Rocky Mountain region logs third-busiest ski season on record

The big picture: U.S. ski areas tallied around 61.5 million skier visits during the 2024-25 season, a nearly 2% increase from the previous season and the highest total since 2022-23.

• Visits to the Rocky Mountain region, which includes Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, accounted for almost 43% of national visits.
• The number of ski areas in the nation also increased from 484 to 492.

What they're saying: "The 2024-25 season may come to represent a new baseline for the industry. Even if 'normal' continues to evolve, this season gives us a strong point of reference for what steady, healthy growth looks like," NSAA president and CEO Michael Reitzell said in a statement.

• The 2022-23 ski season was considered a pandemic-driven "anomaly" fueled by an increase in outdoor recreation.

By the numbers: Season pass holders accounted for about half of the visits in the U.S., while people with standard day lift tickets made up 32% of visits.

What we're watching: Ski Utah is set to release visitation numbers after the current season ends.

• About 6.75 million people visited Utah's 15 ski resorts during the 2023-24 season, per Ski Utah.