Growing up in the Midwest, I always wondered why no ski area ever really pushed the limits of the season. Sure, there are one-off events like Summer Fest at Tyrol or Trollhaugen’s Open-Haugen, but nothing consistent. Opening early? That’s easy—some hills spin lifts as early as October. But the late season? Even if there’s snow, most just shut down. The grizzled park rats would always say, “Midwesterners get bored of skiing by spring. They’re off chasing golf balls. If they want to ski late, they’ll head west to Colorado or east to Killington.”
Well, this winter, Boyne Mountain is flipping the script. They’re going all in—aiming to stay open all the way until Memorial Day!
Long Seasons Are Based on Tradition
When you look at the ski resorts that truly push the boundaries of the season, it all comes down to tradition. The ones that stay open into late May—or even later—aren’t just doing it on a whim. They’re committed. It’s part of their identity. But here’s the flip side: for those lifts to keep spinning, skiers and snowboarders have to show up. It’s a two-way street—resorts make the effort, and the community rallies to make it worth it.
Killington’s Blueprint
While Killington is known today for skiing into June, its roots in late-season turns go way back—all the way to 1961. That’s when Killington first claimed the title of having the “longest continuous operating schedule in the Eastern United States,” and they’ve been committed to it ever since.
And the locals? They’ve had Killington’s back from the start. Even in 1962, when temps soared into the upper 70s in nearby Rutland, over 2,000 skiers showed up on Easter weekend, April 22nd, to get their spring laps in.
Killington doubled down with heavy investment to stretch the season, and by 1982, they officially achieved lift-served skiing into June. For the next two decades, a June closing wasn’t the exception—it was the norm.
Competition Shows What’s Possible
Since 2018, a friendly rivalry has been brewing between Mt. Bohemia in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Boyne Mountain—each vying to be the last ski area standing each winter. To make things more interesting (and add a little local pride), the two agreed on a friendly wager: whoever stays open the longest donates $1,000 to a local charity.
That first year, Boyne took the win, spinning lifts all the way until May 8th! And ever since, it feels like Boyne caught the bug. They realized there’s real demand for spring skiing in the Midwest—and they’ve been pushing the boundaries of what’s possible ever since.
Midwest’s First Glacier
Instead of just firing up the snow guns to get the season started, Boyne Mountain took a page out of Killington’s playbook—making snow all season long whenever the weather allowed. By the end of March, their efforts paid off big time. The Victor “glacier” had grown to a massive 245 inches deep—that’s nearly 20 feet of snow stacked and ready to keep the stoke alive well into spring.
Conditions are INSANE For April
The craziest part? The snow conditions at Boyne Mountain are incredible for this time of year. They stayed open daily through April 6th, and for the weekend of April 12th, they had 5 lifts spinning, providing access to 57% of their terrain. And they’re not done yet—weekend operations continue through April 20th.
While most of the snowmaking muscle was focused on Victor, there’s still so much snow on the ground that the crew got creative. We’re talking a full-on banked slalom course and a legit spring park setup.
And here’s the cherry on top: if you’ve got a season pass from any Michigan ski resort, you can ride Boyne Mountain for just $25! Now that’s how you keep the spring stoke alive.
Could Boyne Become the Midwest’s Killington?
The question that keeps knocking around in my brain: Does Boyne Mountain check all the boxes to become a true late-season ski destination? And honestly, the answer is a big YES.
Within a two-hour drive, there are 10–12 million potential skiers and riders. Plus, spring skiing isn’t an all-day affair—and that’s part of the magic. You can rip spring laps in the morning, then hit the golf course or mountain bike trails in the afternoon. Add in all the charming lakeside towns nearby, and you’ve got a full-blown spring adventure.
If I were the snowflake-reading equivalent of a tea leaf reader, all signs point to Boyne Mountain starting a brand-new tradition: becoming the longest continuously operated ski area in the Midwest.
