Lost Trail Powder Mountain Ski Area

What Lost Trail Powder Mountain Ski Area does

Lost Trail Powder Mountain Ski Area is a family-owned private ski resort straddling the Montana-Idaho border at 7,000 feet elevation on the Continental Divide, operating continuously since 1938 (ski school) and under Grasser family ownership since the 1960s. The resort spans 1,800 acres with 69 trails, 5 double chair lifts, and 3 rope tows, served by 21 employees and 62 volunteer National Ski Patrol patrollers. It markets itself on approximately 300 inches of annual snowfall, uncrowded slopes, and low price points relative to commercial Western resorts.

The business operates a multi-stream revenue model: lift access products (Day Tickets at $50-$73, Season Passes at $500-$700, and a 10-Day Shareable Pass), a snow sports school delivering private and group lessons plus tiered youth (Little Paws, Big Paws, All-Mountain, Freeride) and adult (FAST Friday clinics) programs through PSIA-AASI certified instructors, equipment rental and a tech shop, food and beverage concessions, and gift certificates. All lift access is processed through a proprietary RFID-based ticketing system where guests register online, upload a selfie, and use a reusable $5 reloadable card for direct-to-lift scanning. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via estore.losttrail.com and ticket windows, supplemented by channel partnerships through the Indy Pass and Powder Alliance (providing reciprocal access to 22 partner resorts).

The resort operates under a USFS Special Use Permit within the Bitterroot and Salmon-Challis National Forests, which governs all operations and the sanctioned uphill travel policy on the Saddle Mountain Uphill Route. Backcountry skiing, the annual SKIESTA spring pond skim event, and a Whitebark Pine Friendly certification round out the positioning. No revenue, funding, or external ownership data is disclosed.

Name

Lost Trail Powder Mountain Ski Area

Legal name

Lost Trail Ski Area

Website

https://losttrail.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lost Trail Powder Mountain is a family-owned ski resort on the Montana-Idaho border operating 1,800 acres of terrain with RFID-based ticketing, serving regional families, powder enthusiasts, and Indy/Powder Alliance pass holders via day tickets, season passes, lessons, and rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ski Resort Operations

NAICS

Skiing Facilities (71392)

akta.pro primary industry

Ski Areas & Lift Operations (Independent Mountains) (THAAAJAB)

Keywords

• Ski resort operations
• Lift ticket sales
• Snow sports instruction
• Ski equipment rentals
• Winter recreation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sula

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Lift Tickets (Day Tickets): Full-day and half-day lift tickets sold to individual skiers and snowboarders. Pricing varies by age (children 6-12, adults 13-64, seniors 65+). Half-day tickets begin at 12:45pm. Tickets are loaded onto RFID cards for direct lift access.
2. Season Passes: Unlimited skiing/boarding for the entire season with no blackout dates. Benefits include buddy pass discounts, rental demos discounts, private lesson discounts, and retail shop discounts. Season passes are non-refundable and non-transferable.
3. 10-Day Shareable Pass: Transferable punch pass allowing 10 ski days that can be split among family and friends. Pass is valid only for the season purchased. More flexible than a season pass but at a discounted rate compared to individual day tickets.
4. Ski and Snowboard Lessons: Private lessons (1-hour, 2-hour, and all-day), group lessons, and youth programs (Little Paws, Big Paws, All Mountain, Freeride, FAST Friday clinics). All lessons delivered by PSIA-AASI certified instructors.
5. Equipment Rentals: Ski and snowboard rental equipment including full setups, individual components (skis, boards, boots, poles), and demo equipment. Also offers youth season rentals and an Unlimited Tune Pass for ongoing equipment maintenance.
6. Food and Beverage (Concessions): On-mountain cafeteria serving local beef burgers, fries, soups, and treats. Main lodge kitchen and a yurt location at the bottom of Chair 3 offering beverages, quick bites, and grab-and-go options.
7. Indy Pass Participation: Acceptance of Indy Pass at Lost Trail, with Indy Pass holders able to ski with no reservations and no blackout dates. Lost Trail receives revenue from Indy Pass validation and new RFID card fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lost Trail Powder Mountain Ski Area operates a family-owned ski resort straddling the Montana-Idaho border at 7,000 ft on the Continental Divide, selling lift access (day tickets, season passes, 10-day shareable passes) and operating a Snow Sports School that delivers PSIA-AASI certified private and group ski/snowboard lessons and youth development programs. The resort also rents and services ski/snowboard equipment, runs on-mountain concessions, and hosts seasonal events such as SKIESTA, all managed through a reloadable RFID-based lift access system across 1,800 acres of terrain with 69 trails.

