An adult lift ticket at Schuss Mountain costs $115 on a Saturday this coming season. On a Wednesday night in January, the same adult can ride the same lifts for $24.
The gap between those two numbers is the clearest guide to Shanty Creek's 2026-27 winter. It is the resort's first full ski season since it changed hands. The posted rates have stayed in line with a resort that draws weekend visitors from downstate. The discounts sit on weekdays, on preseason deadlines and at the ages bracketing a typical skier's life. For anyone within a short drive of Bellaire, choosing which days to ski matters more than how many.
On February 26, 2026, Shanty Creek Ski and Golf Resort, LLC took ownership of the resort from Trinidad Resort & Club, LLC, which had run it for more than 20 years. 9&10 News reported that the new owners are a Michigan-based investment group. In that story, Harper Sibley, executive vice president of the new venture, said the strategic plan includes hotel updates, a new website and more family-friendly activities.
The resort also said the current team would stay in place to keep daily operations running as before. COO and general manager Andrew Reh stayed on. The resort described future changes as "thoughtful enhancements." MLive's coverage of the sale also listed hotel updates among the planned improvements. So far, no completed renovation has been publicly documented.
That continuity carries over to pricing. The 2026-27 rate tables keep the familiar structure. Weekday and weekend rates are split, and night skiing is priced separately. Several specials return under names longtime skiers will recognize. The resort's page says KHQ Ski Nights "returns this season" and calls the Sardine Special a "customer favorite" that "is back." The first winter under new ownership looks much like the last one, which means the old ways of saving still work.
The first date that matters arrives before any snow. SuperPass season passes are sold at preseason rates from September 1 through October 24. After that, the in-season rates apply.
| Pass type | Through Oct 24 | In-season | Non-holiday day ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult (18-61) | $489 | $565 | $95 |
| Teen (13-17) | $459 | $505 | $84 |
| Senior (62-69) | $459 | $505 | $84 |
| Youth (9-12) | $329 | $359 | $71 |
| 8 & Under / 70 & Older | $40 | $40 | $10 |
| Cross Country Only (9-69) | $104 | $116 | $22 adult trail pass, $14 child |
At the preseason price, an adult pass costs about the same as five non-holiday day tickets at $95. On the sixth weekday, the pass is ahead. If those days fall on Saturdays at $115, the pass pays for itself on the fifth visit. Waiting past October 24 adds $76 to an adult pass, nearly a full extra day's ticket.
The bottom row of the table works differently. Skiers 8 and under and 70 and older pay $10 for a lift ticket every day of the season, and the pass for those ages costs $40 either way. The October deadline makes no difference there. The pass breaks even after four days.
The Cross Country Only pass is a similar case for Nordic skiers. At $104 before the deadline, it equals a little under five adult trail passes at $22.
The posted day rates are only part of the picture. Shanty Creek prints a set of weekly specials, valid from December 13, 2026 through March 14, 2027. They are not valid on December 27, January 17 or February 14. The resort notes that advance reservations are not required. The specials are not sold online.
These specials are why the "sixth day" break-even from the October deadline needs a second look. Measured against the $50 Thursday rate instead of the $95 posted rate, an adult preseason pass needs about ten Thursdays to come out ahead. There are exactly ten Thursdays from January 7 through the March 14 end of the specials window, and none falls on a blackout date. Someone who skis only Thank You Thursdays would spend $500 in day tickets over that stretch, $11 more than the pass.
A Tuesday pair works out to $47.50 per person. On Wednesday nights a ticket costs $24. A pass bought to save money against those rates needs many more visits than the October math suggests.
The pass still comes out ahead for anyone who skis the holiday weeks or Saturdays at $115, and for the weeks before the Wednesday and Thursday specials begin in early January. The resort also lists perks for passholders, including going straight to the lifts and discounts on lessons, Nordic skiing and lodging. The holiday periods this season are December 26 through January 2, January 16 and 17, and February 13 and 14.
On the resort's ticket page, every season date is projected, and one appears to be misprinted. The page lists the passholders-only opening as "November 27, 2027." That date sits under a 2026-27 heading, and the same page lists daily skiing beginning December 17, 2026. The page does not say so, but November 27, 2026 falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which makes it the likely intended date. The resort's separate hours-of-operation page still shows last season's Schuss dates, when passholders opened on December 6, 2025. Confirm with the resort before planning a holiday weekend around opening day.
The ticket page gives this sequence. Passholders ski first, on the misprinted November 27 date that still needs the resort's confirmation. Daily skiing is projected to begin December 17. Night skiing at Schuss is planned to start December 26. It runs Wednesday through Saturday only, with no night skiing Sunday through Tuesday except on holiday dates. The projected closing date is March 28, 2027.
That closing date matters for weekday skiers. The specials window ends March 14, so the last two weeks of the season are back at posted rates. A pass covers those weeks at no added cost.
The night rates also reward skiing midweek. Outside the specials, an adult night ticket costs $42 Wednesday through Friday and $54 on Saturdays and holidays. Once January arrives, KHQ Ski Nights and Thank You Thursdays cut the Wednesday and Thursday night rate to $24.
The same pattern shows up away from Schuss. Alpine tubing is at Summit Mountain this season. Its projected opening is December 19, 2026, and the last day is March 14, 2027. Hours are 4 to 10 p.m. on Fridays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and holidays, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays and holiday Mondays. Reservations are taken online.
The Nordic Center's projected season runs December 26, 2026 through March 13, 2027. It is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Shanty Creek grooms and track-sets 9.5 kilometers of trails across the resort's four villages. A separate 3-kilometer groomed trail at Schuss Village is set aside for fat-tire biking and snowshoeing. Adult trail passes are $22 and child passes are $14. Classic ski packages rent for $34 for adults, and snowshoes rent for $28. The resort's own pages disagree on where the Nordic Center sits. The trails page places it in the Summit Pro Shop at Summit Village, while the hours page lists Schuss Village. Call ahead before your first visit.
The Lakeview Hotel hosts the off-slope calendar, and most of it falls before the season's busiest weeks:
Breakfast with Santa falls on the same day tubing is projected to open at Summit, two days after daily skiing is projected to begin. The resort also sells Magic Carpet-only tickets for $10 at every age, an easy way to try a first ski day without paying for a full lift ticket.
The preseason pass price ends October 24. The first of the Thursday specials arrives January 7, and the resort's season is projected to close March 28.
If time on Schuss Mountain or the Nordic trails is part of why Bellaire sits on your shortlist for a second home, or why you already own one there, Molly Buttleman can talk through how the resort's villages, seasons and drive times fit the way you plan to use a property. Inquire Now.
Molly is Michigan native and has called the Grand Traverse and Leelanau County region home for more than 30 years. Understanding the demands of today's buyers and sellers has allowed her to be a top producing agent when it comes to Antrim, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau County real estate year after year. As a relationship building person, she enjoys developing loyal friends and customers. As a Real Estate Professional, she builds those same lasting relationships with both Buyers and Sellers. Service is Molly's top priority.
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