Spirit Mountain in Duluth
Facts checked against official sources on November 11, 2026
Photo: Midnightcomm, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
- 2026-27 opening
- Tentatively November 27, 2026, weather permitting
- Adult lift ticket
- $83 online, $88 at the counter, plus tax
- The hill
- 22 runs, 700-foot vertical, 175 skiable acres
- Snow tubing
- $25 day or $29 glow, two-hour sessions
- Nordic day ticket
- $12 ages 13+, $5 under 13
- Address
- 9500 Spirit Mountain Place, Duluth, MN 55810
In this guide
Spirit Mountain is a city-owned ski area and year-round recreation park on the west side of Duluth, with 22 runs, a 700-foot vertical drop and 175 acres of skiable terrain. For the 2026-27 winter, Spirit Mountain gives a tentative opening day of November 27, 2026, weather permitting. An adult day lift ticket is $83 online or $88 at the ticket counter, plus tax, and two-hour snow tubing sessions start at $25.
The Spirit Mountain Recreation Area was created in 1973, is owned by the City of Duluth and has a panoramic view of Lake Superior, the St. Louis River and the city, according to a 2026 position announcement published by the recreation area. Its Grand Avenue Chalet, at the base of the hill, is in West Duluth. Its homepage says it has been "celebrating winter since 1974."
Winter means downhill skiing and snowboarding, two terrain parks, snow tubing and two Nordic trail centers. From late spring to mid-October, the same hill runs an alpine coaster, a zip ride, a scenic chairlift, a lift-served mountain bike park and a 73-site campground. Most trips are planned around two things: whether there is snow yet, and which of the two chalets you need to drive to.
Winter 2026-27: opening day and hours
Spirit Mountain's Mountain Message page, updated November 8, 2026, says: "Our tentative opening day is 11/27/26, weather permitting." That is the Friday after Thanksgiving. Watch that page for changes, since the date depends on cold enough weather to make snow.
Winter lift hours were not posted when checked on November 13, 2026: the hours page still listed fall hours. Two rules from the snow report page help with timing: ticket counters open 30 minutes before the lifts and close 1 hour before the lifts close.
The dining page lists the sit-down Moosehead Saloon and the Mountain Top Café in the Skyline Chalet as winter restaurants and the Riverside Bar and Grill at the Grand Avenue Chalet as year-round. Its hours section says "Open for the season on December 12th, 2026," about two weeks after the tentative ski opening, but the page does not make clear which restaurant that date applies to, so check before you count on a meal at the hill. For a meal in town afterward, see Duluth restaurants and breweries in Duluth.
Lift tickets, rentals and season passes
Day lift tickets
Prices are from the tickets and rentals page, read November 13, 2026. Ticket prices are plus tax; buying online saves $5.
| Ticket | Online | Ticket counter |
|---|---|---|
| Alpine, ages 13+ | $83 | $88 |
| Youth, 6 to 12 | $67 | $72 |
| Super Senior, 80+ | $42 | $47 |
| Military, active and veterans with ID | $66 | $71 |
| Night | $62 | $67 |
| Age 5 and under | $5 | $7 |
Indy Pass, 4th Grade Passport, industry and lodging partner tickets must be redeemed at the counter, not online. Spirit Mountain says guests without a visible valid ticket are fined $100 plus the counter price of a ticket.
Rentals
All alpine rentals are at the Skyline Chalet. Rental prices on the same page include tax.
| Rental | Online pre-purchase | Ticket counter |
|---|---|---|
| Adult ski or snowboard package | $60 | $65 |
| Youth 12 and under package | $52 | $57 |
| Super Senior 80+ package | $52 | $57 |
| High-performance ski package | Counter only | $75 |
| Helmet | $15 | |
| Nordic package or snowshoes | Counter only | $17 |
Ski packages include skis and boots with the option of poles and a helmet; snowboard packages include the board and boots with the option of a helmet. A full-season rental is $250 as an add-on to a season pass.
As a worked example from those prices: two adults and two kids aged 6 to 12, buying lift tickets online, pay $300 plus tax for tickets. Adding four online rental packages (two adult, two youth) adds $224.
Season passes and other ways in
The season pass page lists a new adult (18 to 79) alpine pass at $633 in season, or $520 if bought by October 31, plus tax. A Family of 3 pass is $1,091 in season. Passes include unlimited skiing at Chester Bowl in Duluth and discounts or free days at partner areas including Giants Ridge and Wild Mountain.
