Travel September 11, 2026 0 Comments

Unlock the Epic Pass Secret Every Gen Z Skier Needs to Know Before Prices Skyrocket This Season

As the sun dips a little earlier each evening and summer’s warmth gently fades, the thought sneaks in: it’s nearly time to swap sandals for skis. But before you zip up those snow pants and click into bindings, there’s a vital mountain rite of passage you don’t want to miss—snagging your Epic Pass for the 2026-2027 season. Whether you’re still mastering the bunny slopes or carving fresh tracks like a seasoned powderhound, this pass isn’t just a card; it’s your golden ticket to savings and ski adventures. Sure, buying individual lift tickets might seem simpler, but trust me—grabbing an Epic Pass now can dramatically cut your costs. And here’s a fresh twist for the upcoming season: Vail Resorts is rolling out a sweet 20% discount for teens and young adults. Even if you’re planning just a quick getaway—say, a single day on the slopes—the Epic Pass could be your best bet to avoid paying an arm and a leg on lift tickets. Take Colorado’s Beaver Creek, for example: one-day adult tickets can set you back between $230 and $356. But with an Epic Pass in your pocket? That price could drop to a mere $144 (or $171 on peak days). It’s a shrewd reminder that timing your pass purchase is almost as important as timing your first run down the mountain. Ready to carve out your winter plans and save some serious cash? Dive in—before the window snaps shut. LEARN MORE

Summer is winding down and before you know it, we will be strapping into our ski gear and hitting the mountains. But before that happens, you’ll want to ensure you have your Epic Pass in hand for the 2026-2027 season. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, the best way to get your lift tickets for less is usually to pay for a ski pass instead of individual mountain lift tickets. Purchasing an Epic Pass now means you can avoid overpaying for your days on the mountain. And, new this year, Vail is offering a 20% discount for teens and young adults on many pass options.

An Epic Pass can save you money on skiing even if you are only planning a single trip — or perhaps skiing for as little as one day.

For example, a one-day adult lift ticket at Colorado’s Beaver Creek Resort runs between $230 and $356 for this current ski season. The most you’d pay for one standard day on the slopes at Beaver Creek Resort or any other Vail Resorts-owned mountain if you buy a one-day Epic Pass now for next year is $144 (or $171 for a peak date). It’s a striking difference that underscores the value of locking in your pass before the window closes.

Epic Passes now on sale for the 2026/2027 season. EPIC PASS

Epic Pass basics

While early bird pricing has already passed, you can still lock in a lower rate than if you wait until the last moment. And based on past trends, passes will most likely increase one more time before sales end in November.

Your specific per-day price depends on the pass you purchase and how often you’re at the mountains. So, if you purchase an Epic Pass now, you can ultimately lock in your winter skiing for as low as $48 per day for adults and $25 per day for kids ages 5 to 12. Kids younger than 4 can ski for free when accompanied by an adult with an Epic Pass.

If you enjoy Colorado’s Vail Ski Resort and its partner mountains, an Epic Pass is a great option. In fact, my family has purchased the Epic Pass for the past six years, and we’ve already locked it in again for this upcoming winter.

Epic Friend Ticket benefit

If you were able to lock in your pass purchase this past spring, they most likely came with 10 Epic Friend Tickets. This perk offers 50% off the window price for friends ages 13 and up, as well as 25% off a child (ages 5-12) lift ticket at all 37 of Vail’s opened North American resorts. This means if the walk-up price at Vail is $330, the ticket cost with the discount is $165. While you’re still probably better off purchasing an Epic Day Pass in advance, this is a significant savings for those who don’t want to lock in a ticket early.

Best of all, friends can also apply the cost of one redeemed Epic Friend Ticket toward an Epic Pass for the following season.

Unfortunately, this was a limited-time offer for early bird purchases, so purchasing an Epic Pass now will no longer come with this benefit.

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Note that this benefit replaced what was formerly known as Buddy Tickets and Ski With A Friend discounts; it’s available to those who purchase a season-long pass (excluding a few select passes, such as Tot Passes), but not day passes.

Epic Pass pricing

There are several types of Epic Passes with different prices. Here are the most common.

Epic Local Pass

The Epic Local Pass is currently on sale for $849 for adults, $445 for children (ages 5 to 12) and $675 for teens (ages 13 to 17). New this year, Epic has introduced young adult pricing, which, for those between 18 and 30, matches the teen price of $675. With $175 in savings, this is the perfect opportunity for those just starting in the working world to ski for less throughout the entire winter.

If you can work around a few restrictions, this pass is quite the deal as it still provides unlimited, unrestricted access to 29 resorts, including Colorado’s Breckenridge Ski Resort, Keystone Resort and Crested Butte Mountain Resort. For unlimited non-holiday access, it includes Park City Mountain Resort in Utah; Heavenly Ski Resort, Northstar California Resort and Kirkwood Mountain Resort in California; and Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont. It also covers 10 days at Colorado’s Vail Ski Resort and Beaver Creek Resort, as well as British Columbia’s Whistler Blackcomb.

