Winter Park Mary Jane Glades. So. Much. Snow. | Credit: Liam Abbott/SnowBrains The Winter Park Resort 2026-27 season will bring an extra hour of weekend skiing and riding, plus a bigger Rope Drop Club rewards program, the resort announced September 15. Winter Park also detailed new summer grooming equipment, added snowmaking capacity, and a lineup of early-season events for the year ahead. Related: Winter Park, CO, Town Gondola: First Real Plans Revealed With Big Decisions to Come Winter Park Resort 2026-27 Season Hours Winter Park will open at 8 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays this season, an hour earlier than its weekday start. The new weekend hours run from December 2026 through April 2, 2027, and add up to roughly 36 extra hours of skiing and riding, or about four and a half additional days, over the course of the season. The resort says the earlier start applies to every guest — no upgrade will grant earlier weekend access. Weekday hours stay from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Related: Winter Park, CO, $2 Billion Development Plan Clears First Major Hurdle Because weekends are now open at 8 a.m. for everyone, Winter Park is limiting its Early Ups Pass to weekdays only. The pass, an add-on for Ikon and Winter Park season pass holders, still grants an hour of early access on the Gondola and Explorer Lift, now Monday through Friday from December through April 2. The Early Ups Pass costs $149. Rope Drop Club Adds New Perks Winter Park is bringing back its Rope Drop Club, the passholder program that sends real-time text alerts when ski patrol drops ropes on new terrain. Skiers and riders who scan their pass at least twice at Winter Park during November earn membership, which includes a preview day at Mary Jane before it opens to the public and access to patrol’s private terrain-opening alerts. Related: 7 Best U.S. Ski Resorts You Can Reach by Train New this season, Rope Drop Club members can scan two additional days between December 1 and 15 to unlock extra rewards. Two November scans earn two Rope Drop Club lift-access days beginning March 1, 2027, while the added December scans earn two more access days starting January 1, 2027. Members will also get dedicated lift lanes at the Gondola and Super Gauge lifts, a new perk for the 2026-27 season. Winter Park Resorts extends its weekend hours. | Photo: SnowBrains Summer Grooming and Snowmaking Upgrades Winter Park spent close to $300,000 on new summer grooming equipment, including two slope maintenance machines used for vegetation management and fire mitigation. The machines clear invasive plants from dry slopes and thin gladed terrain, work the resort says will translate into broader early-season terrain openings and improved tree skiing. Related: Winter Park, CO, Launches Free Uber-Style Transit Service Ahead of Ski Season The resort is also adding more than $750,000 in new snow guns and related upgrades to its snowmaking system, two years after a $38 million overhaul. The latest investment will nearly double snowmaking capacity on Lower Hughes, the trail facing Winter Park’s base-area Village and Gondola. Events Return for Winter Park Resort 2026-27 Season Send’er November, Winter Park’s early-season celebration, returns for three weekends in November with a poker run, a mini-mogul course, and other perks for guests who ski or ride during the month. December brings Deck the Slopes, the resort’s holiday event series, capped by the annual Torchlight Parade on December 24. Related: Can Colorado Build Its Own Swiss-Style Ski Railway? Inside the Denver West Express Mary Jane, which marked 50 years of operation in 2026, will celebrate its 51st season with an event the second weekend of January 2027. Winter Park has not yet released details. The resort is also planning a winter version of its Alpine Fairy Trail, a whimsical trail concept it debuted over the summer, with more information to come. The Winter Park Express ski train returns in December, again operated in partnership with the Colorado Department of Transportation. The resort says it will also introduce updated food and beverage options this season and adjust its Mountaintop Après celebration at Sunspot, starting in mid-December. Winter Park has not announced an opening date for the 2026-27 season. Winter Park Resort 2025-26 trail map. The post Winter Park Resort, CO, Extends Opening Hours for 2026-27 Season appeared first on SnowBrains.