The Forest Service Just Told Ski Resorts They Don't Have to Be Ski Resorts Anymore

This Sunday, roughly a dozen major western ski resorts will shut down for the season. Breckenridge. Winter Park. Aspen Mountain. Grand Targhee. Mt. Bachelor. Solitude. Kirkwood. Stowe. Okemo. Loon. The list goes on.

By Monday morning, the number of operating ski areas in America will drop to a handful -- maybe 15 in the West, a few more in the East. By May, you'll be counting on two hands.

It's the logical end to what's been the worst western snow season in half a century. Colorado snowpack bottomed out at 24% of normal. Utah went from 75% to 15% in a single month. Dozens of resorts closed early or never opened at all.

But while the ski world spent the last four months fixating on snowfall totals and closing dates, the U.S. Forest Service quietly made a decision that could reshape the industry for decades.

The Rule Nobody Talked About

On March 25, the Forest Service published a final rule revising the legal definition of a ski area. The key change: they removed the revenue test.

For over a decade, ski areas operating on Forest Service land -- that's 127 of them, including some of the biggest names in the sport -- had to prove that the majority of their revenue came from skiing and snow sports. It was the bright-line test for keeping your special-use permit, which can last up to 40 years.

That test is gone.

In its place, the Forest Service will evaluate ski areas "on a case-by-case basis," looking at things like visitation patterns, infrastructure, investment, season length, and whether the area "looks and feels primarily like a ski area."

Read that again. The federal government will now determine if you're a ski resort based on vibes.

Why It Matters

The timing isn't subtle. In explaining the change, the Forest Service pointed to "significant fluctuations in seasonal snow conditions" that have made the revenue test unreliable, noting that many resorts "now rely more on revenue from non-skiing activities to stay solvent between years of greater snowfall."

Translation: some of these places can't make enough money from skiing alone anymore, and we'd rather change the rules than watch them lose their permits.

The numbers back it up. According to the National Ski Areas Association, about 80% of ski areas surveyed in 2024 and 2025 offered summer activities -- mountain biking, zip lines, ropes courses, scenic chairlift rides, concerts, weddings. Those activities now account for roughly 12% of industry revenue. At some individual resorts, it's much higher.

And after a season like 2025-26? That 12% number is about to climb.

What "Ski Resort" Even Means Now

Congress actually opened this door back in 2011, explicitly allowing summer recreation on Forest Service ski area permits. Mountain biking trails. Hiking. Alpine coasters. The catch was that none of it could change a resort's "primary purpose" of being a ski area.

The old revenue test made that straightforward -- if more than half your money comes from skiing, you're a ski area. Simple.

But Murray Feldman, a Boise-based attorney who works with companies seeking permits on public lands, told Aspen Public Radio that the new rule fundamentally changes the math: "You could now conceivably have an area where the non-ski use generates greater revenue. So long as the area was primarily designed and managed for skiing, that's okay."

Think about what that means. A "ski resort" could theoretically make most of its money from summer mountain biking, fall festivals, and wedding venues -- and still keep its Forest Service permit. As long as the chairlifts look like they're there for skiing and the place has a ski-area vibe, you're good.

NSAA is thrilled. "Implementing the new definition will help position ski areas for long-term resilience without affecting their permit status with the federal government," a spokesperson wrote.

Christy Germscheid, executive director of Ski New Mexico, said the new definition could increase priority for non-skiing infrastructure projects. "It is no longer just a winter business -- that summer operation is becoming key and beneficial, and our customers love it."

The Closing Weekend, In Context

Back to this Sunday. Here's who's shutting down April 19:

Colorado: Breckenridge, Winter Park, Aspen Mountain Utah: Solitude (with a bonus weekend Apr 24-26) California: Kirkwood, Mt. Rose, Palisades Tahoe (conditions dependent) Oregon: Mt. Bachelor Washington: Crystal Mountain (daily ops end), Mt. Baker Wyoming: Grand Targhee Arizona: Arizona Snowbowl New England: Mount Snow, Okemo, Stowe, Loon, Saddleback, Sunday River

After Sunday, what's left out West? Copper Mountain (extended to May 3 after this week's storm), A-Basin (fighting for May), Loveland (April 26), Alta (April 26), Snowbird (through Memorial Day), Mammoth (also Memorial Day), Big Sky (weekends through Apr 26), and a few more hanging on by their fingernails.

In a normal year, April 19 would be the start of spring skiing season -- the point where things thin out but the diehards dig in. This year, it's closer to a funeral.

The bright spot? Copper, which announced Thursday it's pushing its closing date from April 26 to May 3 after catching 8 inches this week. "We are keeping it rolling thanks to our high elevation, early-season snowmaking efforts and north-facing slope aspects," the resort said. "To be frank, we still have the snow and the stoke to keep skiing."

Lift tickets at Copper drop to $49 after April 26. If you're in Colorado and want one more day, that might be your move.

The Real Story

Here's what connects these two threads -- the mass closures and the Forest Service rule.

When a season like 2025-26 happens, it's not just disappointing. It's an existential threat to the business model. Vail Resorts reported skier visits down 11.9% and revenue down $53.2 million. Smaller resorts, the ones without the cash reserves of an Alterra or a Vail, are the ones that simply don't open.

The Forest Service rule is an acknowledgment that this isn't a one-off. Research suggests climate change could shrink Colorado's ski season by weeks by midcentury. The agency is essentially telling the industry: we see where this is going, and we're making room for you to adapt.

That's probably the right call. But it raises a question that nobody in the industry wants to say out loud: at what point does a "ski resort" that makes most of its money from non-skiing activities and can't reliably open its terrain due to snow conditions... stop being a ski resort?

The Forest Service says they'll know it when they see it. Let's hope so.

Where to Ski This Weekend

If you're trying to squeeze in one more day before the curtain falls, here's your short list for the best remaining options:

• Best value: Copper Mountain ($99, or $49 after April 26)
• Best snow: Crystal Mountain and Baker in Washington -- the PNW is still getting hammered
• Longest season: Mammoth and Snowbird, both targeting Memorial Day
• Wildcard: A-Basin hasn't announced a closing date yet and has tickets through May 3
• East Coast: Sugarbush (VT) through May 3, Sugarloaf (ME) through April 26, Killington (TBD)

Check our multi-model forecast before you go -- Friday's storm in Colorado could drop 3-8 inches across the northern mountains.

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The Forest Service's final rule was published in the Federal Register on March 25, 2026. Reporting on the rule from the Mountain West News Bureau via KUNC, Aspen Public Radio, and NPR affiliates was used as a source for this article.