yeah, after I asked that question I realized that the answer is obvious!
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Notes about multi-resort passes for 2026-27: Indy, Epic, Mountain Collective, Ikon
- Thread starter marzNC
- Start date
With multi-resort passes evolving all the time, never hurts to ask questions.
Essentially Epic and Ikon take similar approaches in many ways, at least for the large destination resorts. The big difference being that almost all Epic resorts are owned by Vail Resorts, while Ikon is a combination of Alterra resorts with iconic destination resorts as "partners."
Mountain Collective and Indy are based on the concept of 2 days at each location. MC focuses on big mountain destination resorts. Indy is a collection of independent locations all over the world, some small and some reasonably large.
When someone lives where other multi-resort passes offered by Boyne Resorts (MA, ME, MI) or Mountain Capital Partners (southwest) could be useful, the decision process can get even more complicated.
The Ikon renewal concept for 2026-27 is more complicated than a simple cash discount. Here are the choices for someone interested in renewing Full Ikon. For someone who skis often at an Alterra resort, monthly $25 Mountain Credits adds up to more than the $100 discount from recent years. Presumably anyone could figure out how to spend $100 at Backcountry .com .
In general Ikon has partnered with a long list of companies to provide discounts of 10-20%. In some cases, the discounts expire before March. It's worth checking out the Perks webpage when considering whether or not Ikon is a good fit when doing ski trip planning for an upcoming season.
Ikon renewal options, as of March 2026:
In general Ikon has partnered with a long list of companies to provide discounts of 10-20%. In some cases, the discounts expire before March. It's worth checking out the Perks webpage when considering whether or not Ikon is a good fit when doing ski trip planning for an upcoming season.
Ikon renewal options, as of March 2026:
If you are thinking about a multi-resort pass, or renewing one but find the decision making process even more complicated than before, this video by PeakRankings is a decent introduction for 2026-27. Even though the title only mentions Epic and Ikon, about midway through there is basic info about Mountain Collective and Indy. The regional breakdowns are worth reviewing but deciding about multi-resort passes should take into account where you live. Either for potential local use (within a day's drive) or to take into account the travel required for a destination ski trip.
Aerlind
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Where you live is a HUGE consideration. For me, I'm within a 2-5 hour drive of 4 Mountain Collective (or 3 Ikon) resorts. Add in 4 more if I'm willing to drive another hour to the SLC area. But there are only a couple of Indy pass or Epic resorts within the same drive, so that one doesn't make sense.
On an unrelated note, don't forget to look into military discounts, if that applies to you/your family. My boss and his wife are both retired from the Navy, and get Epic passes for $300 for each of them, and then like $150 each for their (2) dependent kids. They live on the front range of Colorado so Epic makes a ton of sense for them.
Good point!
The folks who qualify for military discounts and live in the Washington DC/Northern VA area often get Epic Local for use locally in PA, as well as for a trip or two to destination resorts in New England (driving) or out west (flying).
Most resorts that sell 1-location passes have military discounts.
Yes, the proximity to mountains you ski is definitely a driver for choosing your pass. For me, I live in Massachusetts and mostly do day trips, so the Indy Pass is perfect for me as there are more mountains driving distance to me that are on the Indy roster than other options. I just can't make the math work with either Epic or Ikon based on how many days I ski and driving distance involved, but obviously people will choose their passes based on what's best for them.
Anyone thinking about Indy should get on the Wait List sooner rather than later. Being on the Wait List isn't any sort of commitment. But not being on it makes the likelihood of getting an Indy Pass for 2026-27 much lower. Public sales period(s) will be short and easy to miss if not getting notification emails.
SkiUtah put together a table for people considering skiing in Utah next season. There is also other basic info about the multi-resorts passes that are useful in Utah.
Alta, Deer Valley (owned by Alterra), and Snowbasin require Full Ikon. People who opt for Ikon Base can ski 5 non-holiday days at Snowbird (owned by Powdr), 5 non-holiday days at Brighton (owned by Boyne resorts), and unlimited days at Solitude (owned by Alterra).
Note that Brian Head is about halfway between SLC and Las Vegas. Flights can be cheaper to Vegas.
Unlike the Colorado Ski Country marketing group that Vail Resorts does not work with, SkiUtah includes Park City, the only Epic resort in Utah.
Mountain Collective treats Alta and Snowbird as two separate resorts. So someone with MC has 4 ski days covered when in the SLC area, with the potential for 2 more days at Snowbasin if willing to drive a bit more for a day trip. Choosing one of these resorts as a bonus day buying during the early bird period would add another day. So quite possible to plan a 1-week trip to SLC without needing to buy lift tickets.