Two programs can cut the cost for visitors:
- Indy Pass: holders get 2 free days at Spirit Mountain plus a third discounted day.
- 4th Grade Passport: the Minnesota Ski Areas Association program lets fourth graders ski and snowboard free in Minnesota for the 2026-27 season.
Spirit Mountain's three lodging partners (Mountain Villas, North Shore Rental and River West) offer guests discounted day tickets.
Snow tubing and glow tubing
The tubing hill is at the Adventure Park, 9540 West Skyline Parkway, one-half mile past the Skyline Chalet entrance. Parking is free. Details are from the tubing page.
| Session | Price | When |
|---|---|---|
| Day tubing | $25 for two hours | Saturdays and Sundays; sessions start at noon, 12:30, 2:30 and 3 p.m. |
| Glow tubing (night) | $29 for two hours | Wednesday to Saturday nights; the session table lists 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. or 6 to 8 p.m., while the page text says 5:30 to 7 p.m. or 6 to 8 p.m. |
| Weekday glow tubing | $20 | Weekday glow sessions, except Holiday Week |
Sessions regularly sell out, and Spirit Mountain says that when they do, no walk-up tickets are sold. Buy online ahead of time.
Rules that affect families:
- Riders must be 42 inches tall and at least 5 years old to ride a single tube.
- Children ages 3 to 5 ride in a double tube with someone 18 or older.
- No children under 3.
- A waiver for every rider must be completed online by an adult when buying tickets.
- Ski boots are not allowed.
Spirit Mountain says it will post extended holiday tubing hours on the tubing page once they are set.
Nordic skiing
Spirit Mountain runs two cross-country trail centers, per its Nordic page. The Upper trails are groomed for classic and skate skiing.
| Trail center | Address | Trails | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Spirit Mountain Nordic Trails | 9535 West Skyline Parkway | 22 km, natural snow, groomed twice a week and as conditions warrant | Dawn to dusk |
| Nordic Center at Grand (lower) | 8551 Grand Avenue | Includes 1.5 km with snowmaking and lights, groomed nightly | Dawn to 8 p.m. |
The two are linked by the Nordic Connector, an advanced two-way trail almost 2 km long with 405 feet of vertical. The resort's own pages give different system totals: the Nordic page says "roughly 30k of trails," while the season pass page says "nearly 25 km." A Nordic day ticket is $12 for ages 13 and up and $5 under 13, per the Nordic page, whose rental notice still refers to the 25/26 winter.
Nordic rentals are only at the Upper Nordic building on Saturdays and Sundays, starting at 10 a.m. The pages disagree on the end time: the Nordic page says equipment must be back by 4 p.m., while the tickets and rentals page lists rental hours of 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Nordic Center at Grand closes to the public on race days; the Nordic page lists the schedule, and the Upper trails stay open on those dates.
Summer and fall: coaster, bike park and campground
Adventure Park
The Adventure Park is at 9540 West Skyline Parkway, across the road from the campground. Summer 2026 prices from the rates page:
| Attraction | Online | Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Alpine Coaster (3,200 feet of track, up to 26 mph) | $16 | $17 |
| Coaster, child and adult together | $23 | $24 |
| Timber Flyer Zip Line (700 feet) | $10 | $11 |
| Scenic Chairlift | $14 | $15 |
| Jumping Pillow, 30 minutes | $10 | $11 |
| 9-hole putt-putt | $5 | $5 |
Riders must be 54 inches tall to ride the coaster alone. Mondays and Thursdays bring a 10-pack of single rides ($99 online, $119 at the counter) and a $50 all-day wristband, which is sold online only and limited each day. Every rider needs an online waiver, and outside food and drink are not allowed.
Mountain biking
Spirit Mountain calls itself "Minnesota's premier lift-served mountain bike park." Its mountain biking page lists 24 trails (5 easy, 3 intermediate, 9 advanced, 7 expert) plus a skills park and pump track. All bike services run from the Grand Avenue Chalet, and riders should park there. The 2026 bike season ended October 18.