While this pass has “local” in its name, that doesn’t mean it’s only available to those who live near the mountain; anyone can benefit from tons of skiing throughout the season. “Local” mainly means it has some peak-date restrictions during the busiest holiday times of the year.

Epic Pass

The full Epic Pass, priced at $1,145 for adults, unlocks unlimited skiing at Vail, Beaver Creek, Whistler Blackcomb, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Stowe, Keystone, Park City and many other Vail-owned and partner resorts. Plus, you’ll also receive seven days at Colorado’s Telluride Ski Resort and select resorts throughout the Canadian Rockies.

Similar to the Epic Local Pass, there’s discounted pricing for those 30 and younger. Unlike previous years, teens (ages 13 to 17) and young adults (18 to 30) are no longer considered adults, and they can purchase the pass for a significantly lower price of $909. Children (ages 5 to 12) passes are also less at $585.

Regional passes

There are also many mountain-specific or regional pass options, such as the Northeast Value Pass.

For $690, you can ski all of the Northeast mountains (21 in total) throughout the season. This includes popular resorts such as Okemo Mountain Resort and Mount Snow in Vermont, Hunter Mountain Resort in New York and Mount Sunapee Ski Resort in New Hampshire. While there are a few holiday blackout dates for select mountains and only 10 access days for Stowe, this pass can provide great access to the region.

Special passes

Additionally, there are significant discounts for students, military personnel (active, retired and dependents), seniors and those with permanent disabilities.

Epic Day Pass

However, if you’re only looking to take one or two trips to the mountain, you can instead opt for the Epic Day Pass, which gives you a set number of ski days at a select number of resorts.

A large crowd of skiers at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area waits in line at a chairlift. GEORGE ROSE/GETTY IMAGES

An Epic Pass will save you money, even on a short trip

You may not think getting an Epic Pass is worth it if you only ski or snowboard a day or two each season. However, with so many different pass options, you might find one that works perfectly for your ski habits.

The Epic Day Pass has three tiers based on the mountains included. You can purchase access to 22 resorts (including the smaller Vail resorts), 32 resorts or all 46 mountains.

For a single-day ticket, the adult pass price starts at $70 ($35 for children) for a limited number of ski resorts (those in the Midwest, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania). The cost then jumps to $106 per day for most ski resorts ($55 for kids) or $144 per day ($76 for kids) for the full range of Vail-owned and partner resorts.

The more days you purchase, the less expensive it is per day. For example, a seven-day pass at the 22 resorts on non-peak dates is just $330 total, or $48 per day. Or, you’re looking at $101 per day for full access. Of course, if you’re looking to ski during peak holiday dates (there are only 11 of them), the price goes up; it’s capped at $119 per day.

This can help you save, considering single-day walk-up passes can start close to $300 per day at resorts such as Vail and Beaver Creek. So, even if you want to ski just one day at Vail during the peak Christmas week, you can purchase an Epic Day Pass in advance and save money.

Note that only four-day, five-day, six-day and seven-day passes with “All Resorts” access include access to Telluride and the six resorts of the Canadian Rockies.

Epic Passes provide exclusive discounts

On top of all that, travelers with the Epic Pass, the Epic Local Pass, the Epic Day Pass and more can enjoy discounts through the Epic Mountain Rewards program.

It provides the following discounts at Vail Resorts’ 37 North American resorts:

20% off food and nonalcoholic beverages (up to $150 per day)
20% off group ski and snowboard lessons
20% off lodging owned and operated by Vail Resorts
20% off the Epic Mountain Express private or shared shuttles from Denver International Airport (DEN) and Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE) in Colorado
20% off gear rentals
20% off select on-mountain activities
One free wax and one 50% off tune per season at select U.S. locations

Additionally, all 2026-2027 Epic Pass products automatically include Epic Coverage, which provides refunds for personal events such as job loss, injury and illness, as well as for certain resort closures.

Epic Pass vs Epic Local Pass

While the Epic Pass is the juggernaut, the less expensive Epic Local Pass is the best value for travelers who don’t plan to ski over holidays or during peak periods.

For the 2026-2027 season, holiday dates that affect the Local Pass are Nov. 27-28, 2026; Dec. 26-31, 2026; Jan. 16, 2027; and Feb. 13-14, 2027. Keep in mind that some of the regional passes have additional restricted dates, including at Vail, Park City, Beaver Creek and Whistler Blackcomb, among others.

