The 5 Best Resorts To Ski In May 2026
For some, May is the time to clean and store their ski gear properly for summer; for others, it's the beginning of 'how many months in a row can I ski?' season.
There's no doubt that after a weird winter, not as many mountains are still open, but there are still a few holding out for lift-accessed turns. If you're not ready to call it quits on skiing for the year or just want a final day or two of lift-accessed turns, here are some of the best places you can still ski in May of 2026.
A few more ski areas will be open through the first weekend of the month, including Arapahoe Basin, Brighton, Sugarbush, and Copper Mountain. For turns through the rest of the month, here are the best places to spring ski.
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1. Jay Peak, VT
It's no surprise that Jay Peak is still open and firing after all the snow that northern Vermont got this winter. With a total snowfall of 410" and a base of up to 40", Jay Peak is still welcoming folks for lift accessed skiing until May 9 at least. The mountain has two upper mountain and two lower mountain lifts still spinning and is still grooming on at least 13 trails. While Jay Peak's exact closing date is still technically TBD, it's worth getting up there ASAP for some May turns.
2. Mammoth Mountain, CA
Mammoth Mountain, California, prides itself on excellent spring skiing, calling it Second Season. Despite the ups and downs in California's snowpack this year, Mammoth is still going strong with a base depth of 41 inches, and cool temperatures have kept the snow nice and soft. While closing day is still TBD, there's plenty of events on the calendar throughout May at Mammoth to help enjoy the last bit of lift accessed skiing in the Sierra.
3. Snowbird, UT
Snowbird has transitioned to weekend-only operations but remains one of the last open resorts in Utah. A late-season storm in the Wasatch has dumped 16" of snow at Snowbird over the last week, giving them a little refresh and contributing to the 82" base Snowbird is still rocking. Utah skiers, get your spring turns while you can- Snowbird will be assessing operations on a week-by-week basis after May 3.
4. Banff Sunshine Village, Banff, CA
Our neighbors to the north are still reveling in the 32+ feet of snow that fell at Banff Sunshine this season. Although Banff is closing for the season on May 18th, that still gives more than two weeks to enjoy all that snow, including the few inches that have fallen over the last few days. There's lots going on at Sunshine Village over the next few weeks as well, like Holy Bowly on May 2 and 3, the Leg Burner Banked Slalom on May 9, and the Slush Cup to close out the season on May 18.
5. Timberline Lodge, OR
While Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood is planning to have a much shorter season than normal (as the mountain is usually open through August!), the month of May is still expected to be prime spring PNW skiing. Timberline is selling spring passes, which give unlimited mountain access through the end of May and allow folks to take advantage of the 75" base on Hood. The ski area's exact closing date is still TBD, but we'd wager you can count on turns through the rest of the month at least.
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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 4:41 AM.