Across North America, chairlifts stop spinning one by one when March rolls around. It’s only been a couple of months for some, six months for others, and up to eight for the really fortunate, since we were first able to slide sideways on snow. The longer a season is, the more permanent it seems and the harder it is once the season is over. Sure most of you turn to mountain biking, skateboarding, long boarding, or whatever else it is that gets you through summer. All the while you dream of fall: leaves turning colors, boats coming out of the water, and the return snow making temperatures. You might even try to figure out a way to go to New Zealand, Australia, Chile, or Argentina. Perhaps if you’re looking for strangely exotic snowboarding, South Africa. However, none of these constitute short-sleeve snowboarding.

The good news is that you don’t have to spend a couple thousand dollars on airfare to be able to snowboard in the summer months. Plus, you get to snowboard IN SUMMER if you check these places out. We consider summer to start Memorial Day weekend so these are all areas that are consistently open past Memorial Day. Let this guide help you go harvest some corn, work on a snowboarders tan, and then go hiking or fishing in the afternoon. Plus, if you’re short on cash it’s a helluva lot easier to camp in summer at these mountains than it is to get hotels in the winter months of the southern hemisphere.

Timberline Ski Area, Oregon

Why not start with the place that’s most well known for snowboarding in the summer? With the longest season in all of North America running often times until Labor Day, Timberline is reliable. While Timberline is known to snowboarders for it’s freestyle camps and to skiers for it’s race camps, it’s open to public for ~$80/day.

Thanks to the Palmer Glacier, the snow holds on year round and sometimes even allows for an early October opening. Whether you want to cruise wide open groomers or hit the public park, Timberline is a place where any experienced snowboarder can find something to do. Plus, when the chairs stop turning at 2pm there is plenty of time for hiking, mountain biking, fishing, anything else you want to do right around Government Camp.

Beartooth Basin, Wyoming

Beartooth Basin is perhaps the most unique place to snowboard in the summer. While we haven’t been there to speak for it’s terrain or atmosphere, what makes it unique is that it’s the only ski area that is open ONLY in summer.

With a season that — weather-permitting — runs from the last weekend in May to the weekend after July 4th, it is one of a kind. So if you’re looking for the unique in North America, this is probably the place for you. With two Poma Lifts serving 1,000′ of vertical and 600 acres of terrain varying from 15-50 degrees steep. While 600 acres isn’t an enormous area, you can be snowboarding in June so there’s nothing to complain about! Especially since that small terrain space comes with cliffs, cornices, parks, and ponds.

Mammoth Mountain, California

At this point, is there anyone who doesn’t know that Mammoth Mountain regularly makes it to July 4th? Mammoth may be known for it’s big parks to freestyle riders, but being able to ride till July 4th is great for anyone wanting that summer snowboarding fix. It’s even been known to stay open into August on years as stellar as winter 2017, which will really help you scratch that summer time snowboard itch. While staying open till August is even more weather dependent than July 4th, it’s still possible to go if you want a last minute trip to get your legs back under you before the fall rail jams start popping up.

Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia

Whistler is one of those places that most everyone wants to go ride at some point. If you’re a mountain biker and a snowboarder, this is often doubly true. That’s what makes this destination so fun: you can knock off a snowboard and mountain bike trip all in one go. The Blackcomb Glacier is open for summer snowboarding usually for about a month and a half, starting early June to mid July. This one comes in really handy for our friends in Canada since they don’t have to cross a border to get their summer turns. And for people in the US who haven’t been able to snowboard in Canada, it makes it cheaper for them to add a new country to the list while hitting up a world renowned ski area. Whether you live north or south of the border, throw your board, you bike, and some friends in the car and set off on a road trip to Whistler this June.

Arapahoe Basin, Colorado

A-Basin barely makes this list. Not because they aren’t open every year past Memorial day, but because it’s only by a week or two most years. While some ski areas will stay open by allowing people to download their lower lifts, A-Basin shuts it down as soon as you can’t ride from top to bottom. Which is quite a shame since snow will hold on the Lenewee lift for far longer than the bottom thanks to it’s peak elevation of 12,472′. The bright side is that if you go, you’re guaranteed top to bottom shred.

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While most places build an artificial pond skim pond, a natural pond forms at A-Basin and it’s not actually an event so much as something that A-Basin lets happen. It can literally last for weeks if the conditions are right. Once the beach melts, the lake opens. So whether you just want to have a good time watching people try to make it, or you want to give it a go yourself you are sure to be entertained.

Honorable Mentions

Snowbird, Utah

Snowbird doesn’t always run past Memorial Day, but it isn’t uncommon either. They’ve been known to run through June on several occasions, and there are rumors that this will be true for the 2019 season. In fact, they probably aren’t paying their marketing team enough because this springs campaign is great. With 664 inches of snow this year, hopefully the Bird won’t call it quits until into July. That way we get the opportunity to go see Utah, ride the Bird, and get a fresh goggle tan.

Squaw Valley, California

Squaw is one of those mountains that often gets overlooked. Normally when people think about summer snowboarding in California, they think Mammoth. Squaw runs till the 4th of July on a somewhat regular basis as well. With movies such as “The Game of GNAR”, there is a reason that it’s also known as Squallywood. So if you want to go check out Squaw on the cheap, then summer is the time to do it.

Killington, Vermont

It’s easy to forget about East Coast snowboarding when it comes to the late spring and early summer season. But, that’s what Killington is known for. “The Patch” as it’s called, commonly stays open until June. It’s kept as a white strip of death with chairlifts running for as long as possible. I even know of people who skin The Patch into July. So if you can’t make it to the Rockies, maybe the east coast will work for you this spring. Come on. You know you’ve always been looking for an excuse to go ride Vermont over Colorado. So why not go ride The Patch this May?

Tuckerman Ravine, Cog Rail, New Hampshire

Tuckerman Ravine isn’t exactly a ski area. It has a cog rail that can take you to the top, so there is a lift of sorts. However there is no patrol, no grooming, and there are more man made hazards that exist than you might be able to imagine due to the debris from the train construction and repair. While this has been cleaned up substantially, there is still much debris around. Consider this backcountry terrain with a ride to the top. It’s usually ski-able into July, but be sure to take your rock board. Do your research if this is a summer trip you want to make. It’s not as simple as showing up at a ski area and buying a lift ticket, and again it should be considered “ride at your own risk”.

Keep in mind that with the exception of Tucks, these are just lift access areas. If you’re fine with hiking for your turns, there are places all over North America that have permanent snow fields where you can ride. This is actually how I kept my 31 month long streak alive while living in Colorado for a summer and not traveling out of state for lift access. If you live in a heavy snowfall region with high elevation, topographical maps and the internet are your friend to finding some of these hidden gems.