According to the National Ski Areas Association, the average price of a day lift ticket last winter was $192. This winter, many major U.S. resorts will charge well over $200 a day. Rates at places like Park City, in Utah, and both Palisades Tahoe and Northstar, in California, will have peak prices over $260 for the day.
While most ski areas try to entice repeat visitors with deals on season passes, including combined passes like the Ikon Pass, Epic Pass, and Indy Pass, which get you access to dozens of resorts, what if you only plan to ski a couple of days per season? You’ll need to purchase a lift ticket.
But if you know where to look and you plan ahead, you can ski for less than the price of a burger in the base lodge this winter. Here’s how to pull that off.
Destinations Newsletter
Want more of ϳԹ’s Travel stories?Purgatory Ski Resort’s Unbelievable Lift-Ticket Deal
At , outside Durango, Colorado, you can shred for as little as $11 a day if you buy tickets online in advance for select early- and late-season deals—and these days are going fast. Purgatory first implemented this low-end ticket rate last winter, a drop from $39 the year prior.
Purgatory opens for daily operations on this Saturday, November 16, and currently, tickets are on sale for select days throughout late November and early December for under $25; though prices are variable and go up with demand. Midwinter, you can still ski Purgatory midweek for as little as $45 if you buy now, and by late March and early April, prices will drop again to as low as $11 a day on select days. (Ticket pricing will fluctuate depending on availability, but these prices are current as of press time.) Purgatory plans to stay open through April 27.
“We are very conscious that the cost of skiing is one of the greatest barriers to the sport. We wanted to make a deal that was almost too good to believe,” says Dave Rathbun, general manager of Purgatory Resort. “For people who are willing to change their behavior and buy tickets early and come when we’re not as busy, they will be rewarded with these lower costs.”
Quick Tips to Score Super Cheap Lift Tickets
In general, you can find the best lift-ticket deals online ahead of time. The earlier you book, the more you save. Walking up to the ticket window the day you plan to ski is still possible at most ski areas, but you’ll pay a premium price. For a better rate, plan weeks—or even months—ahead. Here are some other great deals we’ve come across for this season.
How to Ski at Jackson Hole for $25—and Other One-Off Resort Deals
, Wyoming, is hosting its second annual Ski in Jeans Day on Saturday, December 7, and if you show up wearing jeans, lift tickets cost just $25, or a three-day ticket for that Friday through Sunday is $199 (a three-day ticket can cost upward of $768 midseason). Also at Jackson Hole, a new Kids on Snow event scheduled to run December 13 to 15 will allow kids ages 12 and under to ski free the entire weekend.
Some resorts have regularly scheduled weekly discount tickets. , just south of Reno, Nevada, which opened for the winter on November 8, sells two lift tickets for the price of one on Tuesdays and offers a discount of around 20 percent off for locals who live within an hour’s drive on Sundays.
, in Washington, has a Wicked Wednesday deal, charging $73 (down from $94 on a standard day) or $44 if you only plan to ski the beginner terrain. on the Idaho-Montana border sells two tickets for $75 on Thursdays, and you can also ski for free if it’s your birthday.
Last winter, , in Colorado, offered free lift tickets for those who participated in a blood drive on a set day in March at the resort. The ski area plans to hold that event again this winter but no date has been set yet.
Discounts Are Available for Select Groups at These Ski Hills
Most ski areas offer discounts for kids, seniors, and select groups like military personnel. But some resorts have expanded such offerings this winter. Most of the following discounted tickets can be purchased at the walk-up window, but again, your best bet is to secure the lowest rate ahead of time by booking online.
, east of Grand Junction, Colorado, has also reduced lift-ticket prices this winter to provide some economic relief to its guests. Adult midweek tickets were reduced from $99 to $89 a day, with weekend tickets dropping from $109 to $99. You can also buy half-day tickets for the afternoon starting at $69 (reduced from $74), or tickets that just access beginner terrain from $54. Again, all of these deals must be purchased online and in advance. Guests will also notice cheaper food pricing, expanded free learn-to-ski programs, and added discounted tickets for students and active and retired military.
, in Washington, gives a 20 percent discount to teachers, military, first responders, and medical personnel on midweek tickets.
, in Michigan, has Thank You Thursdays, where members of the military, educators, emergency medical workers, and service-industry staff can receive $38 lift tickets (normally priced between $41 and $96) or $15 night-skiing tickets (normally $19 to $45).
, in Vermont, has reduced rates for state residents and offers $45 midweek tickets.
The Bottom Line: Ski-Resort Ticket Deals Are All About Timing
The best way to score a deal on lift tickets is to go during less busy times. Show up on a holiday weekend in January or February and you’ll pay top dollar. Instead, head up to the hill midweek, early or late in the season, or during afternoon or evening hours. , in Idaho, has a $20 twilight lift ticket if you buy it online at least a day in advance or $40 if you walk up to the window; that gets you access to two lifts from 3 to 7 P.M. on Fridays and Saturdays. Normally, day lift tickets start around $120.
The , in Washington, sells night-skiing tickets (hours are 4 to 9:30 P.M.) for $40; afternoon tickets for $58, or twilight tickets (starting at 2 P.M.) for $59. , in Utah, has afternoon, night, or twilight lift tickets starting at $51.
ϳԹ contributing editor Megan Michelson is an avid skier based in the Lake Tahoe area.