It seems odd to be talking about ski lift passes in June when I’m chilling in the air conditioning. However, now is the time to shop for ski passes for the 2023-2024 season. With an Epic Pass, you can gain entry into 30+ ski resorts across America, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Europe. Love skiing in Vail? Check. Want to show off your skills on the slopes of Switzerland? No problem.
The Epic Pass makes it easy to plan your ski trip because you can choose individual preferences, winter or summer activities, and buy according to experience level. Plain and simple, you won’t have an epic fail of a ski trip (like that humor?) by choosing the right pass for your situation. Think of it as a passport to year-round skiing adventures in some pretty cool places. Plus, that’s all while saving money and no blackout dates (for some passes).
Keep in mind that most Epic Passes are for skiers 5 years and up. You could save up to 65% compared to buying lift tickets in season. Since there’s a range of pass options, locations, and savings tips, keep reading to learn all about the Epic Passes. Text DEALS or HACKS to 57299 for smart shopping tips and the hottest deals.
Epic Pass is a pre-purchased, multi-resort pass that even includes some international locations.
The Epic Pass is a pre-purchased, multi-resort pass that provides access to numerous ski resorts across the United States, Canada, and select international locations. It’s a non transferable physical card that gets scanned at the resort you visit. Moreover, holders get to choose the number of days they want to visit, ranging from a single day to the entire season. Additionally, the 2023-2024 pass gives you summer lift access.
There are three Epic Passes — Day, Local, and Full Access.
If you buy ski lift tickets in January or February, you’re going to pay a higher price because this activity is in season. That’s why now is the time to plan and take advantage of bulk discounts. The Epic Pass is available in various tiers. These include the Epic Day Pass, Epic Local Pass, and the full Epic Pass. Let’s break them down:
Epic Day Pass
This is the lowest level of ski passes and the most affordable. However, if you’re an occasional skier who wants to choose the number of days you hit the slopes, the Epic Day Pass is a good option. The pass cost depends on the resort, date, and number of days. For instance, a 4-day Epic Day Pass for an adult skiing off-season and limited to 22 resorts could pay $179 ($45 per day) for one pass. Whereas, if you choose all resorts including peak times, the same 4-day pass is $113 per day for a total of $452. You can even build your own 7-day pass.
- Cost: starts at $54 per day for kids and $104 per day for adults
- Length: 1-7 days
- Resorts: choose from access to a group of 22, 32, or all 38 resorts.
- Inclusions: Epic Mountain Rewards (20% off food, lodging, rentals & more).
- Exclusions: Summer Scenic Lift Access, Buddy Tickets, or Ski With A Friend tickets.
- No reservations are required for Epic Pass resorts, except Telluride.
- Date restrictions:
- Nov. 24, 2023 – Nov. 25, 2023
- Dec. 26, 2023 – Dec. 31, 2023
- Jan. 13, 2024
- Feb. 17, 2024 – Feb. 18, 2024
Epic Local Pass
One of the perks of the Epic Local Pass is that there’s unlimited access all season to all of the resorts for a combined 10 days.
- Cost: $359 for kids 5-12; $558 for teens 13-18; and $689 for ages 19+
- Resorts: 10 days across Vail, Beaver Creek in Colorado or Canada’s Whistler Blackcomb. Or, five days at Switzerland’s Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis. There’s also the option of five consecutive days at Japan’s Hakuba Valley or Rusutsu resorts.
- Inclusions: Epic Mountain Rewards (20% off food, lodging, rentals & more); Epic Coverage for resort closures, job loss, or injuries; discounted lift tickets for friends and summer lift access.
- Exclusions: Canadian Rockies and Telluride resorts aren’t included in this pass.
- Date restrictions for the Rockies, Canada, Northeast, and West resorts:
- Nov. 24, 2023 – Nov. 25, 2023
- Dec. 26, 2023 – Dec. 31, 2023
- Jan. 13, 2024
- Feb. 17, 2024 – Feb. 18, 2024
Epic Pass
If you want all of the perks mentioned above with no restrictions or blackout dates, the all-access Epic Pass may be for you. This pass gets you into all of the US, Switzerland, and Australia resorts and to 26 European partners locations. There is a 5-day limit for resorts in Japan and a 7-day limit to resorts in the Canadian Rockies and Telluride.
