Find Your Ticket to Ride

October 2, 2019October 2, 2019 Abagael Giles 2545 Views deals, Passes

Ski areas want you there. Especially if you are young and likely to be a loyal customer. Everyone has great deals for kids—such as they can ski for free or get a season pass for as little as $10— for seniors, for military… But here are a few that are exceptional. And be sure to check out our multi-resort season pass guide and our top deals for college skiers as well.

…In Fifth Grade

With Ski Vermont’s 5th Grade Passport, all fifth graders (regardless of residency) get up to 88 days of skiing and riding at Vermont’s alpine and cross-country ski areas for just $20. Passport holders get a booklet of coupons that are then redeemed for lift tickets at participating ski areas between Dec. 1, 2019 and May 1, 2020. See skivermont.com.

…12 and Under

While all ski areas offer great discounts for kids, a few stand out. Kids 12 and under ski free at Mad River Glen with an adult season pass bought before Oct. 15. Kids under five get access to Burke and Jay Peak for just $80 for the season. At Pico, kids 12 and under ski free with an adult lift ticket or season pass. At Smugglers’ Notch, kids under five ski free. At Magic Mountain kids under five ski for $25 for the season, while at Sugarbush kids six and under get a season pass for just $10. At Bolton Valley, kids under six ski all season for just $29. Kids ski for $5 on Friday nights at Cochran’s Ski Area, where they can grab dinner for $6.

…10-18 Years Old

At Smugglers’ Notch, kids 13 to 18 ski for $349 for the season and at Mad River Glen, kids 13 to 18 get a season pass for $249. A pass at Sugarbush’s Mt. Ellen for kids 7 to 18 is $279. Bolton Valley’s youth pass (7 to 17) is just $219. Kids ski Wednesdays at Northeast Slopes for $6.

…20-30

Everybody wants you. If you’re under 25, it’s hard to find a better deal than Bolton Valley’s $199 Ski Bum pass. New this year, at $299, Mad River Glen is offering an unlimited Twixter Pass for skiers in their 20s. Sugarbush has its For20s Pass, which gets you unlimited skiing for $499, while Magic Mountain offers unlimited skiing for $329. Get a Drifter Pass to Mount Snow with unlimited access to Peak Resorts’ 17 mountains for $419.

…30-40

Resorts are still looking out for you—and hoping you might bring your kids. Sugarbush offers its For30s pass for $599 and a pass to Smuggs’ for those 27-34 is $579 before Oct. 31.

…40-65

Sorry, buddy, no deals. To make matters worse, you’re also probably paying college tuition and picking up the bar tab, too.

…65-Plus:

If you’re over 70, Smuggs’ will sell you a season’s pass for $109. If you’re 65-89, you can have unlimited access to Sugarbush midweek for $139 through their Boomer Pass. If you’re 72 or older, ski Cochran’s for free.

…Over 80

You’ve earned low prices and all of our respect. At Jay Peak, you can ski all season for just $30. A season’s pass at Killington is $59, and Mad River Glen will get you on the slopes all season for $145. Pico offers a sweet deal, a $59 season’s pass. And at Sugarbush, those over 90 ski free.

…A Big Family

Got a big crew and a car full of kids? You can all ski all season at Cochran’s Ski Area for $295 or Northeast Slopes for $315 for a family of any size (two adults and any number of children under 18). Kids ski Sugarbush’s Mt. Ellen for just $279 a season. Burke and Smuggs’ also offer reduced pass rates when you buy at least one adult and one child pass together.

…In College:

There are plenty of great deals for students. See our college pass guide (opposite) for season pass deals, or ski for $25 on Wednesdays at Bolton.

…in the Military

Ski areas across Vermont offer military discounts, but military and family ski for free at Burke and Jay Peak —and at Killington/Pico on Veterans’ and Memorial Days. For just $159, active and retired military and dependents can get a Military Epic Pass, which includes unlimited skiing at Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass resorts, including Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow. At Sugarbush, active military, veterans and dependents are eligible for 50 percent off season passes. At Bolton Valley, active military ski for 50 percent off and veterans save 25 percent.

…A Midweek Skier

If you’re a ski town local, you’re in luck. Ski Magic Mountain on weather-dependent spontaneous midweek powder day openings and on all Thursdays and Fridays, plus midweek during holiday periods for $279. Mad River Glen also has a famously die-hard midweek scene, and midweek passes there go for $369.

Here for the Holidays?

At Magic Mountain, $239 gets you unlimited skiing Dec. 26, 2019 to Jan. 1, 2020, Jan 18 to Jan. 20 and Feb. 15 to Feb. 23. Mad River Glen offers three days of skiing for $175 through its Mad Card. For $225, add kids 12 and under. Also, check out Smuggs’ Bash Badges. Adult rates start at $129 before Oct. 31. Then you pay $30 each time you ski. For $209, make it a Bash Badge Plus and add free skiing from opening day through Dec. 13 and from March 16 to closing day.

…A Vermonter

At Burke, NEK locals ski a half day for $28 on Sundays this year. At Magic, Vermont parents and teachers get a season’s pass for $269, while Vermont students under 17 ski for the season for $149. Ski or ride Killington for $59 on Mon., Thurs. and Fri. with a Vermont or New Hampshire I.D or at Pico for $40. Vermont K-12 students score at Pico, with a pass for just $99. Students in Caledonia, Orleans and Essex counties are eligible for the $299 Judge Kingdom Pass.