or more days out; 2026-27 prices aren’t posted yet. Last season ran about $88 on weekdays and $110 on weekends for adults, and the Discovery beginner area ticket is $10. Tamarack is on the Ikon Pass (Bonus Mountain) and the Indy Pass.

Drive from Boise

About 90 miles up Highway 55 to Donnelly, then West Roseberry and West Mountain roads; 4WD is recommended. Parking is free, and the Tamarack Ski Bus runs Saturdays from Eagle Promenade at 6am for $25 round trip.

The Payette Lakes Ski Club’s community hill sits two miles north of McCall and is the only lit ski area in the McCall area, which makes it the easy after-dinner option on a McCall weekend.

Highlights

• 405 ft vertical, 1 T-bar and 6 runs
• 8-acre terrain park with 20-plus rails
• Night skiing
• Rustic lodge with a food menu
• Bear Basin Nordic Center across town, with 25 km of trails where dogs are welcome

Lift Tickets and Passes

$30 for adults, $20 for kids 5-17 and free for 4 and under. Season passes are $150 for adults, $325 for families and $50 for kids, discounted through December 1st, and one pass covers both Little Ski Hill and Bear Basin. It’s on the Indy Pass. There are no rentals on site, so pick up gear in McCall first.

Drive from Boise

About 105 miles via Highway 55, roughly 2 hours 10 minutes. Hours run weeknight evenings, Saturday noon to 9pm and Sunday afternoons; confirm the 2026-27 schedule on the club site.

Brundage is known for some of the best snow in Idaho, averaging 320 inches a year at the base. It’s four miles from McCall, so lodging and dinner are in town, with a free shuttle to the mountain seven days a week.

Highlights

• 1,920 acres, 1,921 ft vertical, 6 lifts and 70 trails
• 2 high-speed quads
• Hidden Valley, an experts-only zone that opened last season
• 18,000 acres of guided snowcat skiing
• 2 terrain parks
• No night skiing

What’s New for 2026-27

Nothing new on the mountain this winter, but a master plan calls for a new Sargent’s Mountain lift, more snowmaking and a new day lodge in the next few years.

Lift Tickets and Passes

Day tickets are date-based, from $65 on select days when bought online and more at the window, with $65 Tuesdays all season outside the Christmas holidays and a new $30 Beartopia beginner-area ticket ($40 on holidays) that covers 16 runs and three terrain parks. The 4PAK of four all-mountain days goes on sale November 1st, with details posted October 26th. Brundage is on the Indy Pass with an advance reservation.

Drive from Boise

About 105 miles via Highway 55 through McCall, around 2 hours 15 minutes. Parking is free, and the free McCall-Brundage shuttle leaves the McCall Post Office at 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30am.

Soldier sits above Fairfield on the way to Sun Valley and is one of the best options near Boise for uncrowded skiing at a low price. Kids 6 and under ski free.

Highlights

• 1,150 acres, 1,425 ft vertical, 3 lifts and 36 runs
• About 250 inches of snow a year
• 2,000 acres of cat skiing above the lifts
• Terrain park

What’s New for 2026-27

Lifts now run Friday through Sunday only, with cat skiing seven days a week. Season passholders get 14 free days at seven partner hills, including two at Bogus Basin.

Lift Tickets and Passes

2026-27 prices aren’t posted yet. Last season was $59 for adults and $39 for youth online, with a $15 surcharge at the window. Cat skiing is $579 a seat. Soldier is on the Indy Pass.

Drive from Boise

About 105 miles via I-84 and US-20 through Mountain Home, then 11 miles north of Fairfield. Plan on about 2 hours.

Hailey’s nonprofit community hill, three miles west of town, is a small, cheap and fun stop if you’re in the Sun Valley area with beginners. Wednesday nights are free for everyone, and tailgating, grills and fire pits are welcome.

Highlights

• 15 acres, 441 ft vertical and 7 runs
• Poma lift and a free magic carpet
• Terrain park
• Night skiing

Lift Tickets and Passes

Adults $20, youth 6-17 $10 and kids 5 and under free, and the magic carpet is always free. Season passes are $175 for adults and $300 for families.

Drive from Boise

About 145 miles, around 2 hours 30 minutes. Hours are Wednesday and Friday nights 6-9pm and weekends 11am-3pm.

