Taos Ski Valley
In the early 1950s, Swiss ski pioneer Ernie Blake spotted this awe-inspiring mountain's towering vertical and snow aspect at the base of the Rocky Mountains from his Cessna 170 during his routine commute between the Santa Fe Ski Basin and the Glenwood Ski Area. From that day forward, Blake, his wife, Rhoda, and their children, dedicated their lives to building a destination, their way. The whole family relocated to what is now Taos Ski Valley in an eleven-foot camper and got to work.
What began as a small hill with just one lift and one run (the current Snakedance on the frontside steeps), quickly grew into a world-class resort with the help of other ski pioneers like Jean Mayer, the French junior champion skier who arrived in 1957 to found the award-winning Ski School and create the revolutionary Ski Week tradition. The Blakes created a pure mountain experience, where local culture and traditional European hospitality formed a welcoming spirit rooted in the natural environment. That essence remains at the core of the resort to this day.
Certified B Corporation
We are committed to enjoying, protecting, and giving back to these mountains and our community. This is why we pursued the B Corporation certification in 2017 becoming the first mountain resort to obtain certification. Being a B Corp helps us learn how to use our business as a force for good for our environment, our workplace, our community, and our guests by providing a framework to conduct our business in a responsible manner to benefit our stakeholders. It also connects us to the community of certified B Corp businesses around the world that inspire and challenge us to be better. B Corp Certification gives us a benchmark to improve our performance so that we continue to focus on beneficial practices such as calculating and reducing our carbon footprint, paying living wages, providing benefits that are meaningful to our staff, and supporting other responsible businesses. The certification is not an end game, but a guideline to help us be better. Please check out our annual report below to review our progress.
Welcome to the Mountain
Taos Ski Valley
- Average Annual Snowfall: 300 inches
- Average Days Of Sunshine: 300+ days
- Total Acreage: 1,294 acres
- Number of Trails: 110 total | 24% beginner, 25% intermediate, 51% expert
- Number of Lifts: 13 Total Lifts | 1 gondola, 2 high-speed quads, 2 fixed-grip quads, 4 triples, 3 surface lifts, 1 double
- Base Elevation: 9,350 feet / 2,849 meters
- Summit Elevation: 12,481 feet / 3,804 meters
- Vertical Drop: 3,131 feet / 914 meters
- Uphill Capacity: More than 15,000 skiers per hour (19,000 inc. carpets)
- Snowmaking Capabilities: ~100% of beginner and intermediate slopes
Winter sports at Taos Ski Valley are made possible through a unique public-private partnership with the United States Forest Service which manages portions of the federal land utilized for these activities.
Things to Do
Summer Bike Park Scenic Lift Rides Via Ferrata UTV Tours Hiking Summer Activities Events
Winter Lift Tickets Season Passes Lessons Childcare Events
Plan Your Visit
Lodging & Rest Just steps from Lift 1, our 115 rooms offer stylish alpine comfort with easy access to the mountain. Whether you’re skiing, shopping, or simply strolling, you’ll find adventures right outside your door.
Getting Here Getting here has never been easier. Contour Airlines offers non-stop flights from Denver International Airport, opening seamless connections to hundreds of cities nationwide. Travelers can also fly from Texas and California on JSX, a hop-on jet service, or take in the scenery on a road trip from anywhere across the Southwest.
Parking & Maps
Whether you're arriving for a day on the mountain or a stay at The Blake, you'll find detailed directions, parking lot locations, and accessibility options to help you navigate with ease.