“So…what ski pass did you get this year?”
Every fall, when our new seasonal shop staff starts to roll in, perhaps our favorite icebreaker is, “what ski pass are you on?”. As skiers, we’re always looking for the best bang for our buck, right? Which has the most ski areas, least black out dates, where our friends are skiing, and what makes the most sense for our families. In our ski pass comparison for the 2024/2025 season, we break down what changes each ski pass got for this season, who they’re best for, and our favorite resort from each.
Changes on the Ikon Pass
In classic Ikon fashion, the resort conglomerate provides a spread of pass options for this year. The full Ikon Pass ($1,359 as of August) offers the most access and zero (!) black out dates. The Ikon Base Pass will give you unlimited access to many I-70 corridor resorts at $969, and if you upgrade to Base Plus ($1,219), you’ll get five days at partner resorts like Aspen Snowmass, Taos, and Jackson Hole. You’ll get seven days with the full pass.
New for this year, our friends up in Washington get unlimited access to Crystal Mountain once again with the full Ikon Pass. This access went away last season, but is back from popular demand. Other tiers get a few days access. Otherwise, Ikon holders get new access with St. Mortiz in Switzerland. If international travel for skiing is your thing, you’ll get a lot of bang for your buck skiing the terrain there.
In related news that doesn’t affect pass access (yet), Ikon’s parent company Alterra purchased Araphaoe Basin in the spring of 2024. Alterra and Arapahoe Basin say that folks on the Ikon Pass
Who’s it for?
With unlimited access to Winter Park, Copper Mountain, and Eldora, and several local Colorado hills with partial access, the Ikon makes for a great Front Range pass. A wide variety of additional locations makes finding ski vacation destinations covered under your pass easy.
A Powder7 Favorite Hill: Taos Ski Valley
You’ll often find a Powder7 crew taking trips to Taos every season. With some of the coolest terrain around and small mountain vibes, Taos equals good times. There’s a little something for everyone, from open groomers to tight and technical steeps. Take your pick of the quick hikes to find uniquely Taos hike-to-terrain,
New resorts at Mountain Collective
Started by the Aspen Skiing Company back in 2012, the Mountain Collective compiles some of the highest quality terrain and mountains into one pass. The Mountain Collective offers two days at each partner resort, similar to the Indy Pass. With destinations like Aspen Snowmass, Sugarbush, Snowbird and Alta, Jackson Hole, Arapahoe Basin, and Taos, you get a lot of the hits off of the Ikon Pass without the Ikon Pass price. If you plan on skiing more than two days, you can snag 50% off on additional days.
The Mountain Collective is introducing five new resorts this year, bringing back Snowbasin and Sun Valley, and introducing Sugar Bowl in California, Marmot Basin in Alberta, and the wildly French Le Massif de Charlevoix in Quebec. They keep things easy with just one pass option for adults at $579. The cherry on top? Zero black out dates at all resorts, all year. You can see the full pass lineup here.
Who’s it for?
With no black out dates and a reasonable number of days at each resort, if you like to spend your ski season traveling to a variety of rather than focusing on one resort every trip, this is an excellent choice. These destinations are a little more resort-y than those on the Indy Pass (more on that below), so if you like resorts with more terrain options, we’d lean Mountain Collective.
A Powder7 Favorite Hill: Arapahoe Basin
Arapahoe Basin is a Colorado local’s favorite. It’s not for the faint of heart — plenty of steep terrain, limited beginner runs, and a lot of terrain above treeline make for some windy and cold conditions. If you love bashing through tight trees and steep bowls, there’s nothing better than lapping the Beavers and Pallavicini zone.
Updates for the Epic Mountain Pass
Usually the biggest rival with the Ikon Pass, the Epic Pass provides exclusive access to the infamous Vail Resorts. In the last few years, Epic expanded across the country, with new additions in the Mid Atlantic, Midwest, and East. This makes Epic a great all-round option for lots of local skiing for skiers everywhere. The Epic Local Pass (similar to the Ikon Base, with more limited access compared to the full Epic) provides really extensive access for a pretty great price — just $749 right now.
Epic has a huge variety of pass options available, ranging from the full Epic pass to multi-day passes, to regional passes that have different access to different mountains. You can see the full range here. Don’t forget, Epic prices are jumping up on October 9th!
Who’s it for?
Colorado skiers who ride or die by Vail, Breck, and Keystone, or anyone who spends vacations in the Colorado/Utah area. Not to mention, the full Epic Pass is home to probably the largest spread of international destinations in Europe and Canada, so if that’s on your list this year, this could be a good option.
A Powder7 Favorite Hill: Keystone Resort
Vail and Breck get all the attention, but we find a lot of staff hanging out at Keystone. Just down the hill from Arapahoe Basin, Keystone gets a lot of the same early and late-season snow that A-Basin is known for and fights for the earliest opening date every season. You can find quiet trails and powder stashes over by The Outback Lift. Pro Tip: the new Keystone Plus Pass is an absolute steal ($399).d After Keystone closes, you’ll get access to Breckenridge. It’s one of the best deals for Front Range skiers wanting unlimited access. Keystone also offers night skiing, a past time not oft found in Colorado.
Shakeups on the Indy Pass
The Indy Pass entered the scene back in 2019 and provides a unique offering for riders everywhere with over 100 partner resorts. Passholders get two days at each resort, with additional discounts for extra tickets and at other partnered areas, like cross-country skiing facilities. The focus of the Indy Pass is on independent resorts (hence the name), but also smaller resorts that prioritize small ski area vibes. 10,000 feet of vertical drop isn’t usually on the menu at these partners, but no lift lines and easy access are.
The Indy Pass added a whopping 17 new areas for 24/25, including Ragged Mountain, Middlebury Snowbowl, and Colorado’s own Powderhorn on the Western Slope. You also get four new resorts in Japan and two in Canada.
The only bad news? The Indy Pass is already sold out for this year, in an effort to keep visitation small. But the Indy Pass is clearly on a road to success, which makes for a compelling story in ski culture today.
Who’s it for?
Perhaps the best compilation and representation in the Midwest of all the ski passes. It’s great for folks based in the East and Midwest but provides plenty of options for destination skiing out West. The Indy Pass is ideal for folks who aren’t hitting the 50+ ski day threshold and are stoked on exploring and traveling off the beaten path.
A Powder7 Favorite Hill: Sunlight Mountain Resort
Just down the road from Aspen Snowmass, Sunlight is a Roaring Fork Valley locals favorite. Avoid the crowds (and ritzy vibe) of Aspen, with a lot of the same incredible terrain. The Indy Pass added Sunlight last February, which combined with Bluebird would make for a great hit of Colorado ski areas.
