Lee Canyon aims to make winter fun affordable

Recent facility improvements and a renewed emphasis on affordability at Lee Canyon’s ski resort are driving an increase in visitation to Southern Nevada’s largest destination for outdoor winter activities, operators said.

Located about 53 miles northwest of the Las Vegas Strip, the elevation of Lee Canyon ski resort’s base lodge is 8,660 feet, which makes it a popular getaway from the summertime Southern Nevada heat. But given the vast entertainment and recreation options available throughout the Las Vegas Valley, creating an affordable experience is central to Lee Canyon’s strategy to attract locals and tourists alike, marketing director Johnny DeGeorge said.

“In the Las Vegas Valley, of course, there’s many options for outdoor recreation,” DeGeorge said. “None of those are on an Alpine, forested mountain environment, though. Most of the recreation we have here is in the desert climate. So in the summertime, for example, that kind of shuts down those opportunities, where here it’s beautiful.”

Lee Canyon’s winter visitation in 2024 was up 60 percent over the 10-year average and 20 percent over the 5-year average, which indicates a strong demand for accessible winter recreation, DeGeorge said. That’s in spite of skiing and snowboarding being traditionally viewed as activities with high barriers to entry, DeGeorge said.

The National Ski Areas Association in May reported 61.5 million skier visits for the 2024-2025 season, making it the second-busiest U.S. ski season ever, only behind the 2022-23 season. As skiing and snowboarding grows, DeGeorge said many operators in California, Utah and elsewhere have chosen to price out novices and cater to a more experienced clientele.

That has created a market demand that Lee Canyon has been able to fill, DeGeorge said.

“In general, the ski industry is not known for being affordable,” DeGeorge said. “Equipment is expensive, access is expensive.”

‘More fun and less challenging’

For complete beginners, the resort offers a 30-minute introductory group lesson that teaches the basics of skiing and snowboarding. The lesson is included with the price of a lift ticket, which can be bought for as low as $14 if purchased in advance, DeGeorge said. Kids 12 and under ski for free, according to the Lee Canyon website.

Lee Canyon offers private and group lessons to skiers and snowboarders, too. Heather Collins, a Las Vegas-based social media influencer who goes by @raisedinvegas and has more than 245,000 followers, was at the resort for a lesson in December. She said it’s a unique experience relative to other entertainment options in Southern Nevada.

“I feel like Las Vegas locals really need to take part in the fun that is Lee Canyon. It’s right around the corner from us,” Collins said, adding it was her first time skiing. “It was more fun and less challenging, and I want to do it again.”

Lee Canyon’s resort lift system can transport about roughly 5,000 people per hour. To avoid overcrowding, DeGeorge said, operators have also implemented a dynamic pricing model that fluctuates ticket rates based on supply and demand.

“We don’t want to exceed a certain population per day, so that is really why the ticket prices climb up closer to the day of,” DeGeorge said.

That also means the cheapest time to hit the slopes is often during the week, which can be especially advantageous for Las Vegas locals who work unorthodox hours, DeGeorge said.

“As someone who personally loves to ski and snowboard, my favorite time to visit a resort is a Tuesday or a Wednesday, when it’s the least crowded,” DeGeorge continued. “Those are the days you’re going to find the best deals on tickets.”

Facility upgrades, year-round event schedule

Approximately $18 million in capital investments have been made since 2019, DeGeorge said. That includes a 10,000-square foot lodge that opened that year as well as a new skiing area and lift systems. Other upgrades have bolstered guest flow and terrain access, DeGeorge said.

New this season are plans for a movable rope tow that will increase access to ski areas and a magic carpet lift system that will increase flow to novice trails like Rabbit Peak, ski and snowboard instructor Ashley Anderson said.

A new ski area opened during the 2023-24 season and offers access to a new beginner terrain separate from Rabbit Peak. The resort also introduced its 500-foot Alpenglow surface lift linking the beginner hills in 2024, all of which reduce wait times to go back uphill, Anderson said.

“It’s helped so much that we’ve had all these new lifts open up and more terrain to kind of help disperse the people at ski school,” said Anderson, who is in her fourth season working at Lee Canyon.

Lee Canyon’s Sherwood and Bluebird terrains are more difficult and were designed for those with a more advanced skill set, he said.

“This is a really good place for all levels of experience,” DeGeorge said.

Even outside of skiing and snowboarding, Lee Canyon operators have also begun to embrace warmer weather activities. A downhill mountain bike park opened in 2022 and a summer concert series launched over the summer, as well as a weekly yoga class that returned due to popular demand.

That’s on top of the ample trail heads and campgrounds located nearby. When taken in together, there’s not many places that provide a better value to take in natural sights, DeGeorge said.

“These events tap into something and bring people together that are in the outdoors community or just in the local Las Vegas community,” DeGeorge said. “So it’s been a cool thing to see community growth via the yoga class, concerts, the bike racing, and, of course, our winter events.”

Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Casey_Harrison1 on X or @casey-harrison.bsky.social on Bluesky.