Diamond Peak Opening Day

Diamond Peak is projecting Thursday, December 3, 2026 as opening day for the 2026-27 season, conditions permitting, and the resort says to check back in mid-November for the official call. The community-owned ski area in Incline Village is kicking off its 60th anniversary season this winter, since it first opened as Ski Incline on November 19, 1966.

What Diamond Peak Opening Day Is Like

Diamond Peak opening day is a hometown affair. This is Incline Village's own mountain, run by the Incline Village General Improvement District, and the opening crowd is a mix of locals, families and North Shore skiers who like a smaller, friendlier hill. The draw is the view: Lake Tahoe is visible from nearly every run, and the Crystal Express quad climbs to the 8,540-foot summit for a wide-open look across the water. The mountain covers 655 acres with 1,840 feet of vertical and a 2.1-mile longest run, and snowmaking reaches about 75% of the developed terrain, which matters a lot in early December. Ski Incline was the first resort in the West to use a snowmaking system back in 1966, so making snow for opening day is a long tradition here. Expect a relaxed, unhurried pace and plenty of familiar faces at the Base Lodge's Loft Bar.

Event Highlights

Opening day is one of Diamond Peak's $60 Deal Days for the 60th season, with single-day adult, youth, child, senior and beginner lift tickets at $60 when you buy online. The anniversary winter also brings commemorative events, nostalgic gear giveaways, retro ski days and Fireside Chats about Ski Incline history with current and former employees in the Fireside Room next to the Loft Bar, with dates still to come. The resort is gathering stories, photos and classic ski outfits for a memorabilia display. Before the season, the Pray for Snow Party with Village Ski Loft is set for November 13 at Alibi Incline Public House.

Tickets, Passes and What to Bring

The $60 opening day tickets go on sale online in mid-November, along with the rest of Diamond Peak's 2026-27 ticket pricing. That deal can't be combined with other discounts and doesn't apply to multi-day products. Kids 6 and under and adults 80 and older always ski free, and single-day tickets cost $10 more at the resort than online. Season passes are at prewinter rates from November 1 through December 18, with adult passes at $733, and the preseason 3-day Flex Pass sale runs through November 30. For younger kids, the Child Ski Center offers group lessons for ages 4-6 and private lessons for ages 3-6. Bring layers, since the base sits at 6,700 feet.

Parking and Getting There

Diamond Peak is at 1210 Ski Way. From Highway 28 in Incline Village, turn onto Country Club Drive, then Ski Way. Base parking is free, though the slopeside lots can fill on busy days. Preferred slopeside parking runs $30 on weekends and $35 during peak periods, and on the busiest days overflow lots at UNR at Lake Tahoe, Aspen Grove and Lakeshore Drive are served by shuttle. There's no RV or overnight parking. Diamond Peak's published schedule for the free Ski Shuttle has morning pickups around Incline Village and return trips from the mountain every half hour from 2 to 4:30 p.m. The resort doesn't list a start date for shuttle service, so confirm it's running before opening day.

Get lift tickets and updates from Diamond Peak, and compare it with the bigger mountains in our guide to the best ski resorts in Lake Tahoe.