If you are looking to visit the Blue Mountain Resort this fall, you are best to plan ahead.
“All of our passes have been pre-purchased until Sept. 7,” explains Tara Lovell, manager of public relations for Blue Mountain Resorts. “We are strongly encouraging guests to go online and plan ahead for a visit in the fall.”
The resort had a slow start to the season due to the COVID-19 closure. Once reopening was permitted, the resort has been limiting capacity and pre-selling passes online.
“A part of our reduced capacity management includes the introduction of our Play All Day Pass. To keep at our capacity limits, we are now sold out online of Play All Day Passes for the rest of August,” Lovell says.
The resort has been capping capacity since May, however, the exact number of guests per day has been fluid depending on the day’s activities and offerings.
“It is hard to compare numbers from previous years as this year has been made up of some new data considerations, but I can share that we have seen about two-thirds of what we would typically see in peak summer with regards to attraction and lodging sales,” she says.
The resort’s Monterra Golf Club was one of the first attractions at the resort to welcome back guests. It was opened at the end of May under new COVID-19 safety protocol.
Hiking trails were opened in the first week of June, which included the introduction of a new trail pass.
Blue Mountain has reopened 10 of its attractions since the pandemic closure, as well as its private beach.
“The Wind Rider Triple Zips, Apex Bagjump, the rock-climbing wall and Canopy Climb, along with mountain biking were not opened this summer,” says Lovell, adding that some attractions were too difficult to run with proper COVID safety precautions.
She says the resort plans to continue to limit capacity for the foreseeable future, and that staff and guests have been adapting well to the new COVID protocols.
“The most challenging part of implementing these adapted operations has been educating guests who may be visiting from areas with a different approach to health and safety guidelines or who simply personally do not subscribe to new requirements on-resort,” Lovell says.
“We have found that being as clear and forthcoming with the information has been an important part of making sure both employees and guests comply with them.”
Parking at the resort has remained free this summer but limited, with only the two main parking lots open.
“There is parking available for hikers at the orchard and north parking lots and at the top of the Silver Bullet (chairlift), but the main lots have been reduced.”
Lovell says shops and restaurants in the Blue Mountain Village have implemented the resort's safety protocols, as well as many of their own.
“With outdoor dining being extra popular this year, Blue Mountain now boasts over 1,000 patio seats across the entire resort from the village to the top of the mountain,” she says.
Blue Mountain recently launched its Summitview Pavilion, a mountain-top dining experience located adjacent to the gondola.
“It is great to have another space at Blue to continue offering outdoor seating options for guests. It is a great destination for hikers and an added delight for guests riding the Gondola,” she says.
According to Lovell, the pavilion will be an ongoing addition to Blue’s lineup of attractions.
Looking to the fall, Lovell says Blue Mountain Resort and Village are currently working together to create a new outdoor, night experience for guests.
“We want guests to know that the fun at Blue doesn’t stop after Labour Day. Our hotels and our attractions will remain open throughout September and into mid-October so there will still be time to plan some fun,” she says. “We are working on an outdoor night experience with more details to come in the next couple weeks.”