March 23, 2026
Alta, Deer Valley (owned by Alterra), and Snowbasin require Full Ikon. People who opt for Ikon Base can ski 5 non-holiday days at Snowbird (owned by Powdr), 5 non-holiday days at Brighton (owned by Boyne resorts), and unlimited days at Solitude (owned by Alterra).
Note that Brian Head is about halfway between SLC and Las Vegas. Flights can be cheaper to Vegas.
Unlike the Colorado Ski Country marketing group that Vail Resorts does not work with, SkiUtah includes Park City, the only Epic resort in Utah.
Mountain Collective treats Alta and Snowbird as two separate resorts. So someone with MC has 4 ski days covered when in the SLC area, with the potential for 2 more days at Snowbasin if willing to drive a bit more for a day trip. Choosing one of these resorts as a bonus day buying during the early bird period would add another day. So quite possible to plan a 1-week trip to SLC without needing to buy lift tickets.
March 23, 2026
Multi-Resort Passes in Utah
2026/27 Multi-resort ski pass information distilled into one easy to read spot so you can spend less time comparing passes and more time shredding.
www.skiutah.com
Ski Sine Fine
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
To be clear, the Epic Local is not a military pass, nor does it have a military discount. The Epic military passes are: Active, Retired, Veteran, and Liberty. Each has its own eligibility and prices, with Active & Retired having the steepest discount.
By comparison, IKON does not have separate military passes, but offers military discounts.
Edited to add: IKON has a little known military sales program that offers even steeper discounts for eligible personnel who live near a participating base. https://www.ikonpass.com/en/military . The prices also don’t increase, in contrast with the normal online military discounts that do.
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Only partially related to multi-resort passes . . .
For a family interested in more than one ski trip to a destination resort that requires travel, there are deals to be had if willing to stick to one resort. For instance, Copper offers 1-location deals, even a free kid's pass for ages 17 and under. Snowbird offers a free kid's pass for 18 and under and has a 5-day flex pass.
Could be that the fact that Mountain Capital Partners (MCP) offers free season passes to kids 12 and under has been noticed, at least for resorts that compete directly with MCP resorts out west.
March and April is the best time to see what options are being offered for the upcoming season. Even if not ready to make any commitment in terms of actual trip planning.
For a family interested in more than one ski trip to a destination resort that requires travel, there are deals to be had if willing to stick to one resort. For instance, Copper offers 1-location deals, even a free kid's pass for ages 17 and under. Snowbird offers a free kid's pass for 18 and under and has a 5-day flex pass.
Could be that the fact that Mountain Capital Partners (MCP) offers free season passes to kids 12 and under has been noticed, at least for resorts that compete directly with MCP resorts out west.
March and April is the best time to see what options are being offered for the upcoming season. Even if not ready to make any commitment in terms of actual trip planning.
Ikon prices will go up after April 16, 2026.
Silver Star in BC and Giant's Ridge in MN are the latest additions to Ikon just announced.
April 2, 2026
www.saminfo.com
" . . .
Silver Star in BC will join Ikon for 2026-27. Giant's Ridge in MN will be another Bonus Mountain in the midwest.
Matt Bowers, Alterra Mountain Company senior vice president of marketing, said British Columbia has some of the best mountain experiences in the world, “and Ikon Pass holders now get access to SilverStar Mountain, alongside Revelstoke, SkiBig3, Cypress Mountain, RED Mountain, Panorama and Sun Peaks Resort.”
Ikon Pass holders will have seven-day access to SilverStar with no blackout dates, and Ikon Base Pass holders will have five-day access with select blackout dates. SilverStar is also available on the Ikon Session Pass.
SilverStar, which was acquired from Powdr by Pacific Group Resorts in November, is one of the largest ski areas in British Columbia with 3,304 skiable acres of terrain, nearly 2,500 feet of vertical, and 133 trails. It relies entirely on natural snow, with an annual snowfall average of about 275 inches.
. . .
Giants Ridge is the latest bonus mountain to join the Ikon Pass, offering pass holders two days of access. In return, Giants Ridge passholders will receive a 50-percent discount on the purchase of a three-day Ikon Session Pass, which starts at $399 for 2026-27.
“Having worked with Ikon Pass destinations previously,” said Giants Ridge general manager Duane Stutzman, “I’ve seen firsthand how this model drives visitation in a way that supports both the resort and surrounding community. This is a strategic fit for who we are and how we want to grow.”
