Epic Pass prices released for next year with some new enhancements

March 8, 2023

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While the snow is still very good in many parts of the country, it’s time to start thinking about the next ski season.

Epic Pass pricing and details for the 2023-2024 season were just released, and prices start at just $48 for a one-day pass for adults and $24 for kids.

With how the industry works these days, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, the best way to pay for your lift tickets is usually with a ski pass instead of individual mountain lift tickets. This is true even if you’re only planning a single trip — or perhaps skiing for as little as one ski day.

If you enjoy Vail Resorts and its partner mountains — some of the biggest names in the industry — you’ll probably want to purchase an Epic Pass. So, let’s jump into the details for next season.

Related: Guide to visiting Vail

What’s changed with Epic Pass for next year

Epic Pass options stayed almost identical to last year, although prices increased by approximately $40 to $60 on many passes.

The main change is that Epic will launch a new app next season to replace the EpicMix app. With the new app, your phone will serve as your lift tickets at most resorts.

With Bluetooth technology, scanning your pass will be easier than ever. It also allows skiers and snowboarders to skip the ticket window or avoid waiting for their pass in the mail. Of course, plastic cards are available for those who do not have a phone or don’t want to use their phone to store their pass information. The app will also include many new features, such as interactive trail maps with GPS location tracking, snow cams, personalized states and more.

The company also added a new resort — Disentis — to the Epic Pass portfolio. For those looking to ski or board internationally, this will give you another option in Switzerland.

This was my family’s second year as an Epic Pass holder, and from what I saw, more lifts were running, and lift lines were under control. This is an improvement over some of the challenges that some Vail Resorts faced in the season prior.

With 19 ski days already under our belts at Vail Resorts this season, the Northeast Value pass has brought my per-day cost down to $27, my daughter’s down to $17 and my son’s down to slightly more than $2 per day (due to the Northeast Value Tot pricing).

On the other hand, my husband managed to get away for a Colorado ski trip, giving him 23 days on the snow at a per-day cost of $27 on the Epic Local Pass.

Not to mention, we can still ski more this March and even into April. But, for now, let’s look forward to next year’s Epic Pass options.

Spring skiing at Stowe, Vermont. JENNIFER YELLIN/THE POINTS GUY

Early-bird Epic Pass pricing

For next season, Epic Local Pass is currently available for $676. That’s an increase from a starting price of $626 last season but still less than three seasons ago.

The full Epic Pass is priced at $909, higher than the starting price of $841 last season but still less expensive than pre-pandemic pricing. That pass unlocks unlimited skiing at Vail, Beaver Creek, Whistler Blackcomb, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Stowe, Keystone, Park City and many other Vail-owned and partner resorts.

Remember that while one pass carries a “local” name, that doesn’t mean it’s limited to purchase by those who live near the mountain. Anyone can benefit from tons of skiing throughout the season for just $676. “Local” mainly means it has some peak date restrictions.

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

For just $555, you can ski all of the Northeast mountains (21 in total) throughout the season; this includes popular mountains such as Okemo, Mount Snow, Hunter, Sunapee, Stowe and more. While there are a few holiday blackout dates for select mountains and only 10 access days to Stowe, this can provide great access to the region.

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

However, if you’re only looking to take one or two trips to the mountain, you can instead opt for the Epic Day Passes; this will give you a set number of ski days based on the number purchased. Pricing starts as low as $41 per day.

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

You may not have considered getting an Epic Pass if you only ski or ride a day or two each season. However, with so many different pass options, you actually might find one that works perfectly for your ski habits.

The Epic Day Pass has three different tier levels based on the mountains included. You can purchase access to 22 resorts (including the smaller Vail resorts), 32 specific resorts or all 38 mountains.

For a single day ticket, the pass price starts at $48 for a limited number of ski resorts (those in the Midwest, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania). The cost then jumps to a starting price of $78 per day for most ski resorts or $101 per day to include the full range of Vail-owned and even partner resorts.

The more days you purchase, though, the less expensive per day. In fact, you can ultimately ski for as little as $41 to $86 per day, depending on the mountains selected. Of course, if you’re looking to ski during peak holiday dates (there are only 11 of them), the price goes up slightly — capping at $119.

This can help you save, considering single-day walk-up passes can start north of $200 per day at resorts such as Vail and Beaver Creek. So even if you are looking to ski just one day at Vail Resort during the peak Christmas week, you can purchase an Epic Day Pass in advance for $119 and get close to 50% off the ticket window price.

