When does ski season start at the little hill off Lexington Parkway? You might guess it starts with the first good snowfall. Two dates this month say otherwise. Registration for ski and snowboard lessons at Como Park Ski Center opens Monday, November 16, at 9am. The annual Ski & Snowboard Equipment Sale & Fundraiser takes over the chalet on Saturday, November 21, from 9am to 2pm. Both happen whether or not anything white is on the ground.
That order makes sense once you see how the hill is set up. Mount Como is a teaching hill first. Its weekly calendar, its rental counter and even its cancellation rules are built around the lesson program. Last winter, anyone in the neighborhood who just wanted to ski had Wednesday through Friday afternoons.
What the hill actually is
The City of Saint Paul runs Como Park Ski Center, also called Mount Como, at 1431 North Lexington Parkway. It has two rope tows, a 150-foot vertical drop, 15 skiable acres and more than 5K of groomed cross-country trail. The chalet sits inside the Como golf course clubhouse, a short walk from the lake and the Zoo and Conservatory.
The setup is modest, with rope tows and no chairlift. The city's own description of the program puts instruction first. It offers downhill, cross-country and snowboard lessons for all levels. Students are grouped by ability, and to move up a level they have to show the skills taught at their current one. Helmets are required for all students.
The November calendar, in order
- Monday, November 16, 9am. Lesson registration opens for ski and snowboard lessons at Como Park Ski Center and Highland National Golf Course.
- Saturday, November 21, 9am to 2pm. The Ski & Snowboard Equipment Sale & Fundraiser comes to Como Park Ski Center.
- Before the first lesson. The city strongly encourages advance equipment fittings for lesson participants. Families who plan to rent should take care of that before the weekend sessions begin.
The sale lands five days after registration opens. A family can lock in a lesson slot on Monday and shop for boots, skis or a board that Saturday, all before the hill has run a single tow.
Weekends belong to the students
Last winter's posted schedule shows how fully the lesson program shapes the week. Hours and programs were weather-dependent, and ticket sales ended one hour before the hill closed.
| Day | Last season's hours | What ran |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | 3pm to 9pm | Lessons and open ski |
| Thursday | 3pm to 9pm | Lessons and open ski |
| Friday | 3pm to 9pm | Open ski |
| Saturday | 8am to 6pm | Lessons |
| Sunday | 9am to 5:30pm | Lessons |
| Presidents Day | 10am to 6pm | Open ski |
Weekends were blocked out for lessons, and the city's posted rental rule follows from that. Equipment rentals are only available Wednesday, Thursday and Friday during chalet hours, because the lesson program uses the gear on weekends.
The city's currently posted rates are simple:
- Tow rope ticket: $15, sold inside the chalet until one hour before close
- Downhill or cross-country package of skis, boots and poles: $15
- Snowboard and boots: $15
At those rates, a tow ticket and a rental package together come to $30. Last season's weekday sessions ran until 9pm, which meant someone living near Como Lake could ski after work and still be home before the late news.
The cross-country side runs on a different kind of snow
The groomed trails behind the chalet are the other half of the ski center. Como has a 1.7K lighted loop for beginners and 5K of intermediate and advanced trail, groomed for both classic and skate. The trails are cross-country only, and the city doesn't allow hiking, snowshoeing, biking or pets on groomed ski trails. The city posts a trail map and links to current Como trail conditions on Skinnyski.
Como's trails need only a natural snow pass, which matters in an uncertain early winter. A Saint Paul/Ramsey County mutual pass is required on all Saint Paul ski trails, and the two tiers cover different ground:
- Natural snow pass: $6 a day or $35 a year. It covers every City of Saint Paul and Ramsey County natural-snow trail, Como included.
- All-access pass: $15 a day or $80 a year, plus $40 a year for each additional household member. It adds the lighted machine-made trails at Battle Creek Regional Park West.
- Youth 12 and under: no pass required.
The mutual pass reaches more than 60K of groomed trail at nine Saint Paul and Ramsey County locations. You can buy it online through Ramsey County or in person at Battle Creek Recreation Center, Highland National Golf Course, Como Park Ski Center or Tamarack Nature Center.
For a Como skier, the price gap between the tiers is really about snow. The $35 annual pass covers the neighborhood trails once real snow falls. The $80 pass buys access to Battle Creek's machine-made loops for the weeks when Como's trails are still waiting. A household with one adult and kids under 13 can ski the Como trails all winter for the cost of that one $35 pass.
Snow and cold both get a say
The lesson program has its own rules for bad conditions. Saint Paul Parks and Recreation can cancel, postpone or move indoors any outdoor activity when wind and temperature combine to -25 degrees or colder, or when blizzard conditions hit. The call is made at least two hours before the program starts. Families can check their email or call the chalet at 651-488-9673. If a session in a multi-week program is canceled for weather, the make-up class is held on the same day and time in the following weeks.
Cross-country classes and clinics follow a separate rule. They depend on natural snow, and if one is canceled for lack of snow, the city issues a full refund. Signing up for a Como cross-country clinic on November 16 is a bet on the weather, and a no-snow outcome costs nothing.
The group behind the program
A neighborhood nonprofit helps keep the teaching side going. The Como Snowsports Booster Club was founded in 2011 as a 501(c)(3) to support the City of Saint Paul's Como Ski & Snowboard Program. The club says its work has helped pay for the hill's introductory terrain park, outreach to local schools and financial aid to cover lesson and rental fees. For lesson scholarships, the city lists a contact at [email protected].
A warm room at the end of the run
The ski center and the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory sit inside the same park, so a December afternoon can include both. The Conservatory's Holiday Flower Show opens December 4 and runs through January 3, 2027, with a palette drawn from the colors of the Northern Lights. The Winter Flower Show follows from January 9 through March 14, 2027. Como Friends members get an early look at the holiday show on Thursday, December 3, from 4 to 7pm, with 20 percent off in the gift shop.
The two seasons overlap for most of the winter. Last season's hill schedule ran through mid-February, and the Winter Flower Show is set to run until March 14.
When I photograph homes around Como in winter, the lit beginner loop and the glow of the chalet on a Wednesday night belong in the story just as much as a fireplace does. If you'd like to talk about life near the lake in any season, Karin Rice Duncanson would love to hear from you. Let's Connect.