The resort is among a growing group of Midwest ski areas added for 2026-27, joining recent additions Granite Peak, Wis., Lutsen Mountains, Minn., Snowriver, Mich., and Devil’s Head Resort, Wis.
. . ."
Silver Star in BC and Giant's Ridge in MN are the latest additions to Ikon just announced.
April 2, 2026
Ikon Pass Adds SilverStar, Giants Ridge
SAM Magazine—Denver, April 2, 2026—SilverStar Mountain Resort in British Columbia has joined Ikon Pass as a partner resort and Giants Ridge, Minn., has bee
www.saminfo.com
Silver Star in BC will join Ikon for 2026-27. Giant's Ridge in MN will be another Bonus Mountain in the midwest.
Matt Bowers, Alterra Mountain Company senior vice president of marketing, said British Columbia has some of the best mountain experiences in the world, “and Ikon Pass holders now get access to SilverStar Mountain, alongside Revelstoke, SkiBig3, Cypress Mountain, RED Mountain, Panorama and Sun Peaks Resort.”
Ikon Pass holders will have seven-day access to SilverStar with no blackout dates, and Ikon Base Pass holders will have five-day access with select blackout dates. SilverStar is also available on the Ikon Session Pass.
SilverStar, which was acquired from Powdr by Pacific Group Resorts in November, is one of the largest ski areas in British Columbia with 3,304 skiable acres of terrain, nearly 2,500 feet of vertical, and 133 trails. It relies entirely on natural snow, with an annual snowfall average of about 275 inches.
. . .
Giants Ridge is the latest bonus mountain to join the Ikon Pass, offering pass holders two days of access. In return, Giants Ridge passholders will receive a 50-percent discount on the purchase of a three-day Ikon Session Pass, which starts at $399 for 2026-27.
“Having worked with Ikon Pass destinations previously,” said Giants Ridge general manager Duane Stutzman, “I’ve seen firsthand how this model drives visitation in a way that supports both the resort and surrounding community. This is a strategic fit for who we are and how we want to grow.”
The resort is among a growing group of Midwest ski areas added for 2026-27, joining recent additions Granite Peak, Wis., Lutsen Mountains, Minn., Snowriver, Mich., and Devil’s Head Resort, Wis.
. . ."
The Indy Pass will have a very short public sale on April 3. Starts at noon ET. The expectation is that the remaining inventory will sell out in hours.
Indy added a few more locations in the midwest, plus two in Europe, and one more in Japan.
People on the Wait List before April 3 had a chance to purchase Indy passes, but anyone who can't complete their purchase in time will be out of luck. If I understand it correctly, someone who doesn't act for a given Wait List period will have to sign up again.
Indy added a few more locations in the midwest, plus two in Europe, and one more in Japan.
People on the Wait List before April 3 had a chance to purchase Indy passes, but anyone who can't complete their purchase in time will be out of luck. If I understand it correctly, someone who doesn't act for a given Wait List period will have to sign up again.
So @marzNC timely reminder, I took a look at my Ikon pricing this morning. I paid $ 1243.07 last year and next year, with my whopping $30 discount is $1249.00. So, not as bad as I thought it was.
Tremblant/Ikon has added a new item...Tremblant Reserve. This addition gives you the Privilege package of 20 hot drinks, a tune up, 15% off for food and 15% off at the stores and 4 ea $50 coupons for products. Also gives you the speed pass so you don't have to stand in line. It's $1249 plus taxes. Hmmm....
Or I could go Tonik and not ski holidays and pay a lot less.
Tremblant/Ikon has added a new item...Tremblant Reserve. This addition gives you the Privilege package of 20 hot drinks, a tune up, 15% off for food and 15% off at the stores and 4 ea $50 coupons for products. Also gives you the speed pass so you don't have to stand in line. It's $1249 plus taxes. Hmmm....
Or I could go Tonik and not ski holidays and pay a lot less.
Exshell
Diva in Training
Wow, thanks for all this information on the multitude of choices out there for us... I have only ever purchased Ikon as my sister lived in VT (and within 1 hour of 3 Ikon mountains). She doesn't live there anymore though, but I guess I'm still willing to take the chance that I'll still be happy skiing at just Ikon mountains this next year. I do like the incentives Ikon is offering new for this year (kind of an added bonus for something I was going to buy anyway...) What I really am hoping for is SNOW next year :P
