Zao Onsen Ski Resort
Yamagata Prefecture, JP — size M · 39 km of trails · 869 m vertical · 35 lifts · moderate snowfall
Open it on the map zaomountainresort.com/ski
Closed today
Season: Dec 5 – Apr 25
26/27 Passes
| Pass | What it grants | Blackouts |
|---|---|---|
| Ikon Pass | 7 days | no blackout dates |
| Ikon Base | 5 days | no blackout dates |
The mountain
- Trails
- 39 km — size M
- Vertical
- 869 m
- Summit
- 1661 m
- Base
- 792 m
- Lifts
- 35
- Region
- Yamagata Prefecture, Japan
Typical Snowfall
Our take: ❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎ Moderate
- Measured, JMA station
- 240 cm — 山形 AMeDAS, 12 km away, 1074 m below mid-mountain; 10-season mean, peak base 45 cm
- Powder days
- 2 a season — days with 20 cm or more; measured at 山形
- Snow-day share
- 36% of December–March days — a centimetre or more; measured at 山形
- Longest snowy stretch
- 7 days — consecutive days with a centimetre or more, typical winter; measured at 山形
- Model climatology
- 304 cm — ERA5 model, ~10 km grid
The Season
middle half of winterstypical (dashed: model)2025/26planned season
Snow on the ground: model (ERA5 at mid-mountain), 10 winters; reads low
Snowfall: model (ERA5 at mid-mountain), 10 winters, scaled ×0.79 to JMA station mean
Natural snow; a groomed base runs deeper.
Character
76% of it is novice or easy terrain — 30 km, against 14 km for Japanese resorts of 25–60 km. There is a lot of room here for someone still learning. It drops 869 m top to bottom, in the tallest tenth of Japanese resorts on a pass, where the median is 454 m. 39 km of trails, in the largest tenth of Japanese resorts on a pass, where the median has 11 km. Its lift fleet runs to 2 cable cars and 2 gondolas among 35.
Terrain
- novicegreen16.1 km · 24 runs
- easygreen13.7 km · 44 runs
- intermediatered7.1 km · 17 runs
- advancedblack2.4 km · 6 runs
Japanese grading.
Lifts
- 2cable cars
- 2gondolas
- 31chairlifts
Nearby
| Resort | Distance | Trails | Snowfall | Passes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nekoma Mountain | 70 km | 23 km | heavy | Ikon Pass, Ikon Base (shared) | |
| Onikoube Ski Resort | 72 km | 5 km | moderate | Indy Pass, Indy+ Pass | |
| Ninox Snow Park | 86 km | 4 km | heavy | Indy Pass, Indy+ Pass | |
| Geto Kogen | 127 km | 13 km | very heavy | Indy Pass, Indy+ Pass |
Written about it
FAQ
- Is Zao Onsen Ski Resort on the Ikon Pass?
- Yes. The Ikon Pass grants 7 days at Zao Onsen Ski Resort for 2026/27, with no blackout dates.
- Is Zao Onsen Ski Resort on the Ikon Base?
- Yes. The Ikon Base grants 5 days at Zao Onsen Ski Resort for 2026/27, with no blackout dates.
- How much snow does Zao Onsen Ski Resort get?
- Zao Onsen Ski Resort has moderate snowfall by our banding.
- What else can I ski nearby on the same pass?
- Nekoma Mountain (70 km)
Sources
- Pass terms
- Ikon
- Mountain figures
- OpenSkiMap, from OpenStreetMap
- Season dates and live status
- skiresort.info
- Snow on the ground
- Open-Meteo