Campground
The campground has 73 sites with fire pits, picnic tables and electricity; 39 also have water. For 2026 it was open May 20 to October 25.
| Site type | Weekend | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| Water and electric | $61 | $49 |
| Electric only | $56 | $45 |
| Walk-in tent | $38 | $31 |
| Open field tent (first come, first served) | $30 | $30 |
Prices are before tax. Dogs are $5 each, with a maximum of two per site. Check-in is 3 p.m. and checkout 11 a.m. The campground page points to Jay Cooke State Park as a nearby day trip, and a Superior Hiking Trail trailhead is at Spirit Mountain, with parking in Lot D up Skyline Parkway. See Superior Hiking Trail day hikes for other sections.
Getting there: which chalet
| Chalet | Address | What's there |
|---|---|---|
| Skyline Chalet (main, top) | 9500 Spirit Mountain Place | Alpine rentals, lessons, beginner area, tickets, Moosehead Saloon, Mountain Top Café |
| Grand Avenue Chalet (base) | 8551 Grand Avenue | Tickets, Riverside Bar and Grill, Nordic Center at Grand, skating rink; no rentals |
| Adventure Park | 9540 West Skyline Parkway | Tubing, coaster, zip ride, Adventure Park tickets |
The snow report page is clear that the Grand Avenue Chalet has no alpine, snowboard or cross-country rentals. If you need gear, go to the top.
The hours page gives directions to the Grand Avenue Chalet from I-35: from the Twin Cities, take exit 251A (Cody Street), turn right on North 59th Avenue West, then right on Grand Avenue. From the North Shore, Canada or Wisconsin, take exit 251B onto Grand Avenue (MN 23 south). Turn at the Spirit Mountain sign.
Before you go
- Check Mountain Message the week you travel. The November 27 opening is tentative, and the page also posts closures.
- Buy lift tickets and rentals online. It saves $5 per ticket and per rental package.
- Book tubing early. Sold-out sessions have no walk-up sales.
- Drive to the right chalet. Rentals are only at the Skyline Chalet (alpine) or the Upper Nordic building (Nordic, weekends).
- Check dining before an early-season trip. The dining page gives a December 12, 2026 season opening on its restaurant hours; the Riverside Bar and Grill at the base is listed as year-round.
- Call with questions: 800-642-6377 or 218-628-2891 (both on the homepage), 218-624-8516 (lessons and programs).
- Pair it with the city. In December, Bentleyville Tour of Lights runs evenings downtown, and the North Shore in winter guide covers what stays open up the shore.
Related guides: All Duluth and I-35 guides · Minnesota in winter · Things to do in Duluth · Jay Cooke State Park · Bentleyville Tour of Lights
Sources
- Spirit Mountain, homepage (address, phone, "celebrating winter since 1974"): https://spiritmt.com/
- Spirit Mountain, Mountain Message (Nov. 8, 2026 update): https://spiritmt.com/mountain-message/
- Spirit Mountain, Tickets and Rentals: https://spiritmt.com/winter/tickets-rentals/
- Spirit Mountain, Snow Report (mountain statistics, chalet services, ticket counter hours): https://spiritmt.com/winter/snow-report/
- Spirit Mountain, Season Passes (2026-2027): https://spiritmt.com/winter/season-passes/
- Spirit Mountain, Tubing: https://spiritmt.com/winter/tubing/
- Spirit Mountain, Nordic: https://spiritmt.com/winter/nordic/
- Spirit Mountain, Downhill (lessons phone): https://spiritmt.com/winter/downhill/
- Spirit Mountain, Dining: https://spiritmt.com/dining/
- Spirit Mountain, Hours and directions: https://spiritmt.com/hours/
- Spirit Mountain, Lodging partners: https://spiritmt.com/lodging/
- Spirit Mountain, Adventure Park: https://spiritmt.com/summer/adventure-park/
- Spirit Mountain, Adventure Park Rates (Summer 2026): https://spiritmt.com/summer/adventure-park/rates/
- Spirit Mountain, Rules to Ride: https://spiritmt.com/summer/adventure-park/rules-to-ride/
- Spirit Mountain, Mountain Biking: https://spiritmt.com/summer/mountain-biking/
- Spirit Mountain, Campground (2026 rates): https://spiritmt.com/summer/camping/
- Spirit Mountain Recreation Area, Position Announcement: Executive Director (2026): https://spiritmt.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/SMRA-E.D.-Position-Announcement.pdf
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