Nevada
Lee Canyon aims to make winter fun affordable
Recent facility improvements and a renewed emphasis on affordability at Lee Canyon’s ski resort are driving an increase in visitation to Southern Nevada’s largest destination for outdoor winter activities, operators said.
Located about 53 miles northwest of the Las Vegas Strip, the elevation of Lee Canyon ski resort’s base lodge is 8,660 feet, which makes it a popular getaway from the summertime Southern Nevada heat. But given the vast entertainment and recreation options available throughout the Las Vegas Valley, creating an affordable experience is central to Lee Canyon’s strategy to attract locals and tourists alike, marketing director Johnny DeGeorge said.
“In the Las Vegas Valley, of course, there’s many options for outdoor recreation,” DeGeorge said. “None of those are on an Alpine, forested mountain environment, though. Most of the recreation we have here is in the desert climate. So in the summertime, for example, that kind of shuts down those opportunities, where here it’s beautiful.”
Lee Canyon’s winter visitation in 2024 was up 60 percent over the 10-year average and 20 percent over the 5-year average, which indicates a strong demand for accessible winter recreation, DeGeorge said. That’s in spite of skiing and snowboarding being traditionally viewed as activities with high barriers to entry, DeGeorge said.
The National Ski Areas Association in May reported 61.5 million skier visits for the 2024-2025 season, making it the second-busiest U.S. ski season ever, only behind the 2022-23 season. As skiing and snowboarding grows, DeGeorge said many operators in California, Utah and elsewhere have chosen to price out novices and cater to a more experienced clientele.
That has created a market demand that Lee Canyon has been able to fill, DeGeorge said.
“In general, the ski industry is not known for being affordable,” DeGeorge said. “Equipment is expensive, access is expensive.”
‘More fun and less challenging’
For complete beginners, the resort offers a 30-minute introductory group lesson that teaches the basics of skiing and snowboarding. The lesson is included with the price of a lift ticket, which can be bought for as low as $14 if purchased in advance, DeGeorge said. Kids 12 and under ski for free, according to the Lee Canyon website.
Lee Canyon offers private and group lessons to skiers and snowboarders, too. Heather Collins, a Las Vegas-based social media influencer who goes by @raisedinvegas and has more than 245,000 followers, was at the resort for a lesson in December. She said it’s a unique experience relative to other entertainment options in Southern Nevada.
“I feel like Las Vegas locals really need to take part in the fun that is Lee Canyon. It’s right around the corner from us,” Collins said, adding it was her first time skiing. “It was more fun and less challenging, and I want to do it again.”
Lee Canyon’s resort lift system can transport about roughly 5,000 people per hour. To avoid overcrowding, DeGeorge said, operators have also implemented a dynamic pricing model that fluctuates ticket rates based on supply and demand.
“We don’t want to exceed a certain population per day, so that is really why the ticket prices climb up closer to the day of,” DeGeorge said.
That also means the cheapest time to hit the slopes is often during the week, which can be especially advantageous for Las Vegas locals who work unorthodox hours, DeGeorge said.
“As someone who personally loves to ski and snowboard, my favorite time to visit a resort is a Tuesday or a Wednesday, when it’s the least crowded,” DeGeorge continued. “Those are the days you’re going to find the best deals on tickets.”
Facility upgrades, year-round event schedule
Approximately $18 million in capital investments have been made since 2019, DeGeorge said. That includes a 10,000-square foot lodge that opened that year as well as a new skiing area and lift systems. Other upgrades have bolstered guest flow and terrain access, DeGeorge said.
New this season are plans for a movable rope tow that will increase access to ski areas and a magic carpet lift system that will increase flow to novice trails like Rabbit Peak, ski and snowboard instructor Ashley Anderson said.
A new ski area opened during the 2023-24 season and offers access to a new beginner terrain separate from Rabbit Peak. The resort also introduced its 500-foot Alpenglow surface lift linking the beginner hills in 2024, all of which reduce wait times to go back uphill, Anderson said.
“It’s helped so much that we’ve had all these new lifts open up and more terrain to kind of help disperse the people at ski school,” said Anderson, who is in her fourth season working at Lee Canyon.
Lee Canyon’s Sherwood and Bluebird terrains are more difficult and were designed for those with a more advanced skill set, he said.
“This is a really good place for all levels of experience,” DeGeorge said.
Even outside of skiing and snowboarding, Lee Canyon operators have also begun to embrace warmer weather activities. A downhill mountain bike park opened in 2022 and a summer concert series launched over the summer, as well as a weekly yoga class that returned due to popular demand.
That’s on top of the ample trail heads and campgrounds located nearby. When taken in together, there’s not many places that provide a better value to take in natural sights, DeGeorge said.
“These events tap into something and bring people together that are in the outdoors community or just in the local Las Vegas community,” DeGeorge said. “So it’s been a cool thing to see community growth via the yoga class, concerts, the bike racing, and, of course, our winter events.”
Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Casey_Harrison1 on X or @casey-harrison.bsky.social on Bluesky.
The Las Vegas Raiders have orchestrated many groundbreaking moves this offseason, but none as important as the impact they made at a fundraising event.
Over the weekend, the Raiders hosted the Silver & Black Gala, raising $2.5 million for mental health in Nevada. Sunday marked the third time the organization had hosted the event, which has produced a tremendous turnout.
Several individuals spoke during the event, including Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis and president Sandra Douglass Morgan, who each highlighted the importance of acknowledging mental health.
Davis’ Thoughts
- “We’re here to raise money for mental health, which is one of the most important things we can all deal with,” Davis said. “Every one of us is impacted by mental health and our families, friends, or anywhere else, we are all directly affected. That’s why it’s so critical to raise money for our community. We’re grateful for you all, and appreciate you being here.”
