The dog days of summer. For most, this is an exciting time of year. Outdoor adventures like river surfing. Sending it on your mountain bike. Or just soaking up the sun on a beach somewhere. And yet there are some that never get enough winter. Putting away your skis or snowboards is too painful. From a hidden gem in Montana to the iconic bucket list trips, we’ve got you covered on where to go summer skiing in North America.
What We Call “Summer Skiing”
Before we jump into the list, let’s talk about what is the definition of “summer skiing.” We’re talking about those ski areas with guaranteed skiing after the summer solstice (i.e. June 21st). There are more than a dozen places that you normally could go skiing in June like Arapahoe Basin, Palisades Tahoe, or Mammoth Mountain, but it’s not a natural occurrence for them to push beyond this date. Rather, these are the ski areas you can go skiing in July or even August.
Level Set Expectations
Let’s be forthright. Summer skiing in North America isn’t going to be perfect. Most of these are either on a glacier, snow field, indoors, or on a material like neveplast (more on that later). Usually you get about half a day even if you know how to combat sticky snow. The goal of summer skiing isn’t about making tons of laps. It’s to work on technique and get better for next season. That’s why a lot of these you can’t even access as a normal patron, but rather need to sign up for a camp.
Timberline Lodge
Out of any on this list, the most guaranteed for real skiing ON SNOW is Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. Due to the mountain’s location, elevation, and topography, it collects A LOT of the white stuff during the colder winter months. On big snow years, it’s not uncommon for the Palmer snow field (where summer skiing happens) to reach depths of 30 – 50 FEET deep. We’re not talking a short lift either. Two high speed lifts give you access to over two MILES of skiable terrain, covering 2,616 vertical feet. Our friend at One Life to Ski gives the scoop on how summer skiing is possible and what to expect on Timberline Lodge.
Summer Camps – The Way To Go
Growing up in the Midwest in the early 90’s, all the snowboard films included a segment of the pros shredding up at Timberline. Big booters, monster rails, and summer camps filled with teenagers from around the country enjoying it all. I had a few lucky friends that got to experience it, and they talked about how amazing it was to get coached by their idols. While there is a public terrain park, the private one accessed via the summer camps is the one you see in so many ski and snowboard films. And with the lifts stopping at 2 pm, you have a TON of time to enjoy other stuff in the afternoon before the sun sets.
Find The Right One For You
If you do decide to go the summer camp route, be sure to pick one that fits what you’re looking for. Serious ski racers can choose from Tichy Racing, Ligety-Weibrecht Ski Camp, National Alpine Ski Camp, and Keely’s Camp. Windell’s Summer Camp founded in ’89 has evolved into the premier freestyle summer ski camp in the world. And for snowboarders, it’s High Cascade Snowboard Camp.
Woodward At Copper Mountain
The ONLY on snow option for summer skiing in Colorado. How can that be? Instead of letting the snow melt away and just run down the mountain after the lifts close, they begin snow farming. At some spots, the terrain park gets as deep as 80 FEET, allowing them to re-open during the summer months.
Campers Only
Similar to Whistler, the only way to access it is via a week-long summer camp. Besides the early morning shred fest with rails, boxes, and kickers to hit, the off-the-hill activities are on point. The 19,400 square foot barn features trampolines, foam pits, spring floor, and a variety of other “tools” that coaches can help you progress to the next level once the snow starts flying.
Beartooth Basin
Out of any summer skiing destination on our list, this might be the most unique. Located on the mighty Beartooth Plateau on the border between Wyoming and Montana, due to the heavy snowfall, the road to it is impassable in the winter months. But as the Montana Department of Transportation re-opens Beartooth Pass typically around Memorial Day, this one-of-a kind starts up their lifts for summer skiing. Even with the notorious low snowfall of the 2025/26 ski season, due to the exceptionally cold spring they were able to open the pass for the 2026 season on May 25th. The 2026 opening date for Beartooth Basin is June 14th.
Banff Sunshine Village
While Sunshine Village is known for having one of the longest ski seasons in North America, skiing into June is incredibly rare. In fact, including this summer, it has happened only three times in the resort’s nearly 100-year history. Thanks to a monster 2025/26 winter that delivered more than 400 inches of snowfall, Sunshine is reopening from June 20 through July 5, 2026, for a special stretch of summer skiing and riding. Its high elevation, cool temperatures, and ability to preserve snow long after other resorts have melted out make it one of the few places on the continent where lift-served turns are still possible after summer officially begins.
Whistler Blackcomb (Hiatus Through At Least 2027)
As Timberline is to summer skiing in the U.S., Whistler Blackcomb was the go-to spot in Canada. The Horstman Glacier was where pros and future Olympians dialed in their skills during the off-season. But over the years, things have slowly faded. In 2017, the iconic Camp of Champions was canceled. Then last year, all the summer camps were shut down after a rough winter. And now for 2025, Whistler has quietly pulled the plug on all summer skiing, putting it on indefinite hiatus.
Is this the end of summer laps at Whistler?
Maybe not. There’s a faint glimmer of hope—Momentum Ski Camps hinted there could be a long-term solution in the works with a potential for summer 2027 being the return. But as of now, no promises.
Budget Friendly Option – Dry Slopes
We get it. You’re saving your hard-earned dollars for a big winter trip or just a summer of fun beach side. Another option for those on a tight budget but still want to do some summer skiing – dry slopes.
What Are Dry Slopes?
Instead of skiing on snow, you’re skiing on something that’s similar to a plastic carpet. These square honeycomb blocks of bristles are interlinked with each other making for a soft smooth surface to slide down. Our friend at a Brave Ski Mom said that it “skis like natural snow, albeit hardpack snow (but without any ice.)”
Where To Experience It
In the U.S. as of 2024, there are now two places that offer dry slopes: Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre and Sleepy Hollow in Des Moines. Supposedly, Snowflex is the closest thing to the real stuff. While we haven’t experienced it ourselves, we’d love to hear from anyone that has. And Mt Tremblant took the leap and installed the Italian made Neveplast snow surface in 2023 making it the only ski area in North America using it, but based on their website, they’re no longer offering it for the 2026 season.
Take It Indoors
Besides dry slopes, another option is to take it indoors. Since 2019, Big SNOW America in East Rutherford, New Jersey is the one and only choice. There were big plans to create more than 20 ski domes across the country in urban locations but many of them seem to have gone the wayside. One that hasn’t is Fairfax Peak in northern Virginia just outside of Washington, D.C. No date as of yet for when it will break ground.
Head South For Winter
All that being said, there is no replacement to the real stuff. It seems like South America’s winter has kicked off with a bang too! Valle Nevado has opened THREE weeks early and has already seen six FEET of snow in seven days.