Epic Pass

The full Epic Pass gets you access to:

Vail Ski Resort in Colorado
Beaver Creek Resort in Colorado
Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado
Keystone Resort in Colorado
Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado
Park City Mountain Resort in Utah
Heavenly Ski Resort in California
Northstar California Resort in California
Kirkwood Mountain Resort in California
Stevens Pass Ski Resort in Washington
Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia
Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont
Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont
Mount Snow in Vermont
Mount Sunapee Ski Resort in New Hampshire
Attitash Mountain Resort in New Hampshire
Wildcat Mountain in New Hampshire
Crotched Mountain in New Hampshire
Hunter Mountain Resort in New York
Liberty Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania
Roundtop Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania
Whitetail Resort in Pennsylvania
Jack Frost Big Boulder in Pennsylvania
Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania
Laurel Mountain Ski Resort in Pennsylvania
Hidden Valley Resort in Pennsylvania
Afton Alps in Minnesota
Mount Brighton in Michigan
Wilmot Mountain Ski Resort in Wisconsin
Alpine Valley Ski Area in Ohio
Boston Mills Brandywine in Ohio
Mad River Mountain in Ohio
Hidden Valley Ski Resort in Missouri
Snow Creek Mountain Resort in Missouri
Paoli Peaks in Indiana
Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis in Switzerland
Crans-Montana in Switzerland
Verbier 4 Vallees in Switzerland
Perisher Ski Resort in Australia
Falls Creek Alpine Resort in Australia
Hotham Alpine Resort in Australia

You’ll also get access to partner resorts, which include seven days at Telluride Ski Resort, seven days at Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, unlimited access to 26 European resorts and five days in Japan.

Epic Local Pass

For the 2026-2027 season, the Epic Local Pass provides unlimited access to:

Breckenridge Ski Resort
Keystone Resort
Crested Butte Mountain Resort
Stevens Pass Ski Resort
Okemo Mountain Resort
Mount Snow
Mount Sunapee Ski Resort
Attitash Mountain Resort
Wildcat Mountain
Crotched Mountain
Hunter Mountain Resort
Afton Alps
Mount Brighton
Wilmot Mountain Ski Resort
Alpine Valley Ski Area
Boston Mills Brandywine
Mad River Mountain
Hidden Valley Ski Resort in Missouri
Snow Creek Mountain Resort
Paoli Peaks
Liberty Mountain Resort
Roundtop Mountain Resort
Whitetail Resort
Jack Frost Big Boulder
Seven Springs Mountain Resort
Laurel Mountain Ski Resort
Hidden Valley Resort in Pennsylvania

You’ll also get access (with holiday restrictions) to Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood and Stowe.

The Epic Local Pass includes 10 total combined days (with previously mentioned holiday restrictions) at Vail, Beaver Creek and Whistler Blackcomb.

Additionally, if you plan to ski outside of North America, you’ll receive five days in Japan at Hakuba Valley and Rusutsu Resort, five days in Switzerland at Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis and Crans-Montana, and five days of consecutive access to Verbier 4 Vallees (also in Switzerland), but with some restricted days.

Regional Tot Pass discounts

If you’re looking to purchase the Northeast Value Pass or Ohio Pass and you have a child who is 5 or 6 years old (at the time of purchase), you can purchase a Tot Pass. This pass is significantly cheaper at around $50 (pricing depends on when you purchase the pass), but you’ll need to call Vail or a local resort to purchase it. If the representative isn’t aware of this particular pass, you should ask to speak to someone else — something we’ve learned from experience over the past few years.

What has changed with Epic Pass for the 2026-2027 season?

colorado skiing — ADVENTURE PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

If you had an Epic Pass last year, you’ll notice that this year’s options are almost identical, with no major changes. But the biggest positive difference we are seeing this year is the introduction of teen and young adult pricing. Discounted at 20% from an adult price, this is a huge win.

A few new lift upgrades have already been announced for this upcoming season at Park City, Whistler Blackcomb and Seven Springs. And with the opening of Kindred Resort this year, staying at the base of Keystone will be even easier for the 2026-2027 season.

Bottom line

Breckenridge, Colorado, in winter at dusk. SEAN PAVONE/GETTY IMAGES

Using a pass has been the most cost-effective way to ski at major mountains for years. Now, with single-day lift tickets knocking on the door of $300 or more if purchased directly from the resorts, it’s more beneficial than ever to plan ahead and get some kind of Epic Pass to avoid paying those incredibly high rates.

Based on how much my family skied last year (during the 2025-2026 season), with the Epic Pass in hand, our daily cost came out to approximately $52 per day ($25 per day for my kids).

While most of our skiing in general is at slightly less expensive mountains in the Northeast, we did spend five days in Breckenridge. Buying a pass ended up being a huge savings compared to the day rates at most mountains throughout the U.S. — and even when compared to the independent resorts not part of the Epic Pass. And for this upcoming season, we plan to do the same.

On top of those more accessible prices to get you on the lift, you can also potentially use your hotel points to stay near (or even on) the mountain to keep your out-of-pocket ski prices as low as possible. Just make sure you plan ahead.

So, if you’re considering skiing at any Epic mountains at any point this winter, don’t wait.

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