Product overview

Lost Trail Powder Mountain is a family-owned ski resort straddling the Montana-Idaho border that operates as a unified resort experience combining lift access, ski instruction, equipment services, and guest amenities. The core product is the RFID-enabled lift access system that powers all ticket and pass products including Season Passes, 10-Day Shareable Passes, and Day Tickets. The Snow Sports School provides ski and snowboard instruction through multiple program tiers: Private and Group Lessons, youth programs (Little Paws, Big Paws, All-Mountain, Freeride), and adult programs (F.A.S.T. Friday clinics, First Timer Special, 1-2-3 Program). Equipment services include rental shop with demo options and a full-service tech/ski shop offering tuning and repairs. The resort also offers concessions, lodging partnerships, and seasonal events like SKIESTA. All lift access is managed through the proprietary RFID system requiring a one-time card purchase.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Season Passes

Quantifiable outcome

• 300 inches of annual snowfall provides consistent powder quality
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Whitebark Pine Ecosystem FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLost Trail Ski Area partnered with the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation to become a certified Whitebark Pine Friendly Ski Area. This certification demonstrates the resort's commitment to conservation of whitebark pines, a threatened keystone species. The partnership supports restoration efforts including seed collection and replanting in high-elevation forests across the West.
• Indy PasscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLost Trail accepts the Indy Pass, allowing pass holders from other participating ski areas to ski at Lost Trail with no reservations and no blackout dates. Indy Pass holders must have their registration complete before arrival and purchase a Lost Trail RFID card ($5).
• Powder AlliancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLost Trail participates in the Powder Alliance, providing season pass holders with 66 free days at 22 resorts worldwide during the 24/25 season. This partnership extends the value proposition of Lost Trail season passes by enabling cross-resort skiing benefits.
• United States Forest Service (USFS)coreOthersLost Trail operates under a Special Use Permit through the USFS (specifically the Bitterroot and Salmon-Challis National Forest). The USFS has approved and enforces Lost Trail's Uphill Travel Policy. This permit enables Lost Trail to maintain ski operations within the National Forest boundary.
• National Ski Patrol (NSP)coreOthersThe Lost Trail Ski Patrol (LTSP) comprises 62 registered National Ski Patrol (NSP) volunteer individuals. LTSP provides NSP-certified Outdoor Emergency Care to skiers. NSP provides training, certification, and support for the volunteer patrol.
• PSIA-AASI (Professional Ski Instructors of America / American Association of Snowboard Instructors)coreOthersLost Trail Snow Sports School is a PSIA-AASI Member School with instructors certified by PSIA-AASI. This membership provides access to training resources, certification programs, and industry standards for ski and snowboard instruction.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation: Family-owned independent ski area on the ID/MT border. Closely comparable to Lost Trail in size, lift count, family-friendly pricing, and Pacific Northwest/Mountain West independent-ski positioning.
• Grand Targhee Resort: Independent Wyoming ski area famous for powder and uncrowded skiing. Strong direct peer given shared 'powder destination' brand identity, family-friendly positioning, and comparable independent-mountain business model.
• Discovery Ski Area: Independent Montana ski area in Philipsburg. Closely comparable to Lost Trail in size, lift infrastructure (chairlifts + surface lifts), and budget-friendly family positioning within the same regional market.
• Brundage Mountain Resort: Independent Idaho ski area in McCall known for powder skiing and a family-owned ethos. Direct peer given proximity, shared Idaho/Montana powder-belt geography, and similar price/value positioning versus Sun Valley and Schweitzer.
• Bridger Bowl Ski Area: Community-oriented, non-profit independent ski area in Bozeman, MT. Directly comparable to Lost Trail as a Montana independent mountain with a strong local/family following, comparable terrain scale, and similar price positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Whitefish Mountain Resort: Larger incumbent Montana ski resort near Glacier National Park. Overlaps with Lost Trail's Montana catchment but operates at meaningfully greater scale, broader amenity base, and higher price points.
• Schweitzer Mountain Resort: Larger Idaho ski resort in Sandpoint. Comparable Northern Idaho/Montana regional market and powder positioning, but operates a wider footprint with more extensive amenities and higher ticket pricing.
• Sun Valley Resort: Iconic, premium Idaho destination resort. Operates in the same Idaho catchment but at substantially higher price points and with much broader real estate, lodging, and amenity offerings than Lost Trail.

Emerging players

• Pomerelle Mountain Resort: Small independent family-friendly Idaho ski area in Albion. Comparable to Lost Trail in scale and price positioning, with similar surface-lift-heavy infrastructure and a focus on regional family skiers.

Regional players

• Silver Mountain Resort: Independent Idaho ski area in Kellogg. Comparable in size and independent-mountain business model, primarily serving the inland Northwest and North Idaho market that overlaps partially with Lost Trail's catchment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@losttrailskiarea
• Facebookfacebook.com/LostTrailSkiArea
• Instagraminstagram.com/losttrailskiarea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lost-trail-powder-mountain-ski-area

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lost Trail Powder Mountain Ski Area