Beaver Mountain
Overview
Beaver Mountain has been run by one family for its entire existence. Harry Seeholzer, who lived from 1902 to 1968, opened it in 1939 in Logan Canyon, in the Bear River Mountains of northern Utah near the Idaho border, at roughly 41.97°N, 111.55°W, and the resort has passed down through his descendants ever since – currently under Travis Seeholzer, who took over after his father Ted died in 2013. That kind of unbroken family stewardship across nearly nine decades is unusual among ski areas this size, and it shows in how the mountain is still marketed and run as a local, no-frills operation rather than a resort chasing scale or outside investment.
The terrain skews harder than its family-friendly reputation might suggest. Of the 30.74 km spread across 54 runs, 11.45 km is rated advanced – the largest single difficulty band at the mountain, ahead of intermediate (9.26 km), novice (6.9 km), and easy (just 2.75 km). In percentage terms that breaks down to roughly 37% advanced, 30% intermediate, 22% novice, and 9% easy, with a final 1% left in an unclassified “other” category. Divide the total by run count and the math lands around 0.57 km per run, or about 5.1 km of terrain for each of the six lifts. Those six lifts – four chairlifts and two magic carpets – handle the traffic, lifting skiers 489.8 meters from a 2,180.5-meter base to the 2,670.3-meter summit.
One detail that shapes the whole operation is snowmaking, or the lack of it. Beaver Mountain runs on natural snow only, with no machine-made backup. Its slopes face predominantly east, which tends to hold less snow than the west-facing aspects favored by many nearby competitors, so in lean years the mountain can open several weeks later than other Utah resorts. It’s a tradeoff for a lighter operational footprint, but it means conditions here are more weather-dependent than at bigger, snowmaking-equipped areas along the Wasatch Front.
Getting there means driving into Cache Valley rather than flying directly in. Ogden Hinckley Airport, 94.4 km away, is the closest, ahead of Pocatello Regional at 135.1 km and Salt Lake City International at 136.3 km, which functions as the region’s main airport despite not being the nearest. Salt Lake City itself sits 137.6 km away, with West Valley City (147.2 km) and West Jordan (154.9 km) close behind it – meaning the mountain’s population draw spans a cluster of cities in the Salt Lake Valley rather than a single metro area. Two Indy Pass tiers cover Beaver Mountain: the Indy Base Pass, which carries holiday blackout dates, and the Indy+ Pass, which does not, each granting two All-Day or All-Night tickets per season and giving pass holders a way to add this family-run mountain to a bigger Utah or regional itinerary.
OpenSkiMap.org has traced every one of the mountain’s 54 runs and 6 lifts, and SkiMap.org keeps a separate listing besides – handy secondary references for a family-run area whose own site stays fairly minimal on trail specifics, and useful for a visitor trying to gauge the layout before ever setting foot on the mountain.
Key stats
Official website — Last checked 2026-09-13
Lifts by type
| Type | Count |
|---|---|
| chair lift | 4 |
| magic carpet | 2 |
Runs by difficulty
| Difficulty | Distance |
|---|---|
| easy | 2.75 km |
| other | 0.39 km |
| novice | 6.9 km |
| advanced | 11.45 km |
| intermediate | 9.26 km |
Maps
Official trail map: see skithebeav.com
Run & lift overview
Beaver Mountain: 54 runs, 6 lifts. A schematic built from OpenStreetMap/OpenSkiMap data — this is not Beaver Mountain's official trail map. © OpenStreetMap contributors, OpenSkiMap (ODbL).
Typical conditions by month
Monthly conditions data for Beaver Mountain is not yet available.
Lift tickets & passes
- Indy Base Pass — 2 All-Day or All-Night tickets per resort; blackout dates apply (exact 26/27 holiday blackout dates not yet finalized as of verified_date)
- Indy+ Pass — 2 All-Day or All-Night tickets per resort, no blackout dates
Getting there
Nearest airports
- Ogden Hinckley Airport (OGD) — 94.4 km straight-line
- Pocatello Regional Airport (PIH) — 135.1 km straight-line
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) — 136.3 km straight-line
Nearest cities
- Salt Lake City, Utah — 137.6 km straight-line
- West Valley City, Utah — 147.2 km straight-line
- West Jordan, Utah — 154.9 km straight-line
Also covered by
Where to stay
A dedicated lodging guide for Beaver Mountain is not yet available.
Nearby resorts
- Cherry Peak Ski Area — 18 km straight-line, 367.8 m vertical
- Powder Mountain Ski Resort — 69 km straight-line, 722 m vertical
- Nordic Valley Resort — 79 km straight-line, 518.2 m vertical
- Snowbasin Resort — 90 km straight-line, 896.6 m vertical
- Pebble Creek — 102 km straight-line, 649.5 m vertical
FAQ
- How long has Beaver Mountain been operating?
- It opened in 1939 under founder Harry Seeholzer (1902-1968) and has stayed under the same family since, currently run by Travis Seeholzer following his father Ted's passing in 2013 -- close to nine decades under one family, one of the longer continuously family-operated ski areas in the country.
- Is Beaver Mountain good for advanced skiers?
- Yes. Of its 30.74 km of marked terrain, 11.45 km (about 37%) is rated advanced, the single largest difficulty band at the resort -- more than easy and novice combined, so strong intermediates and experts have plenty to work with.
- Does Beaver Mountain make snow?
- No. It relies entirely on natural snowfall, and because its slopes face east rather than west, it can accumulate a base more slowly than other Utah resorts, sometimes opening later in the season than west-facing competitors in the Wasatch.
- Which airport is closest to Beaver Mountain?
- Ogden Hinckley Airport is closest at 94.4 km, followed by Pocatello Regional at 135.1 km. Salt Lake City International, 136.3 km away, is the region's main gateway airport despite not being the nearest option, and offers the most flight choices.
- Which multi-resort pass covers Beaver Mountain?
- Beaver Mountain accepts both Indy Pass products: the Base Pass, which blacks out select holiday dates, and the pricier Indy+ Pass, which carries no blackout restrictions. Each is worth two lift-ticket visits per season here, day or night.
- How many lifts and runs does Beaver Mountain have?
- Six lifts -- four chairlifts and two magic carpets -- serve 54 runs across 30.74 km of terrain, with a 489.8-meter vertical drop from a 2,180.5-meter base to a 2,670.3-meter summit.
- Is Beaver Mountain a good option for families?
- Its small size and long-standing local ownership make it a low-key choice, though easy terrain is limited to 2.75 km, so beginners will spend more time on novice-rated runs (6.9 km) than true green trails.
- How does Beaver Mountain's terrain density compare to bigger resorts?
- Average run length works out to about 0.57 km across its 54 runs, and each of the six lifts covers roughly 5.1 km of terrain -- a compact layout typical of a small, locally focused mountain rather than a sprawling destination resort.
Data sources
Last verified: 2026-09-15
Base facts from OpenSkiMap (ODbL), OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata (CC0), OurAirports (public domain) and GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). See /data-sources/.