America’s first destination ski resort is the biggest name in Idaho skiing. Bald Mountain has 3,400 vertical feet of steady fall line, and Dollar Mountain across the valley is the gentle learning hill.

Highlights

• Bald Mountain: 2,533 acres, 3,400 ft vertical, 12 lifts and 120-plus trails
• Dollar Mountain: 296 acres, 5 lifts and Sunny’s Adventure Park
• 37 km Nordic Center
• About 220 inches of snow a year
• No night skiing

What’s New for 2026-27

Two new high-speed lifts open in December: Lookout Express becomes a six-pack and Christmas becomes a quad. There are 50 more acres of gladed terrain, and the FIS Alpine World Cup Finals return March 20th to 25th, 2027.

Lift Tickets and Passes

Day tickets are date-priced and the most expensive in Idaho; last season’s adult window price was about $253. Lodging packages booked by December 1st bring adult tickets down to $129 and kids’ to $75, guests at the Sun Valley Lodge and Cottages get two free tickets a night from November 29th to December 20th, and kids 12 and under ski free on three-night stays. Sun Valley is on the Ikon Pass (7 days, full pass only) and Mountain Collective (2 days).

Drive from Boise

About 155 miles via I-84, US-20 and Highway 75, around 2 hours 45 minutes. Parking is free at River Run, Warm Springs and Dollar, with free Mountain Rides buses around Ketchum.

Twin Falls County’s small hill, 28 miles up Rock Creek Canyon from Kimberly, has the cheapest chairlift ticket in southern Idaho. It has no snowmaking and didn’t open in 2025-26, so check its Facebook page before you make the drive.

Highlights

• 120 acres, 700 ft vertical, 3 lifts and 22 runs
• About 230 inches of snow a year
• Tubing hill

Lift Tickets and Passes

Adults $40, kids 7-17 $30, seniors and military $35, and under 6 free. Last season’s passes roll over to 2026-27. Magic Mountain is on the Indy Pass with no blackouts.

Drive from Boise

About 160 miles, around 2 hours 45 minutes. Normal hours are Thursday through Sunday, 9am-4pm.

Grangeville’s city-owned hill is a weekend-only operation and the only lift-served skiing between McCall and Lewiston. The big draw is a tubing park with two 1,100-foot lanes on its own lift.

Highlights

• 60 acres, 400 ft vertical and 9 runs
• T-bar and rope tow
• Tubing park
• No night skiing

Lift Tickets and Passes

Last season was $28 for a ski day for ages 7 and up, tubing was $18 for an hour, and a ski and tube combo was $36.

Drive from Boise

About 200 miles via Highway 55 and US-95, around 4 hours 20 minutes. It’s open weekends and some holidays, 10am-4pm, when there’s snow.

A volunteer-run T-bar hill outside Cottonwood on the Camas Prairie, with views to the Seven Devils and the cheapest lift ticket in Idaho. It averages only about 45 inches of snow and didn’t open last winter.

Highlights

• 260 acres, 845 ft vertical and 6 runs
• T-bar and rope tow
• Night skiing the first Friday of January, February and March

Lift Tickets and Passes

$25 for a full day, $20 for a half day or night, and preschoolers ski free.

Drive from Boise

About 210 miles, around 4 hours 30 minutes. It’s normally open Saturdays and Sundays 10am-4pm plus a few holidays.

Pomerelle sits at 8,762 feet in the Albion Mountains south of Burley and gets about 500 inches of snow a year, so it tends to open early and stay open when other small hills can’t. It also runs night skiing five nights a week.

Highlights

• 500 acres, 1,002 ft vertical and about 31 runs
• 2 triple chairs and a magic carpet
• Night skiing Tuesday through Saturday until 9pm

What’s New for 2026-27

New owners took over in March 2026 and say it will stay independent and affordable. New RFID gates mean buying online saves $15 over the window.

Lift Tickets and Passes

Adults $58 online or $73 at the window, youth 7-12 $45, seniors 70+ $35, night skiing $30 for all ages, and kids 6 and under free online. Pomerelle is on the Indy Pass with no blackouts.

Drive from Boise

About 200 miles via I-84 to Albion, then Howell Canyon Road, around 3 hours.

Twenty minutes south of Pocatello, Pebble Creek has the steepest sustained skiing in southeast Idaho, with terrain that skews advanced and night skiing on the lower mountain.

