By Colorado Mountain Living | Updated October 2026
Loveland Ski Area is going into 2026-27 with a pricing promise most Colorado resorts no longer make: no daily lift ticket will cost more than $159 on any day of the season. Season pass prices are held for a fourth straight year, the payment plan is back and a new pass insurance program is in place. On the capital side, Loveland is working with the Forest Service to replace Lift 2 with a high-speed detachable quad, targeting the 2028-29 season, and to add a 500-car parking lot. Rob Goodell, Loveland’s senior vice president and chief operating officer, presented the plan at the Summit Chamber’s Ski Area COO Summit at Copper Mountain on October 9, 2026. Colorado Mountain Living attended. Here is what Loveland announced and why it matters to people who own or are buying in Colorado’s mountain communities.
Key takeaways
- Daily lift tickets are guaranteed not to exceed $159 on any day of the 2026-27 season.
- Season pass prices were held for the fourth consecutive year, with a payment plan and pass insurance added.
- Loveland operated 170 days last season despite a difficult snow year.
- Loveland plans to replace Lift 2, a 1985 fixed-grip triple, with a high-speed detachable quad on a new line to Forest Meadow, targeting 2028-29, pending Forest Service approval.
- A 500-car parking lot east of Loveland Valley is back in planning.
- A Loveland pass includes days at more than 35 partner areas, now including Mount Bohemia.
- Loveland celebrates its 90th anniversary in the 2027-28 season.
How did Loveland do last season?
Goodell called 2025-26 a character-building season. Low snow forced the team to rethink how and when it opened terrain, and Loveland still operated 170 days. The resort also opened a new Lift 7 at Loveland Valley, replacing a fixed-grip double with a fixed-grip quad configured to load three, and reworked beginner terrain. Goodell said the changes noticeably improved the beginner experience.
Loveland added new events, including a 90-pound rucksack challenge modeled on 10th Mountain Division training, a women’s uphill to open International Women’s Month and a “Ski with a Wildlife Officer” program alongside its long-running ranger tours. For the first time in Colorado, Loveland hosted the Western Region high school alpine championships, with more than 250 athletes from eight states. Staff earned recognition as well: Loveland’s slope maintenance foreman was named Colorado Ski Country USA’s Groomer of the Year.
How much is a lift ticket at Loveland this season?
Loveland guarantees that a daily ticket will not exceed $159 on any day of the 2026-27 season, including holidays. Goodell also pointed to Loveland’s four-pack as one of the best values in the industry. Season pass prices were held for the fourth year in a row, Loveland brought back its payment plan and it added an insurance program so passholders can commit with less risk. Goodell said the goal was to help customers who, like the resort, were coming off a hard season.
What are Loveland’s plans for new lifts and parking?
Goodell said Loveland is taking a measured approach to capital spending after last season, with near-term work focused on its snowmaking system, which is tested and ready. The larger projects:
- Lift 2 replacement: Loveland is working with the Forest Service to replace Lift 2, a 1985 fixed-grip triple at Loveland Basin, with a high-speed detachable quad on a new alignment to an area called Forest Meadow. It is planned as a two-year project with significant infrastructure work, targeting the 2028-29 season.
- Parking: Loveland plans to revive a project for an additional 500-car lot east of Loveland Valley.
- Snowmaking efficiency: expanded LiDAR snow-depth monitoring in snowcats and new weather stations around the mountain to place snow more efficiently.
What terrain and events are returning this winter?
- Guided snowcat tours: full-day guided skiing off Lift 8, covering about 500 acres of open bowls and intermediate-to-expert terrain, if conditions allow.
- Porcupine Ridge: hike-to terrain off Lift 9, which did not open last season, is a goal for this winter.
- Signature events: the 36th Mountaintop Matrimony, an Easter egg hunt, live music on the patio, the Neverland Banked Slalom, free family race days, the Loveland Derby (the largest continuously held amateur ski race in the U.S.) and the spring Corn Harvest benefiting the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
- Partnerships: the Powder Alliance and other partner areas (more than 35 in total), the Indy Pass and a partnership aimed at reducing I-70 congestion.
What Loveland’s plan means for real estate
Loveland sits on the Continental Divide just east of the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel, with no base-area lodging. Colorado Mountain Living’s view:
- Price certainty is part of the lifestyle math. A $159 daily cap and flat pass pricing give second-home owners and full-time residents a predictable, lower-cost option alongside the big-resort pass products. That matters to buyers comparing total cost of ownership across mountain towns.
- An easy second mountain for Summit County owners. Loveland is reachable from Dillon and Silverthorne via the tunnel, and over Loveland Pass when it is open. Owners in that corridor have Loveland, A-Basin and Keystone within a short drive.
- Long-range upgrades, not near-term disruption. The Lift 2 project targets 2028-29 and still needs Forest Service approval. Buyers should treat it as a future improvement, not a current one.
- Check the rental rules where you buy. If you plan to rent your property, short-term rental licensing differs by town and county across Summit and Clear Creek counties. Verify before you write an offer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most a lift ticket will cost at Loveland in 2026-27?
$159. Loveland guarantees no daily ticket will exceed that price on any day of the season.
Is Loveland replacing Lift 2?
Loveland is working with the Forest Service to replace Lift 2, a 1985 fixed-grip triple, with a high-speed detachable quad to Forest Meadow, targeting the 2028-29 season.
How many days was Loveland open last season?
170 days in 2025-26.
What partner resorts come with a Loveland pass?
More than 35 partner ski areas through the Powder Alliance and other partnerships, including Mount Bohemia in 2026-27.
Who can help me buy or sell in Colorado’s mountain communities?
Colorado Mountain Living’s team works across Summit County and Colorado’s mountain markets. Contact Colorado Mountain Living for current pricing, inventory and rental-rule guidance.
Thinking about a Colorado mountain home?
Buying or selling: Colorado Mountain Living weighs resort access, costs and rental rules to help clients choose the right town, not only the right house. Talk with our team.
Agents outside Colorado: If your client is buying or selling in Colorado’s high country, refer them to Colorado Mountain Living. We will keep you informed through closing. Start a referral.
More from this series: 2026 Ski Area COO Summit
- Copper Mountain 2026-27 Season Preview
- Breckenridge 2026-27 Season Preview
- Keystone 2026-27 Season Preview
- Arapahoe Basin 2026-27 Season Preview
Source: presentations at the Summit Chamber’s Ski Area COO Summit, Copper Mountain, October 9, 2026. Prices, dates and plans are as presented by the ski area and may change; confirm details with Loveland Ski Area before you travel. Lift and parking projects remain subject to Forest Service approval.