Summer may not be over yet, but we’re already thinking about beautiful Colorado powder. Considered the top ski destination in North America, the Centennial State sees 12 million visitors annually on its slopes. While skier visitation continues to grow, so does the cost of lift tickets: An Epic pass costs nearly $400 more in 2023 than it did in 2008, according to reporting from Colorado Sun.
Thankfully, there are lots of good deals for kids. Some of them expire soon, so you might want to add a ski pass to your back-to-school shopping.
Epic SchoolKids Ski Pass
Free for kindergarten to 5th graders, the pass provides four days on the snow at each of five resorts — Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Keystone and Vail. This also includes a free first-timer lesson and rental package. Proof of age is required; pass availability ends in early fall.
Indoor Ski Lessons
For less than half the price of lessons on the ski hill, indoor ski facilities can help young skiers practice getting used to boots, how to pizza and more advanced skills without the traffic and cold. Shredder in Boulder and Lafayette offers classes, private lessons and camps while Snobahn in Thornton allows for private, semi-private and package deals. You can even take a lesson alongside your little ripper. Après-ski and hot cocoa can still be enjoyed afterward.
Kid’s Ski Passport
Open to shredders grades 3-6, the Kid’s Ski Passport allows four days of skiing at 20 top Colorado resorts including Arapahoe Basin, Copper Mountain, Winter Park and Steamboat. It includes two free junior daily rental packages from Christy Sports. Pass cost is $67, subject to availability.
Power Kids Pass
Sometimes finding the pow calls for travel. The Power Kids Pass is a free pass — with the purchase of an adult pass — that offers unlimited skiing with no blackout dates for kids 12 and under at 12 resorts in the U.S., including Colorado-based Purgatory.
Resort Tickets
Children four and under ski free at Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Crested Butte Keystone and Vail. Kids five and under ski free at Granby Ranch, Kendall Mountain, Loveland, Telluride and Arapahoe Basin. Lift tickets for kids ages 6-12 are available at lower rates for two or more days of skiing when purchased 48 hours in advance at Telluride. Grab a free lift ticket for children under 6 with an adult pass at Echo Mountain.
Kids 6 and under ski free at Monarch, Aspen Highlands, Aspen, Buttermilk and Snowmass while children aged 7-12 receive a free lift ticket for each day of renting their equipment with a two-night stay. At Sunlight, kids 5 and under ski free and kids 12 and younger can ski free with a lodging package.
Wolf Creek lift tickets for children begin at $6. A lift ticket for kids 4 and under is just $10 at Steamboat and free at Howelsen Hill in Steamboat. Howelsen Hill also offers Free Ski Sunday for all ages. Book two or more nights of lodging at Keystone and receive one day of free skiing for kids 12 and under. Copper has a similar lodging deal and offers a free kids pass for skiers 15 and under with an adult season pass.
Check resorts for specials when you enroll a child in lessons or a program. They often offer free lift tickets or a season pass as an incentive.