Do Idaho’s slopes seem busier? Ski areas set new visitation record, analysis shows
Idaho ski areas saw record visitation in the 2020-21 season, according to an economic impact report commissioned by Ski Idaho, a nonprofit promoting Idaho’s ski industry.
The report showed Ski Idaho’s 19 member ski areas had nearly 2.2 million visits, besting the previous record set in the 2018-19 season by 14%. Ski Idaho President Brad Wilson, who is also the general manager at Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area, said the increased interest in outdoor activities during the COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed.
“After social distancing for nine months, people were eager to get outside, and many of them discovered how wonderful it is to spend time skiing and snowboarding in Idaho’s outdoors,” Wilson said in a Ski Idaho news release.
Wilson said the 2020-21 record was in line with a yearslong trend of growing visitation. Data from the most recent season, 2021-22, was not included in the report.
Idaho ski areas also saw a larger share of Western U.S. ski resort visitors than ever before, with 6.2% of all Western resort visits. The region includes several other popular skiing states, including Utah and Colorado.
Most ski area visitors in the 2020-21 season — 52.5% — were from Idaho. Washington skiers were in second place, at 14.4% of Idaho ski area visits. California skiers made up 6.1% of visits, while Utah skiers followed at 3.5% of visits.
Data showed 62% of visits were season passholders. Wilson told the Statesman in a text message that Ski Idaho doesn’t track unique visitors or break out the season visits by ski area.
