Most don’t associate Santa Fe and skiing but don’t let the fallacy fool you.
If you’re like us we are more than excited to get this 2023-2024 Santa Fe Ski season going.
If you don’t know about the ski culture here in Santa Fe, here’s some intel so you can enjoy your New Mexico Ski season to the max!
Latest updates about Skiing in Santa Fe:
Ski Santa Fe has extended the ski season through April 16th! This is the Spring that keeps on giving!
Where can I ski in Santa Fe?
Ski Santa Fe is only 30 minutes from downtown Santa Fe and is a quality ski resort for those looking for fun family terrain or some serious New Mexico steeps.
One of the best parts about this mountain are the small crowds which means more hidden stashes and short lift lines.
It’s very likely on a powder day that you can find powder stashes the entire day rather than most resorts being tracked out before lunch.
The Ski Santa Fe address is: 1477 NM-475, Santa Fe, NM 87501
You know you have arrived when you see the sign and can’t go any farther.
Ski Santa Fe Mountain facts:
- Runs: 86 runs
- Lift Service: 7 lifts
- Terrain: 20% Beginner – 40% Intermediate – 40% Advanced
- Acres: 660 acres
- Vertical Drop: 1725 Elevation
- Base Peak: 10, 350 feet
- Summit Elevation: 12,075 feet
- Experts will love the steep glades off of the Tesuque Peak chair and Millenium Chair.
- Beginners will certainly enjoy themselves on the lower mountain off of Easy Street chair.
- The operating hours of Ski Santa Fe are from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm!
- Weekends can get very busy. It’s advisable to travel early and in groups.
- Parking: There is currently issues with parking near Ski Santa Fe as big weekend crowds are making congested and overflowing road areas.
What are 2024 snow conditions like at Ski Santa Fe right now?
Snow conditions are exceptional right now! 89/89 trails are open and 6/7 lifts are operating.
Over the last 7 days there has been 29″ growing the season base to 64″ and the season total to 178″!
Stay up to date with New Mexico weather forecasts at New Mexico OpenSnow
Ski Santa Fe Lift Tickets and Season Passes
Adult Lift tickets cost about $100/day
Season Passes: About $700
Other pass options include paying as you go with the One Pass or the Peak Plus Pass.
One Pass – $279
Peak Plus Pass – $79
What other ski resorts are near Santa Fe?
Ski resorts near Santa Fe include:
- Taos Ski Valley (1.5 hours away)
- Pajarito (50 minutes)
- Angel Fire Resort (2 hours)
- Sipapu (1:20 minutes)
- Wolf Creek Ski Area (3 hours)
There are more New Mexico Ski resorts but these are some of the most local and highest-rated!
Does Santa Fe have any backcountry skiing options?
Santa Fe’s Baldy Bowls are one of the best backcountry skiing options in Santa Fe. Also, skiing Big Tesuque is another “backcountry option” originating from Ski Santa Fe.
Highly recommend visiting this blog all about Southwest Backcountry Skiing
Not specifically “backcountry”, but Ski Santa Fe does ALLOW uphill ski access. Adhere to guidelines around avoiding others and being safe, but you are allowed uphill access at your leisure.
How much snowfall can I expect for a good Santa Fe ski year?
Ski Santa Fe regularly receives around 220 + inches of snow in a good year. We always do the snow dance and pray for the best. As far as the snowiest month in Santa Fe, December seems to have the most snow activity.
With snowfall totals always varying on weather conditions, you typically can ski from November – April in the Santa Fe area.
How much snow is expected for 2022-2023 in New Mexico?
Forecasters are predicting a La Nina winter (warm winter) for the southwest region. Forecasting is only forecasting so we can pray that we get more than expected.
The 2022-2023 ski season at Ski Santa Fe has been one of the best ski seasons to date.
Some late-season storms have made the base depth solid and hopefully keep spring skiing alive till mid-Spring.
Check out the webcams here and keep yourself updated with weather forecasts for the Santa Fe mountains.
Are there rental available at Ski Santa Fe?
Yes there are ski rentals for both adults and children available on site! You can also rent snowboards at the mountain as well!
Prices are range between $ $ depending on your choice of setup.
If you would rather get straight on the mountain and rent ahead, consider renting from a Ski Shop in Santa Fe!
Here are some quality Ski & Snowboard shops in Santa Fe to consider
How do I get to Ski Santa Fe Ski Resort?
Ski Santa Fe offers a free ski shuttle bus from Santa Fe with the 255 Mountain Trail Route “blue bus”. Use the blue bus website tracker or download the app today!
The blue bus runs one morning trip from the South Capitol Station at 8 am with multiple stops along the way as well as one return trip at 4:30 from Ski Santa Fe.
Pro tip: Get to the South Capitol Station early to ensure you have a spot on board. Many people have reported that the bus has been full on powder days after the first stop.
Visitors can also drive up highway 475 from town which takes about 30 minutes
The driving conditions can get very bad when there is heavy snowfall which does not make accessing the ski resort easy. It is highly recommended to NOT drive a car that doesn’t have AWD or 4WD capabilities.
Snowplowing does exist, but it’s not the best system out there.
Ski Santa Fe Lodging
There are no ski in ski out or hotels on the premises of Ski Santa Fe.
The closest and the most memorable lodging option is to book a Yurt at Hyde Memorial Park for $80/night. This is about 15 minutes south of the ski area whereas town options are about 30 minutes away.
For those who want to stay near the ski area, we recommend somewhere in town like the El Rey Court or the Sage Hotel.
Cross Country Skiing in Santa Fe
Besides downhill skiing and snowboarding, there are cross-country skiing options in the area as well!
The Aspen Vista Trail is one of the most popular options and is just down the road from the ski resort.
Other cross-country ski options in Santa Fe include:
- Norski Trail
- Valles Caldera National Preserve (Jemez Mountains) – 1:30 hour drive
Are there any Avalanche courses in Santa Fe?
Skiers and snowboarders in Santa Fe should head to Taos for any comprehensive avalanche training. Two great options are the Taos Avalanche Center & Beverly Mountain Guides
More fun things to experience in Santa Fe
Keep the fun going after an amazing day on the slopes in Santa Fe. If you need some more inspiration of the best of Santa Fe, use any of these resources or shoot us a message!