Highlights

• 1,100 acres, 2,200 ft vertical and 51 runs
• 3 triple chairs and a conveyor
• About 225 inches of snow a year
• Night skiing

What’s New for 2026-27

Pebble Creek is new to the Indy Pass this season (weekdays only during peak periods), and season pass prices were held flat after a short 2025-26 season. Summer work added restraint bars to the Aspen chair, new loading ramps on all three lifts and a wider Pebble Lane. The resort told Local News 8 it hopes to open by mid-December.

Lift Tickets and Passes

Posted 2026-27 rates: adults $83, youth 13-17 and seniors $67, kids 6-12 $58, preschoolers $15, beginner lift only $35 and night skiing $35 (Fridays and Saturdays, January 9th to February 28th). Two-for-one adult tickets run on Mondays from January 5th, except holiday Mondays.

Drive from Boise

About 245 miles on I-84 and I-15, around 3 hours 40 minutes.

Not to be confused with Sun Valley’s Baldy, this is an all-volunteer T-bar hill near Pierce in north-central Idaho with surprisingly good tree skiing. It didn’t open in 2025-26, so check the club’s Facebook page before you go.

Highlights

• 140 acres, 684 ft vertical and 21 runs
• T-bar and rope tow
• About 100 inches of snow a year
• Free lessons by appointment

Lift Tickets and Passes

Adults $30, juniors 7-17 $25, and ages 6 and under and 70 and over ski free. Rentals are $20.

Drive from Boise

About 265 miles, around 6 hours. It’s normally open Saturdays and Sundays 9:30am-3:30pm.

Eastern Idaho’s night-skiing hill, 30 minutes from Idaho Falls near Ririe, has been investing heavily in snowmaking and its terrain park.

Highlights

• About 700 acres, 1,000 ft vertical and 51 runs
• About 200 inches of snow a year
• Night skiing
• Groomed Nordic and snowshoe trails at the summit

What’s New for 2026-27

Snowmaking now reaches the top of the Goldrush chair for top-to-bottom coverage, the terrain park doubled in size with lights and a sound system, and the main parking lot got bigger.

Lift Tickets and Passes

Tickets are dynamically priced. Last season adults ran about $99 to $119, youth and seniors $65 to $85, and kids 7-12 $45 to $65. Kelly Canyon is on the Indy Pass.

Drive from Boise

About 275 miles, around 4 hours 40 minutes.

Lost Trail straddles the Idaho-Montana line above Salmon, with deep snow, no crowds and a four-day week that lets the powder stack up. From Boise it pairs best with a night in Salmon.

Highlights

• 1,800 acres, 1,800 ft vertical and 69 trails
• 5 double chairs and 3 rope tows
• 300-plus inches of snow a year
• Open Thursday through Sunday, plus holidays

Lift Tickets and Passes

2026-27 prices aren’t posted yet. Last season adults paid $60 to $73 depending on the date, kids 6-12 $50 to $63, and kids 5 and under were free. Lost Trail is on the Indy Pass.

Drive from Boise

About 315 miles via Highway 21 and US-93 through Stanley and Challis, 6 to 7 hours. It’s 45 minutes from Salmon.

Targhee is technically in Wyoming, but the only road in comes from Driggs, Idaho, and it’s a Ski Idaho member. Expect 500-plus inches of light Teton snow, a ski-in, ski-out base village and far smaller crowds than Jackson Hole. It opens earliest of anything on this list.

Highlights

• 2,602 acres, 2,270 ft vertical and 95 runs
• 6 lifts, including the Colter six-pack
• 500-plus inches of snow a year
• Kids 6 to 12 ski free on two- to six-night lodging stays

Lift Tickets and Passes

2026-27 single-day tickets are $125 to $180 online depending on the date, $10 more at the window, and kids 5 and under are free. Targhee is on the Mountain Collective.

Drive from Boise

About 340 miles via I-84 and I-15 to Driggs, around 6 hours.

At Silver you park in Kellogg, ride a three-mile gondola up the mountain and end the day at Idaho’s largest indoor waterpark. It’s one of the best big-mountain values in the Northwest.

Highlights

• 1,600 acres, 2,200 ft vertical and 81 runs
• 7 lifts plus the gondola
• About 340 inches of snow a year
• The region’s longest tubing park
• Indoor waterpark at the base

Lift Tickets and Passes

2026-27 online prices for adults are $64 midweek, $76 on weekends and $80 on holidays, youth 7-17 are $48 to $65, and kids 6 and under are free. Tubing is $30.95 for two hours. Silver is on the Indy Pass and Powder Alliance.