Morgan’s Thoughts
“Mental health remains one of the most urgent issues across Nevada,” Morgan said. “Through the Silver & Black Gala, the Raiders Foundation is helping expand access to trusted, community-based resources that meet people where they are. This year’s recipients reflect the depth and complexity of that work, supporting our community in schools, clubhouses, homes, shelters, and family systems statewide.”
The Raiders also honored former player Carl Nassib and NFL broadcaster Jay Glazer on Sunday night as the winners of the Commitment to Excellence award. Here is what each of them had to say.
Glazer’s Thoughts
- “First, this is incredible what the Raiders are doing,” Glazer said. “God blessed me with the ability to communicate, so I’m going to use that to try and help other people. When we’re willing to share our scars, we turn them into strength—into something that connects us as teammates with nothing to hide. That’s what builds a true team, a championship team. I’m proud to stand with you and be part of this team tonight.”
Nassib’s Thoughts
- “It is truly a privilege to be up here,” Nassib said. “We’re creating space for people to be vulnerable—and that work is truly lifesaving. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about showing up and reminding people they’re not alone.”
Overall Thoughts
This has been a tremendous event over the last few years, and the Raiders’ organization has done a great job of raising awareness for mental health. This will be an event that the team will continue to host in the future.
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Nevada
Nevada workers fear homelessness as housing, jobs vanish before July deadline | Fox News Video
The final casino resort in Primm, Nevada, will close this summer after years of declining tourism, ending gaming operations in the once-busy border town and putting hundreds of employees out of work.
Primm Valley Casino Resorts is shutting down its remaining hotel and casino operations in July as experts point to increased competition, changing travel habits and post-pandemic losses behind the decline.
RENO, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo (R) is in a strong position heading into the thick of his 2026 reelection bid — a huge war chest, almost universal name recognition and strong favorability numbers among the electorate.
Though Lombardo is likely focusing on the general election already, he faces 6 longshot candidates in the GOP primary seeking to upset him in June.
Nevada Governor GOP primary: 6 longshot candidates taking on incumbent Joe Lombardo
The challengers face a ‘Herculean’ task, said Mike Noble, CEO and founder of Noble Predictive Insights, an Arizona-based nonpartisan pollster focusing on the Southwest region.
“I see it as a Herculean task for anyone. If someone was coming in with like, I don’t know $10 million or something to spend, sure I can see that might be competitive, but I don’t see any of them coming anywhere near close to that. And so again, I just think I think it’s a non-factor at this point,” Noble said.
RELATED | Ballot Battleground: Nevada podcast: Early Noble poll shows dead heat in governor’s race
Despite the long odds, News 4-Fox 11 reached out to all candidates requesting an interview as part of our commitment to 2026 election coverage and our Know Your Candidates series. Three of the 7 running interviewed with us — Irina Hansen, Kameron Hawkins, Lombardo and Jose Zelaya did not respond to multiple emails requesting an interview.
We asked them similar questions about Gov. Lombardo’s leadership as governor, how they would pass a balanced budget and whether they support taxpayer subsidies for sports teams or major projects.
Click the candidate’s name to watch their full interview. Quotes below have been edited for space and clarity.
Donald J. Beaudry Jr. is an entrepreneur who founded BlkEdgeAi, a financial technology firm specializing in AI-driven trading systems and market strategy, according to his campaign website.
He told News 4-Fox 11 that Nevada has been drifting the last four years with ‘no captain, no vision.’ He believes his Wall Street-like trading market called NGEX (Nevada Global Exchange) would generate enough revenue to eliminate sales taxes, property taxes, business taxes and vehicle registration fees.
“I completely blueprinted it out and calculated that this model could generate enough revenue in this state that we could eliminate all the state taxes and fees that are currently in place and use that as the revenue source for the state and make everybody, every man, woman and child throughout Nevada, a shareholder in the dividends of that exchange … it would be a kind of Wall Street type of stock market, but far broader, more advanced, and exponentially more profitable.”
Matthew Rian Winterhawk is the founder of SmartSlaps foundation, a nonprofit that works to help schools and students with civic engagement and community responsibility.
If elected, he described going through a DOGE-like review of the state budget to determine which areas can be cut or kept depending on their ‘dollar to impact’ ratio.
“What I would like to do is go through every department, I’m talking top to bottom, from here from the primary to the beginning. We will cut every piece of administrative bloat across the system … I need more money for my teachers. Teachers never see it, students never see it, the impact never reaches the classroom. It’s 100% administrative bloat.”
The son of immigrants, Barak Zilberberg is now an entrepreneur and real estate investor based in Las Vegas. He ran for governor in 2022, earning 0.2% of the vote in the GOP primary. He told News 4-Fox 11 he’s also running for President in 2028.
He said he’s running for governor to improve the educational system, bring jobs to Nevada and open up federal land to build more affordable housing.
“We’ve got get high-speed railing systems in here where we can transit very easily, efficiently, and basically moving around between economies of both cities. Not only that, I’d like to bring Disneyland here and the Olympics, sponsor the Olympics here. I just want to make this a well-known place of entertainment, a hub.”
To help voters make informed decisions this election year, News 4-Fox 11 is publishing and broadcasting dozens of interviews with candidates who will appear on the June primary ballot.
In fairness to all candidates, they were asked a series of similar questions. We are posting the full interviews online so voters can watch their responses in their entirety.
Visit our Know Your Candidates 2026 page to view other race previews and meet other candidates.
Email reporter Ben Margiott at bjmargiott@sbgtv.com. Follow @BenMargiott on X and Ben Margiott KRNV on Facebook.
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