Epic Passes provide exclusive discounts

On top of all that, travelers with the Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass, Epic Day Pass and more can enjoy discounts through the Epic Mountain Rewards program introduced in 2020. This simple but rewarding program 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 ride 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).
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 2023-2024 Epic Pass products automatically come with included Epic Coverage, which provides refunds for personal events such as job loss, injury, illness and certain resort closures (including those due to COVID-19).

Ski and ride at world-class resorts

If you’re already looking forward to bundling up and skiing again next season, it makes sense to purchase the Epic Pass, or even the Epic Local or Day passes. 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.

This coming season, the holiday dates that affect the Local Pass are Nov. 24-25, 2023; Dec. 26-31, 2023; Jan. 13, 2024; and Feb. 17-18, 2024. Keep in mind that some of the regional passes include additional restricted dates. For example, the Northeast Value pass is also restricted on Jan. 14, 2024 — both Saturday and Sunday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day weekend.

Epic Pass

If you’re craving access to all of Vail’s resorts, with additional access to partner resorts, and you don’t want to deal with previously mentioned holiday restrictions, the full Epic Pass will fit your needs.

Passes for the 2023-2024 season currently cost $909 for adults (ages 13 and up) and $463 for children (ages 5 to 12). Kids ages 4 and under can ski for free. There are no full Epic Passes priced specifically for teens.

This Epic Pass gets you access to Vail, Beaver Creek, Whistler Blackcomb, Breckenridge, Park City, Keystone, Crested Butte, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Stevens Pass, Stowe, Okemo, Mount Snow, Mount Sunapee, Attitash, Wildcat, Crotched, Hunter, Wilmot, Afton Alps, Mt. Brighton, Liberty, Roundtop, Whitetail, Jack Frost, Big Boulder, Alpine Valley, Boston Mills, Brandywine, Mad River Mountain, Hidden Valley (Missouri), Snow Creek, Paoli Peaks, Seven Springs, Hidden Valley (Pennsylvania), Laurel Mountain, Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis, Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham.

At partner resorts, the full Epic Pass gets you access to seven days at Telluride, seven days at Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, unlimited access to 26 European resorts and five days in Japan.

Epic Local Pass

For the 2023 to 2024 season, the Epic Local Pass provides unlimited access to Breckenridge, Keystone, Crested Butte, Stevens Pass, Okemo, Mount Sunapee, Wilmot, Afton Alps, Mt Brighton, Mount Snow, Hunter, Attitash, Wildcat, Crotched, Liberty, Roundtop, Whitetail, Jack Frost, Big Boulder, Alpine Valley, Boston Mills, Brandywine, Mad River Mountain, Hidden Valley (Missouri), Snow Creek, Paoli Peaks, Seven Springs, Hidden Valley (Pennsylvania) and Laurel Mountain.

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

The Epic Local Pass also includes 10 total combined days (with previously mentioned holiday restrictions) at Vail, Beaver Creek and Whistler Blackcomb. Additionally, if skiing in Japan is in your plans, you’ll receive five total days at Hakuba Valley and Rusutsu Resort.

In short, if you can work around a few restrictions, the current Epic Local Pass pricing is a heck of a deal at $676 for adults, $351 for children ages 5-12 and $547 for teens from 13-18. To compare, a seven-day, restricted Epic Day Pass is currently $600 for adults, so you can ski unlimited times throughout the winter without paying too much more money.

Hot tip: If you’re looking to purchase the Northeast Value Pass or Ohio Pass and you have a 5- or 6-year-old, you can purchase a Tot Pass. This pass is significantly less expensive at just $45, but you’ll need to call Vail or a local resort to purchase it. As we learned last year, if the representative isn’t aware of this particular pass, you should ask to speak to someone else.

Bottom line

For years, the most cost-effective way to ski at major mountains has been with a pass.

By planning in advance with a pass, you may be able to make the sport fit into your budget for less than you think. Additionally, if you grab your passes early in the year, you can take advantage of the least expensive pricing of the season with fixed-price buddy passes added on for a limited time. With pricing less than $100 per day, you can get in some solid world-class skiing — and pay less than you would for a one-day ticket to Disney World or Universal Studios.

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

Ski passes get more expensive the closer you get to the next season, so plan accordingly to get the most perks at the lowest price.

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