Arctic Valley Ski Area

A great ski area with a family-friendly environment

Arctic Valley appeals to skiers and riders who want to feel like they are in the backcountry, but with the safety and convenience of a ski area. Families enjoy the area because it is safe and not crowded, so kids stay in sight and don’t get lost.  Children who are not skiing yet build snow forts and enjoy the other kid-friendly activities that parents provide in the sunny, comfortable lodge.  A convenient alternative to the backcountry, we are also being discovered by a new generation of skiers and boarders.  Arctic Valley is very affordable, making it realistic to run up the mountain and ski for just a few hours.

All this is just 10 miles from downtown Anchorage!

Operating Schedule

We’ve expanded our operating schedule over the past few seasons. We now plan to operate:

• Saturdays & Sundays from 2nd week of December through mid-April
• Wednesday-Sunday Christmas Break & Spring Break
• Thursday-Friday March through mid-April (afternoons & evenings)
• Tubing is open Thursday-Sunday Thanksgiving weekend through 1st weekend in April

From Beginner to Advanced

Arctic Valley has limited beginner terrain, but can facilitate the transition from beginner to advanced on our T-bar. Starting out on the rope tow behind the lodge, beginners and kids can get a feel for being on their skis and boards. Once they’ve mastered the rope tow, skiers and riders can ride the lower section of the T-bar. With an easy area unload at Tower 3, they can start to get a feel for the larger lift without going all the way up. Once riders are comfortable on lower mountain, the T-bar and Chair 1 service intermediate terrain. Chair 2 services advanced terrain to keep higher-ability skiers and riders happy!

Please be sure to ride within your abilities – we know the chairlifts are attractive as an easy way up the mountain, but there are no easy routes down from the top of the lifts.

Fresh tracks all day!  

We have more fresh tracks! Our large acreage (500 plus acres) provides enough room for everyone to have their own slice of the mountain.

We’ve expanded our grooming capabilities with the purchase of a winch groomer in 2016. Portions of Ptarmigan Bowl next to the T-bar are regularly groomed in the winter, with additional grooming elsewhere dependent on snow quality.

To preserve the guest experience, Arctic Valley limits the number of tickets sold on any given day – we recommend purchasing in advance for a quicker and smoother experience when you arrive.

See our skiing photo gallery!

Rental options

Arctic Valley now offers rentals! We have a selection of new Rossignol skis and snowboards in both adult and child sizes. Our selection is somewhat limited, so please reserve early! 

Lessons

Arctic Valley offers ski and snowboard lessons! Join our instructors for a private, 1- or 2-hour lesson. We can accommodate multiple students in the same lesson, and beginner or intermediate skiers/riders.

Tube Park

Come check out the tube park as it is a great family-friendly weekend activity.

Hours of Operation: Thursday to Sunday through early April.

The tube park operates four daily sessions on Thursdays and Fridays and five daily sessions on Saturdays and Sundays. Each session will allow a limited number of riders access to the tube park for as many runs as can be completed during that time period. Currently, the rider limit is 60 (50 large and 10 small tubes). Check out our Tube Park page for more information.

Backcountry Recreation

There are several areas for backcountry skiing and travel that may be accessed from the Arctic Valley Trailhead. The most popular area is the north side of Toklat Creek, where several good runs exist on the south-facing slopes of Mt Gordon-Lyon. Arctic Valley maintains a groomed trail up the valley from the top of the tube park to the top of Toklat Creek. Everything to the south of this trail is part of the ski area, and uphill travel is not allowed.

Backcountry areas are not patrolled or monitored for avalanche conditions. Travel is at your own risk; follow avalanche-terrain travel practices.