Pajarito Mountain Ski Area | |
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Location in New Mexico | |
Location | Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States |
Nearest major city | Los Alamos, New Mexico |
Coordinates | 35°53′39″N 106°23′25″W / 35.89417°N 106.39028°W |
Top elevation | 10,440 feet (3,180 m) |
Base elevation | 9,000 feet (2,700 m) |
Skiable area | 280 acres (1.1 km2) |
Trails | 40 20% Beginner 50% Intermediate 30% Advanced/Expert |
Lift system | 7 total ( 1 Quad chair, 1 Triple chairs, 3 Double chair), 1 Surface Lift |
Terrain parks | 2 |
Snowfall | 125 in/year (3.17 m/year) |
Website | http://www.pajarito.ski/ |
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.
In summer, Pajarito hosts numerous special events, many involving mountain biking. An extensive network of single and double track mountain bike trails criss-cross the mountain, including a new singletrack trail going to the summit. Pajarito hosts lift access downhill and freeride mountain biking off the Spruce chair, and has continued to do so after the Las Conchas Fire in 2011. There also are hiking trails, and horse riding is permitted everywhere except on the mountain bike trails. Adjacent to Pajarito is a Los Alamos County campground, Camp May; Santa Fe National Forest; and Valles Caldera National Preserve.