It's easy to get carried away looking at ski passes. There's a mountain you've always wanted to visit, a trip your friends keep talking about, and a long list of places you could ski if you somehow had twice as much time off.
Then there's the winter you're actually going to have. A handful of Saturdays. A school vacation. Maybe one trip out West.
That's the winter to buy for.
Epic, Ikon and Indy can each make sense. The useful question is how much skiing you'll get from the mountains you can reach, on the days you're free to go. Start there, and the choice gets a lot easier.
Start with the mountain you'll visit most
Think about where you'll ski on an ordinary weekend. The place you can get to without booking a room or turning the drive into half the day.
If you're going back there eight or ten times, its pass options deserve the first look. Check the mountain's own season pass too. A larger network might be worth paying for, but only if you'll use the extra access.
Next, add the trips you're reasonably sure you'll take. Keep the someday list separate. You can like the idea of skiing Whistler without buying your whole winter around a trip you haven't planned.
Your dates matter just as much. A family skiing during school breaks needs different access from someone who can take a quiet Tuesday off.
When Epic makes sense
If your plans keep coming back to Vail, Breckenridge, Park City or Whistler, start with Epic. In the Northeast, mountains such as Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow give you another reason to look closely.
The appeal is being able to use one pass for skiing near home and a trip elsewhere. That can be a good fit when both parts of your winter line up with the same network.
Choose the product carefully, though. Epic Pass and Epic Local don't provide identical access. A mountain can be included with limits on days or dates, and some partner access is different again.
Check your must-have mountains before paying for the full pass. You may find a less expensive Epic product covers the skiing you've actually planned.
When Ikon makes sense
Look at Ikon if your plans include places such as Copper, Winter Park, Mammoth or Palisades Tahoe. It also gives you several mountains to consider for a Utah trip. In the Northeast, Killington, Sugarbush, Loon, Sunday River and Sugarloaf may put it on your list.
Having several useful choices can be valuable. You might have a regular weekend mountain and want somewhere different for a longer trip.
The important word is useful. A long resort list doesn't tell you how often you'll go, and the full Ikon Pass and Ikon Base Pass don't cover every mountain in the same way.
If a particular destination is the reason you're buying, look up that mountain's exact access first. Check the number of days, any excluded dates, and whether you need a reservation.
When Indy makes sense
Indy is worth a close look if you like trying different independent mountains. The standard pass gives you two included days at each full partner resort, so it suits a winter spent moving between several places.
Picture a couple of days at one mountain, another weekend somewhere else, and a few visits closer to home. If those are trips you'd take anyway, Indy can be a sensible way to pay for them.
Going to the same hill every Saturday is a different calculation. You'll use its included Indy days quickly. Compare that mountain's own season pass before deciding.
Indy Base has blackout dates at participating resorts. Indy+ removes those blackout restrictions, but it doesn't turn the pass into unlimited skiing. Check reservation rules too. Allied resorts offer discounted tickets rather than the standard included days.
For a closer look at the numbers, read our Indy Pass buying guide.
Check what Local and Base leave out
The cheaper version may cover everything you need. It may also leave out the mountain you wanted most.
Before choosing Epic Local or Ikon Base, check each place on your short list. Does that exact product include it? How many days do you get? Are any of your dates excluded? If you're visiting two mountains, do they share the same day allowance?
For example, Ikon Base includes Snowbird and Brighton, with a day limit and blackout dates. Alta and Deer Valley require the full Ikon Pass. That's a meaningful difference if you're planning a Utah trip.
Blackout dates deserve a look before you book lodging. They're the days when your pass won't provide access at a particular mountain. Don't assume one resort's rules apply to the whole network.
What do the passes cost?
Compare the versions you'd actually use. The full passes aren't the only choices, and the lowest advertised price may apply to a different age group or purchase offer.
| Pass | Advertised adult price | Official details |
|---|---|---|
| Epic Pass | $1,145, ages 31+ | Add to cart was available. Epic Pass product page |
| Epic Local Pass | $849, ages 31+ | Add to cart was available. Some mountains have day limits or excluded dates. Epic Local Pass product page |
| Ikon Pass | From $1,449, age 23+ | Buy now was showing. Ikon Pass product page |
| Ikon Base Pass | From $1,019, age 23+ | Buy now was showing. Blackout dates apply. Ikon Base Pass product page |
| Indy Base Pass | $419, adult | The shop button said Join the waitlist. Two days at each full partner, and blackout dates apply. Indy Base Pass |
| Indy+ | $469, adult | The shop button said Join the waitlist. Two days at each full partner, with no blackout dates. Indy+ details |
Buying for a family? Price the whole group. Age bands, child offers and renewal discounts can change the total. Check fees and any optional protection before comparing the final amounts.
The lower price is useful when the access works. Paying less for a pass that doesn't cover your trip leaves you buying tickets too.
You might only need a few days
If you're skiing three or four days all winter, compare day products and advance tickets before buying a season pass. Epic Day Pass and Ikon Session Pass are worth checking for the mountains and dates you have in mind. Their access rules differ from the full passes.
Use the tickets you'd realistically buy when doing the math. Comparing a pass only with the most expensive walk-up rate can make the savings look better than they'd be.
And count days you expect to ski. A fifth day doesn't save you money if you weren't going to take it.
Already have a pass?
You can buy a regular Indy Pass alongside Epic or Ikon. Whether that makes sense depends on how many additional trips you'll take. Count the independent-mountain days separately instead of treating the second pass as an automatic bargain.
There's also a product called the Indy Add-On Pass. It's discounted access for someone who already holds a qualifying unrestricted season pass at an Indy partner mountain. Each skier has to qualify. Owning Epic or Ikon alone doesn't establish eligibility. It isn't a pass for a second person.
The Add-On doesn't provide extra Indy days at your home mountain. Your local season pass covers that skiing. Check Indy's eligibility rules before buying.
Look closer at where you ski
The national comparison only gets you so far. A pass that works well for someone in Boston may have very little value for someone in Seattle. Start with the places you can reach and the mountains you want to return to.
- Northeast pass guide
- Rockies pass guide
- California pass guide
- Pacific Northwest pass guide
- Midwest pass guide
For an overseas trip, check the destination's official pass terms too. International access can have different day limits and booking requirements.
Before you buy
Write down your likely mountains and dates. Match them to the exact product you're considering, then check its current price, sale availability and restrictions on the official site.
If you'll spend most of the winter at one mountain, compare its own pass. If you'll move between several places, count the included days you'll realistically use. If you're planning one big trip, make sure the mountain you want is covered before buying anything.
You don't have to use every benefit. You just want a pass that makes it easier to ski the winter you've planned.