Vail Resorts offers discount for ‘next generation of skiers and riders’ as Epic Pass prices hit new highs
Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek Resort, Breckenridge Ski Resort, Keystone Resort and Crested Butte Mountain Resort are among the Colorado resorts on the Epic Pass
John LaConte/Vail Daily
Vail Resorts announced that it will offer a discount for young adult skiers and riders as it launched sales of the 2026-27 Epic Pass on Tuesday.
The Epic Pass, which offers access to more than 90 mountains worldwide, including 37 in North America, will start at $1,089 for adults, an increase of about 3.6% compared to last year’s price, according to a news release from Vail Resorts. Skiers and riders under the age of 30, however, will receive a new 20% discount, lowering the price to $869.
“The future of the sport depends on the next generation of skiers and riders, and it is our responsibility to create a more accessible pathway for them well into young adulthood,” Vail Resorts CEO Robert Katz said in a statement.
In Colorado, the Epic Pass offers unlimited, unrestricted access to Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek Resort, Breckenridge Ski Resort, Keystone Resort and Crested Butte Mountain Resort as well as seven days of access to Telluride Ski Resort.
The Epic Local Pass, a lower-cost option aimed at skiers who avoid peak holidays, is also on sale, starting at $809, a 3.3% increase from last year, according to the news release. The Epic Local Pass offers unlimited access at Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte and 10 total days at Vail and Beaver Creek. With the 20% discount for 20-somethings, the Epic Local Pass will cost $649.
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The new discount for young adult skiers and snowboarders is Vail Resort’s latest initiative to increase pass sales, which have declined over the past two seasons. Epic Pass sales declined about 3% this season compared to the 2024-25 season, when sales were also down about 2% from the previous year.
Vail Resorts also announced Tuesday that it will offer an additional $175 discount to skiers and snowboarders who purchased a lift ticket during the 2025-26 season and are ready to “make the jump” to an Epic Pass next season. With that pricing, young adults could buy an Epic Pass for as low as $694 or an Epic Local Pass for $474, according to the news release.
Vail Resorts is also bringing back the Epic Friend Tickets, which it launched last year. Those who purchase an Epic Pass early will get 10 Friend Tickets that offer 50% off of lift ticket prices, according to the news release.
Alterra Mountain Co., Vail Resort’s biggest mega pass competitor, has not yet announced the price of its multiresort Ikon Pass for the 2026-27 season. In years past, Alterra has published Ikon Pass pricing a few days after Vail Resorts.
Vail Resorts typically increases the price of the Epic Pass as the season grows nearer, with the lowest prices in the spring often increasing around Memorial Day, then again in September and November.
This winter has been an especially difficult season for the ski industry as record-low snowfall across much of the Western U.S. resulted in Vail Resorts seeing 20% fewer skier visits to its North American resorts, according to the company’s most recent update to investors.
Katz — who helped create the Epic Pass in 2008, shifting the ski industry away from daily lift ticket sales — is now betting that getting young adults involved in snowsports will pay off in the long run.
“We know that young travelers, especially Gen Z, are prioritizing experience when deciding how to spend their time and money — and we hope to make skiing and snowboarding an easy decision for them,” he said.
