If you’ve gone up to a lift-ticket window at a major ski resort in the U.S. over the past few years, you’ve probably noticed that prices aren’t what they used to be. According to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), the average weekend regular-season walk-up ticket price across the country is now $142.
“The majority of the ski areas in the U.S. are not selling $200 lift tickets on a daily basis throughout the season,” says Adrienne Saia Isaac, spokesperson for the NSAA. “A $200 lift ticket is generally the walk-up rate during peak season at large, western-destination resorts. These ski areas tend to have more terrain, infrastructure, and amenities, and often that leads to higher operating costs. Ski areas that are smaller in size, with less acreage and fewer lifts, tend to have lower daily ticket prices.”
Ask a ski-resort operator about the endless uptick of lift-ticket pricing, and they’ll remind you that the cost of doing business at all resorts—big and small—continues to rise. “The infrastructure and the cost of running a ski area are not insignificant,” says Jeff Hanle, director of public relations for Aspen Snowmass, in Colorado. “It’s an expensive undertaking to run the lifts and the snowmaking and to pay employees and insurance. The prices are always increasing.”
Let’s say you don’t want to commit to a full-season pass but you still want to go skiing and you’d rather not spend the equivalent of a month’s rent on a single day at the slopes for you and your family. Can you ski for under $50 a day per person? Is that even possible? Yes. Here’s where and how to find the best deals.