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Pajarito Mountain, United States

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About Pajarito Mountain

Village 2,812 m. Facts: verified.

A ski resort with its village at 2,812 m and its top at 3,179 m. It has 34 km of runs and 6 lifts, as mapped on OpenStreetMap. The runs drop 443 m, from 3,179 m to 2,736 m. For beginners and families: 67% of the km of runs are green or blue (beginner to intermediate). For experts: 9 km of advanced, expert and freeride runs. It is usually in season from December to April. The snow is usually deepest in January, about 0.3 m at the top (3,179 m). The town to stay in is Los Alamos.

Pajarito Mountain Ski Area (Pajarito) is located on the north face of Pajarito Mountain, one of the Jemez Mountains in north central New Mexico, west of Los Alamos. It is located on 850 acres (3.4 km2) of privately owned land. Pajarito Mountain is owned and operated by volunteers and Mountain Capital Partners. A typical season runs from Christmas to early April, but an outstanding season may run from Thanksgiving to late April. Pajarito now has a snowmaking system and it is producing snow. Season passes are available with discounts available for early season purchase.

From the Wikipedia article Pajarito Mountain Ski Area, shortened. Text CC BY-SA 4.0.

The ski area

Runs from 2,736 m to 3,179 m: 443 m of vertical. 34 km of runs and 6 lifts, as mapped on OpenStreetMap for Pajarito Mountain.

Runs
Easy10 km
Intermediate13 km
Advanced4.6 km
Expert3.9 km
Not graded2.6 km
Lifts
Chairlifts5
Magic carpets1

Measured along each mapped run, so it can differ from the resort's own figure. Ski area data © OpenSkiMap.org and OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

For families

67% of the km of runs are green or blue (beginner to intermediate).

No public pool, ice rink, leisure centre, ski school or childcare is mapped within 5 km of the village. That may mean nobody has mapped them yet.

The Family filter counts these. Check opening times before you go.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 6 h 10 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to SAF, direct.

    See flights ORD → SAF · Skyscanner from about £160 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 15 from the airport to Pajarito Mountain.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAdTransfers · HoppaAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Los AlamosAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire, lessons and lift passes.

    Ski lessons in Los Alamos · GetYourGuideAdSki and board hire · SkisetAdLift passes · Resort website

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Pajarito Mountain on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Lifts closed for the season. They usually open about 25 November.

Forecast

The score, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoor

DayScoreFresh72 hDepthtop, mid, baseColdestat topWindat top
Sun 18Oct00 cm0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m1°C
Mon 19Oct00 cm0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m3°C
Tue 20Oct00 cm0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m4°C
Wed 21Oct00 cm0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m5°C
Thu 22Oct00 cm0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m6°C
Fri 23Oct00 cm0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m6°C
Sat 24Oct00 cm0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m3°C
Sun 25Oct00 cm0 mmid 0 mbase 0 m-1°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to.

Snow by month

MonthBase2,812 mMid2,996 mTop3,179 mColdestat the top
Decnone0.1 m0.1 m-8°C
Jan0.2 m0.3 m0.3 m-11°C
Feb0.2 m0.3 m0.3 m-10°C
Mar0.1 m0.1 m0.1 m-6°C

Typical snow on the ground in the village, halfway up and at the top: the middle value over 2016 to 2025, from ERA5-Land reanalysis at the grid cell nearest each height. Not a forecast, and not the groomed pistes: resorts make snow lower down.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to SAF, then 1h 15 by road. About 6h 10 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Lifts closed

    Out of season.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Lifts closed

    Out of season.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Lifts closed

    Out of season.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Lifts closed

    Out of season.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Lifts closed

    Out of season.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to SAF, then 1h 15 by road. About 6h 10 door to door

Rough cost

About £1,905–£2,985 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to SAF, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£160–£335
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Transfershared airport transfer, return£70–£120
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£215–£360
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Lift pass5 days£1,000–£1,350
Ski hire5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£165–£275
Total£1,905–£2,985

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Airport to resortAd

Transfers · Hoppa

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com Ski holidays · Crystal Ski

Lift passes

Lift passes · Resort website

On the snowAd

Ski lessons · GetYourGuide Ski and board hire · Skiset

KitAd

Ski kit · Ellis Brigham

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