While by April most are all too eager to see the days get warmer and put the last of the winter behind them, hardened skiers and snowboarders see the start of the month as the last chance to get some time on the slopes before the season ends and ski resorts clear.
With most ski resorts opening in November and closing in mid-April, the exact timing of ski season depends on the altitude and amount of snow. This year, Utah’s Park City and Deer Valley will close on March 29 while Canada’s Whistler will run the gondola to the top of the Blackcomb Mountain until April 19.
Luxury Colorado resorts Aspen and Vail have both also set their closing date on April 19. Over in Europe, various resorts have already begun closing for the season with only a few high-altitude resorts in France, Italy and Switzerland set to operate until early May.
Why this ski and snowboard resort should be on your travel radar
For the snow bunnies who are able to plan a trip in the next two weeks, Laax resort in the Graubünden canton of Switzerland is operating until Sunday, April 12.
Mentions of the town built around the 7,425-foot Crap Sogn Gion mountain can be traced back to the 13th century but the modern ski and snowboard resort was established in 1962 when a newly-constructed cable car granted access to the top of the mountain for the first time.
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Today, Laax is home to 30 lifts and 224 kilometers (139 miles) of interconnected ski runs. This year, it also crowned Olympic skiers Eileen Gu and Luke Harrold as the champions of the Snow League World Championship founded by American Olympian and snowboard star Shaun White.
The site for the new championship was chosen because Laax is home to, at 200 meters long and seven meters deep, the largest halfpipe in the world on which professional winter athletes can perform jumps.
In the fall of 2025, local Swiss municipalities Flims, Laax and Falera came together to purchase the resort for 94.5 million Swiss Francs (roughly $118 million USD) in order to keep it locally-owned rather than getting bought out by a large American corporation like Vail Resorts.
LAAX
Missed snow season? A summer trip to the Alps is also a good idea
That younger and more casual community feel attracts both serious athletes and those interested in experiencing the stunning scenery of the Glarus Alps.
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After the ski resort closes for the season in 2026, local hotels like Rockresort, Riders Hotel and Signinahotel will start welcoming warm-weather travelers who come for the hiking, mountain biking and swimming in the crystal-blue waters of the alpine Lake Cauma.
The Senda dil Dragun (“dragon’s path” in the local Romansh language native to the region) pathway connects the resort with the main village through a mile-long elevated path through the mountain forest.
After arriving in Zurich, Laax is easily accessible through a 90-minute train ride to the Graubünden capital of Chur and a 40-minute local bus ride that winds through picturesque mountain towns and ends at the resort.
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