Ikon Pass Ski Resorts

The Ikon Pass for the 2023-24 ski season provides action all across the United States and Canada to the Alps of Europe and stretches to Japan, Australia and Chile.

The Ikon pass is owned and operated by Alterra Mountain Resorts, a group of 15 unique ski resorts, combined with partner agreements bringing this truly “iconic” mix of resorts up to 50. Alterra was formed in 2018 and is a joint venture with KSL Capital Partners and Henry Crown and Company, owners of Aspen and Snowmass. Alterra is headquartered in Denver.

Resorts owned by Alterra include Steamboat, Winter Park Resort, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain, Big Bear Mountain Resort, Stratton, Snowshoe, Tremblant, Blue Mountain, Deer Valley Resort, Schweitzer, and CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures. All are included in the Ikon programs.

Ikon has been significantly enhanced by the addition (by defection from the Epic Pass) of truly iconic resorts Sun Valley, Idaho and Snowbasin, its sister resort in Utah. Same ownership under the Holding Family (think Sinclair Oil), but as different as night and day. Sun Valley, of course, is world famous, while Snowbasin is far less known. It is essentially a day area on a big powdery scale. It’s on a par with Alta and Snowbird and offers the best options for intermediates and advanced skiers and snowboarders.

The third new destination – also a defector from the Epic Pass -- is Chamonix Mont Blanc Valley, France, one of the most famous resorts in the Alps with five days on the Base Pass and seven on the full pass. Chamonix is comprised of five different ski areas, two of which are linked together with the rest separated along the length of the valley. Since the Chamonix valley is low and the ski lifts rise to over 9,800 feet, there are plenty of opportunities to ski 6,000 vertical feet here. Chamonix arguably has the best expert and guided terrain in the world, but there is plenty of beginner and intermediate terrain at Les Planards, Le Tour, Argentiere/Les Grands Montets, Vallorcine, Chamonix/Brevent, and at Les Houches.

There's more: Ikon pass has just announced the addition of Panorama Resort in B.C. and Lotte Arai Resort in Japan. These are available on the seven day program.

There’s also a shifting in some major resorts around the pass program offers. For example, Full Ikon Pass holder will get seven days each at Sun Valley and Snowbasin, but the resorts will also be part of the Ikon Base Pass Plus, which costs $200 more than the Base Pass, and gets pass holders five blackout-restricted days at each.

And there’s more shifting: Deer Valley resort and Alta also are moving to the Base Pass Plus, joining Aspen Snowmass and Jackson Hole. Chamonix is going Ikon with five days on the Base Pass and seven on the full Ikon pass. Finally, Washington’s Crystal Mountain is going from unlimited to restricted access, offering seven days on the full pass and five days on the Base Pass.

What resorts does the Ikon pass include? Confused? We will sort it out for you. But the choice comes down to where and how often. You can be sure of one thing with Ikon resorts – they all will feel different.

Colorado resorts on the Ikon pass

There's lots of Colorado skiing and riding with Ikon, but be sure to check the number of days on the different passes. Winter Park, Copper Mountain Resort, Eldora Mountain Resort, Steamboat, Arapahoe Basin, Aspen Snowmass.

Utah resorts on the Ikon pass

The number of days available differ, but plan to ski or ride at Solitude Mountain Resort, Brighton, Alta ski area, Snowbasin and Deer Valley Resort.

California Resorts on the Ikon pass

Enjoy Palisades-Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain, June Mt., Big Bear Mountain Resort.

Ski at Summit at Snoqualmie, Washington and Mt. Bachelor, Oregon.

Colorado: Winter Park, Copper Mountain Resort, Eldora Mountain Resort, Steamboat, Arapahoe Basin, Aspen Snowmass; New Mexico: Taos Ski Valley; Montana: Big Sky Resort; Idaho: Schweitzer, Sun Valley.

The Highlands, Boyne Mt.

Vermont: Stratton Mt., Sugarbush; New Hampshire: Loon Mountain; West Virginia: Snowshoe; Maine: Sunday River, Sugarloaf.

Pennsylvania: Camelback, Blue Mountain

Quebec: Tremblant; Ontario: Blue Mt.; B.C: Revelstoke, Red Mt., Cypress.

What do the Ikon passes cost?

The price has gone up this year. What hasn’t? But, do the math. The Ikon is well worth the investment once again.

The Ikon Base Pass

The Ikon Base Pass does include blackout dates, but provides unlimited skiing at 13 destinations (Winter Park, Copper Mountain and Eldora Mountain Resort, Colorado; Solitude, Utah; Palisades Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain and Big Bear Mountain Resort, California; Stratton and Sugarbush, Vermont; Snowshoe, WV; Tremblant, Quebec; Blue Mountain, Ontario. Blackout dates are Dec. 26 - 31, 2022; Jan. 14-15, 2023 and Feb. 18-19, 2023. Blackouts in the Southern Hemisphere are July 2-17, 2022 and July 1-16, 2023.

