Skiing and camping seem like opposite seasons of the same hobby, but a real overlap of people do both at once — not despite winter, but because of it.
Sleeping in the Parking Lot for First Tracks
Car and van camping is the most common version of this. Skiers set up in modified vans, cars, or truck campers directly in resort parking lots, trading a hotel room for a few hours of sleep close enough to be on the lift before anyone else. The appeal isn’t just cost, though that’s real — it’s the ability to actually get first tracks on a powder morning instead of losing that window to a drive in.
RV Hookups Built Right Into the Resort
Some resorts have leaned into this directly, offering designated spaces with electricity or full hookups for motorhomes and travel trailers. It’s a step up from a van parked overnight — real power, sometimes water, and a legitimate spot to base out of for a multi-day trip without needing separate lodging at all.
Backcountry Touring: Camping as Part of the Skiing
The more advanced version of this isn’t about staying near a resort at all. Skiers using splitboards or touring skis haul winter tents and gear directly into remote, snowy mountain terrain, camping as part of a multi-day backcountry route rather than as a base for lift-served skiing. This is a genuinely different category of trip — the camping isn’t a cost-saving measure here, it’s the only way to access terrain that far from a road.
Why This Combination Makes Sense
Ski resorts and campgrounds solve the same basic problem from opposite directions — both are about spending as much time as possible in a place that’s inconvenient to reach quickly. Combining them just cuts out the part in between: the drive back to a hotel, the wasted morning, the disconnect between where you sleep and where you actually want to be.
The Bottom Line
Whether it’s a van in a resort lot, a full hookup at an RV site, or a tent hauled deep into the backcountry, camping and skiing solve the same problem — staying close to the mountain instead of losing time getting to it. It’s a genuinely different way to think about a ski trip, and one more people are building their whole season around.
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