Drive from Boise

About 385 miles via US-95 and I-90, 7 to 8 hours.

Idaho’s oldest ski area sits right off I-90 at the Montana line, catches about 450 inches of snow a year and is known for its deals.

Highlights

• 1,023 acres, 1,650 ft vertical and 51 runs plus glades
• 5 lifts and 3 terrain parks
• Free ski school for ages 7 to 17 on seven Saturdays
• No night skiing

What’s New for 2026-27

Lookout has dropped off the Indy Pass this season.

Lift Tickets and Passes

Posted 2026-27 rates with an advance reservation: adults $63 midweek, $75 weekends and $79 holidays; youth 7-17 $51, $59 and $62; seniors 65-79 $55, $64 and $67; window prices run $2 to $3 more. Kids 6 and under are free with an adult’s ticket and 80 and over ski free. Deals include two-for-one Thursdays ($75 for two adults), half-price midweek tickets with another resort’s season pass and a free ticket on your birthday. Season passes are $579 adult, $419 youth.

Drive from Boise

About 400 miles, 7 to 8 hours. It’s 22 miles east of Kellogg at I-90 Exit 0.

Idaho’s largest ski area by acreage sits above Sandpoint and Lake Pend Oreille, with open bowls, a walkable village and the Humbird hotel.

Highlights

• 2,900 acres, 2,400 ft vertical and 92 trails plus open bowls
• A six-pack and five high-speed quads
• About 300 inches of snow a year
• Twilight skiing Fridays and Saturdays, 3-7pm
• Tubing and 32 km of Nordic trails

What’s New for 2026-27

Work is underway on the Schweitzer Creek Village project, with a new access road and a 1,400-space day lot planned for 2027-28.

Lift Tickets and Passes

Day tickets are dynamically priced. Three-packs start at $83 a day, twilight tickets are $25 in advance, and last season’s single-day adult tickets ran about $120 to $138. Schweitzer is unlimited on the Ikon Pass and five days on Ikon Base.

Drive from Boise

About 425 miles via US-95, 7 to 9 hours.

Bogus Basin Road and the Bus

Bogus Basin Road is 16 miles of switchbacks that are plowed and sanded but not forgiving. The resort asks for snow tires, all-wheel drive or chains, 35 mph, and pulling into turnouts if someone is behind you. The alternative is the Bogus Basin bus, $10 cash and first come, first served. Last season it picked up in Nampa at 6:30am, Meridian at 7am, Eagle at 7:30am and the Bogus Basin Road park-and-ride at 8am, and left the mountain at 4pm. Bus riders can buy a day ticket even on sold-out days, and the 2026-27 schedule should post in November.

Tamarack runs a Saturday ski bus from Eagle Promenade at 6am, $25 round trip and free for passholders with a reservation. Brundage has a free shuttle from McCall seven days a week.

Highways 55 and 21

Check Idaho 511 before heading up Highway 55 to Tamarack, McCall and Brundage; weather and slide delays through the canyon are normal. Highway 21 above Idaho City closes periodically for avalanche risk. Snow tires or chains and a shovel in the car are standard for either road.

Renting Gear in Boise

Three shops cluster at the bottom of Bogus Basin Road, and there are two more options in town:

• McU Sports: adult ski package about $50, snowboard $45, kids $30, season leases from $170
• Eco Lounge: adult package $45, junior $30
• Greenwood’s Ski Haus: rentals and season leases
• Bogus Basin’s base shop: adult skis or a board for $36, plus $32 for boots
• Boise State Outdoor Rental Center: full alpine package for $48, open to the public

If you’d rather buy, the 75th annual Bogus Basin Ski Education Foundation Ski Swap is at Expo Idaho October 30th to November 1st, 2026 (Friday 10am-10pm, Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-3pm). Admission is $5, free on Sunday with two cans of food, and kids 12 and under are free.

Kids Ski Free in Idaho

The Ski Idaho 5th and 6th Grade Passport gives 5th graders three free days and 6th graders two free days at 18 Idaho ski areas, every one on this list except Rotarun. It’s $29 through December 20th, 2026 and $49 after, and it’s open to any 5th or 6th grader in the country. Some resorts, including Bogus Basin, restrict weekend daytime use.