- Cost: $473 for kids 5-12; $929 for ages 13+
- Resorts: Access to all resorts in 2023 and in Australia starting in 2024.
- Inclusions: Epic Mountain Rewards (20% off food, lodging, rentals & more); Epic Coverage for resort closures, job loss, or injuries; Discounted lift tickets for friends and summer lift access.
- Note: Reservations are required for Telluride.
Get food, beverage, lesson, and rental deals with specialty passes.
Aside from the three passes outlined above, there are specialty discounts for military members, seniors, and college students.
Epic Military Pass: There are numerous passes for retired and active service members and their dependents. Verification is required, and peak dates are included. Passes start at $163.
Epic Mountain Rewards: Pass holders can shave 20% off services such as ski/bike rentals, meals, heli-skiing, snowboard lessons, lodging, and golf. The loyalty program also provides free summer gondola/lift access (for certain passes). For the Colorado resorts, this reward offers 20% off transportation from the airport to their resort.
Epic Local College Pass: Students 17 years and older must verify their status using their school schedule or proof of enrollment. Tickets are $625 and access is available across partner resorts in Japan and North America.
Epic Senior Pass: Despite the name, most of the Senior Passes start at age 18 and stop at 64 years old. There are 12 pass options available starting at $302.
Epic Passes can be used around the world.
In addition to the North American resorts, Epic Pass has European partner resorts and locations in Japan and Australia.
California, Nevada, and Washington (West)
- Heavenly, CA/NV
- Northstar, CA
- Kirkwood, CA
- Stevens Pass, WA
Colorado and Utah (Rockies)
- Vail, CO
- Beaver Creek, CO
- Breckenridge, CO
- Keystone, CO
- Crested Butte, CO
- Telluride, CO
- Park City, UT
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, & Ohio (Midwest)
- Afton Alps, MN
- Mt Brighton, MI
- Wilmot, WI
- Alpine Valley, OH
- Boston Mills, OH
- Brandywine, OH
- Mad River Mountain, OH
- Hidden Valley, MO
- Snow Creek, MO
- Paoli Peaks, IN
Pennsylvania (MidAtlantic)
- Liberty Mountain Resort, PA
- Roundtop Mountain Resort, PA
- Whitetail Resort, PA
- Jack Frost, PA
- Big Boulder, PA
- Seven Springs, PA
- Laurel Mountain, PA
- Hidden Valley, PA
Vermont and New Hampshire (Northeast)
- Stowe, VT
- Okemo, VT
- Mount Sunapee, NH
- Mount Snow, VT
- Attitash Mountain Resort, NH
- Wildcat Mountain, NH
- Crotched Mountain, NH
- Hunter Mountain, NY
Canada
- Whistler Blackcomb, BC
Japan
- Hakuba47 Winter Sports Park
- Hakuba Cortina Snow Resort
- ABLE Hakuba Goryu
- Hakuba Happo-one Snow Resort
- Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field
- Hakuba Norikura Onsen Snow Resort
- Jiigatake Snow Resort
- Kashimayari Snow Resort
- Tsugaike Mountain Resort
- White Resort Hakuba Sanosaka
- Rusutsu
Italy
- Skirama Dolomiti
France
- Les 3 Vallées
Austria
- Ski Arlberg
Switzerland
- Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis
- Verbier4Vallées
Australia
- Perisher
- Falls Creek
- Hotham
If money is tight, there’s a ‘buy now and pay later’ option.
There’s nothing worse than trying to flex that you can afford a ski trip only to discover that you can’t. But, with the Epic FlexPay option, you can apply for a $0 down, 0% APR loan through Uplift.
To apply for the loan, the minimum purchase is $49 and you’re given 3, 6, 9, or 12 months to spread out the payments. However, not every state participates. To give you an example, if you’re approved for the loan, monthly payments could be as low as $32 for a 4-day Epic Day Pass.
Tell us what you think