You’ll be able to play on the slopes of these 30 resorts for up to 5 days each at selected destinations: Steamboat, Arapahoe Basin, Colorado; Crystal Mountain, Summit at Snoqualmie, Washington; Big Sky, Montana; Killington-Pico, Vermont; Windham Mountain, N.Y.; The Highlands, Boyne Mountain, Michigan; Mt. Bachelor, Oregon; Schweitzer, Idaho; Ski Big 3, Alberta; Revelstoke, Red Mountain, Cypress Mountain, B.C.; Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Maine; Loon Mountain, New Hampshire; Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico; Brighton, Snowbird, Utah; Dolomiti Superski, Italy; Zermatt, Switzerland; Kitzbuhel, Austria; Thredbo, Mt. Buller, Australia; Niseko United, Japan; Valle Nevado, Chile; Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Mt. Hutt, New Zealand, and Chamonix Mont-Blanc Valley, France.

The costs are as follows: Adult: $869; Teen/Young Adult (ages 13-22): $649; Children (Ages 5-12): $349 with Ikon Pass adult purchase; Toddlers (ages 0-4): $99; Nurses, Military, College (adult): $639.

The Ikon Base-Plus Pass

Yes, there is a difference and it’s all in the PLUS. Both passes offer the same benefits, same blackout dates, but the PLUS pass adds in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Aspen Snowmass, Colorado; Deer Valley, Alta and Snowbasin, Utah and Sun Valley, Idaho. Are those resorts a deal-breaker for you? Then pop for $200 more on the PLUS pass.

Here are the PLUS pass costs: Adult: $1069; Teen/Young Adult (13-22): $849; Children (5-12): $549 with Ikon Pass adult purchase; Toddlers (ages 0-4): $299; Nurses, Military, College (adult): $839; discounts on retail, food, and beverage at select locations.

The Ikon Pass

This is the king of the Ikon passes and if you want everything available to you all the time, without ever worrying about a restriction or blackouts, at all 50 resorts, pop for it.

There’s unlimited access to 14 destinations (Steamboat, Winter Park, Copper Mountain resort, Eldora Mountain Resort, Colorado; Palisades Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain, Big Bear Mountain Resort, California; Stratton, Sugarbush Resort, Vermont; Snowshoe, W. Virginia; Tremblant, Quebec; Blue Mountain, Ontario; and Solitude Mountain Resort, Utah).

But, wait, there’s more. Get up to 7 days each at selected Ikon Pass destinations: Aspen Snowmass, Arapahoe Basin, Colorado; Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming; Crystal Mountain, Summit at Snoqualmie, Washington; Sun Valley, Schweitzer, Idaho; Big Sky Resort, Montana; Killington-Pico, Vermont; Windham Mountain, New York; The Highlands, Boyne Mountain, Michigan; Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Red Mountain, Cypress Mountain, Panorama, British Columbia; Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Maine; Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico; Deer Valley, Snowbasin, Brighton Resort, Alta, Utah. Ikon Pass holders can also ski in Dolomiti Superski, Italy; Kitzbuhel, Austria; Chamonix Mont-Blanc Valley, France; Zermatt, Switzerland; Thredbo, Mt. Buller, Australia; Niseko United, Lotte Arai, Japan; Valle Nevado, Chile; and Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Mt. Hutt, New Zealand.

Here are the costs: Adult: $1,179/$999 renewal; Teen/Young Adult (ages 13-22): $879/$659 renewal; Children (Ages 5-12): $389/$219 with Ikon Pass adult purchase; Toddlers (ages 0-4): $149; Nurses, military, college: (adult) $839.

What about perks?

There are lots of goodies included. Buy the Ikon Pass and you’ll receive 10 Ikon friends & family discount lift tickets (25 percent off window rate); First Tracks access to select destinations once a month from January through March; a complimentary 1-year $20 value level to Protect Our Winters membership; 15 percent discount off food, beverage and retail at participating locations; one-stop shopping to browse and compare hotels, activities at Ikon resorts; access to preferred pricing at select destinations; CMH heli-skiing booking. You can grab early morning laps before the lifts open to the public.

Buy the Ikon Base or Base Plus passes and get these perks: 8 friends and family discount lift tickets (excluding Aspen Snowmass and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort) at 25 percent-off window rate; First Tracks access to select destinations once a month from January through March; a complimentary 1-year $50 USD-level Protect our Winters membership; discounts on retail, food, and beverage at select locations.

The biggest differences between the two biggest and best-known passes – Ikon and Epic – are these: Ikon is made up of original, many truly iconic resorts, including the 15 owned by Alterra. The Epic Pass is primarily all owned and operated by Vail Resorts, so while they are different in character, Vail is quickly putting its stamp on them all. Be sure to consider the other pass programs such as The Mountain Collective and Independent Pass for comparison. It all comes down to this: where and how often.