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The 10 Best Ski Resorts for Night Skiing

roger sands
·5 min read

This article originally appeared on Ski Mag

There’s something magical about skiing at night when the crowds have thinned, a moonlit sky hangs overhead and the sounds of silence prevail. With plenty of elbow room on the slopes, night skiers and riders can carve their turns without fear of congestion.

Night skiing also offers a perfect option for people who can't get away from work during the day or for high school and college students. As an added incentive, prices for lift tickets are greatly reduced.

Between 14 to 18 percent of skier visits come at night, according to the National Ski Areas Association. The region with the biggest share of visits from night skiing is the Midwest with 28 percent, followed by the Northeast and Pacific Northwest each at 22 percent. Small ski areas report the biggest share of night visits at nearly 30 percent. Conversely, extra-large ski areas report only 10 percent of visits from night skiing.

For night owls who enjoy the solitude of skiing under the lights, these ski resorts are ready, willing, and able to oblige.

Bogus Basin, ID

The 2022-23 winter season marks the 57th year of night skiing at Bogus Basin. The recreation area has 26 lit runs and 200 acres of night riding, available seven days a week until 10 p.m. A Night Season Pass costs $99. Lights were added along the newly widened and regraded Sunshine Trail off the Morning Star Express chairlift. During the 2020-21 season, 30% of Bogus Basin's total visits were during night skiing, a more than 11% increase from the prior season.

Angel Fire Resort, NM

This popular resort offers the only night skiing in New Mexico. Ski and ride under the stars with terrain consisting of over 50 acres of groomed trails lit by large outdoor lights. Night skiing here is especially convenient for people who travel up on Fridays and hope to get on the slopes for a few hours. All the fire pits at the base are open and they offer s'mores and a hot chocolate bar.

Keystone Resort, CO

On select dates during the season, Keystone offers night skiing operations out of the River Run Village. Skiers and riders can cruise primarily blue and green runs under the lights on Dercum Mountain sitting at an elevation of 11,640 feet. On night skiing days, Keystone is open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. That's 11.5 hours of turns in a single day.

Pleasant Mountain, ME

Pleasant Mountain has provided turns under the lights since 1989 and now has four lifts servicing 19 trails. Whether it's Racing with the Moon two nights a week, special events, or laps followed by a good time in Blizzards Pub, night skiing at Shawnee Peak is always an adventure. As an added bonus, night skiing is always included in your daily lift ticket.

Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, MA

With 21 trails lit up by a LED, high-efficiency light system, night skiing here is an experience you'll enjoy from your first run to your last. While most ski areas in the state stop their lifts when the sun goes down, Jiminy Peak keeps the downhill fun going into the night. There's nothing quite like skiing or snowboarding down the mountain under the stars after watching a brilliant sunset from the summit.

Brighton Resort, UT

Ski under the stars with Night Riding at Brighton Resort. With over 200 acres, 24 runs, 250 lights, four lifts, and terrain park access, Brighton offers a wide variety of night skiing options. The addition of Snake Creek to Brighton’s Night Riding brings skiers and riders ever-expanding terrain with two new trails added this season and more to come.

Steamboat Ski Resort, CO

Night skiing is offered across five trails and 1,100 vertical feet of terrain accessible via the Christie Peak Express lift (available Thursday-Sunday beginning mid-December through the end of March). All levels of skiing and riding are available with two beginner, two intermediate, and one advanced trail.

Crotched Mountain, NH

Guests can enjoy night skiing Tuesday to Saturday until 9 p.m. with March 4 reserved for Midnight Madness where skiers and riders are able to shred under the stars to midnight. Crotched’s accessibility to Keen and Manchester makes it convenient for many people who want to ski after school or work. Crotched is 100% lit for night skiing.

Afton Alps, MN

Only 25 minutes from St. Paul, Afton Alps offers nearly 300 skiable acres, enough terrain to challenge experts to beginners, day or night. Open to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 p.m. on Sunday, Afton Alps is home to 50 runs, 18 lifts, and an acclaimed ski and ride school. Advanced snowmaking technology ensures quality conditions from morning through night.

Catamount Mountain Resort, straddles MA & NY borders

With 21 total night skiing trails and new illumination on Mountain View and Upper Promenade, Catamount is a haven for lower-level learning terrain. This area of the mountain will open up many new options for guests visiting after the sun goes down, including a continuous night skiing “green circle” easier route from the summit to base. Night skiing is open Wednesday through Saturday nights.

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