Just a handful of ski areas (including Cervinia, Hintertux, Les 2 Alpes, Mammoth and Zermatt) that were open last autumn are still running their 25-26 ski seasons up high.
But as we approach the start of summertime (by the meteorological measure) on Monday, they’re being joined by the northern hemisphere’s ‘summer only’ resorts, opening for their 2026 seasons.
In Norway the two remaining summer glacier areas of Stryn and Galdhopiggen opened earlier this month and France will see Tignes and Val d’Isere re-open for glacier skiing in June.
In the USA the Beartooth Basin Summer Ski Area, located off Montana’s iconic Beartooth Highway (described as the most beautiful roadway in America, and opening early this year on May 22), is open for its 2026 run last weekend, already having 29 inches of snow this spring season. It’s the centre’s 64th summer ski season.
Canada’s Sunshine ski area near Banff which only ended its 25-26 season less than a fortnight ago says it plans to reopen for a rare summer-skiing fortnight in last June and early July after reporting its second snowiest winter ever with more than 10m of snowfall.
Next up though is Italy’s Stelvio Glacier (pictured above) near 2026 Olympic venue Bormio which opens this Saturday 30 May for its 2026 summer season, running through to 1 November and offering nearly six months of continuous skiing. Its summer‑ski heritage dates back to the 1930s, when the Bergamo branch of the CAI built Rifugio Livrio and launched early alpine ski and ice‑climbing courses. What began as a mountaineering base evolved into one of Europe’s best‑known summer ski destinations, with generations of families returning annually.
The glacier offers around 20 km (13 miles) of pistes with a 700‑metre vertical drop, stretching from the Stelvio Pass at 2,758 m to Monte Cristallo at 3,450 m. Six lifts, including the newer Geister I and II drags, serve the area, which sits entirely within Stelvio National Park amid the Ortles‑Cevedale peaks.
Stelvio caters to all levels: reliable high‑altitude snow for alpine skiers, and, hen conditions allow, two cross‑country loops, one at 3,180 m and another running 6 km from the pass. The quieter summer atmosphere makes it ideal for beginners, supported by experienced ski‑school instructors. Elite alpine and Nordic teams also train here each year, adding a unique high‑performance backdrop for recreational visitors, especially in this post‑Olympic summer.