Top Rated Ski Resorts

Overall

A ski resort with terrain for all levels and closeby lodging, lots of apres ski activities and a good ski school make for great vacations on snow.

Most Popular Epic Pass Ski Resorts

Planning a Epic Pass ski trip? Browse our collection of skier and snowboarder-submitted reviews for Epic Pass ski resorts to see which mountains claimed the top spot in each category. Epic Pass reviews rank ski areas on a scale of one to five stars in the following categories: Overall Rating, All-Mountain Terrain, Nightlife, Terrain Park and Family Friendly. See how your favorite Epic Pass ski area stacks up among the top rated in terms of skiing and après.

Plan Your Trip

Epic Pass Ski Resorts FAQ

Epic Pass Ski Resorts (FAQ)

The Epic Pass is a money-saving product offered by Vail Resorts and is valid at all of its 40 company-owned resorts in North America and across the globe, as well as some international partner resorts. Many are truly epic ski resorts.

Like all of its ski pass competitors, it provides the most value to those who enjoy skiing and snowboarding at a variety of resorts, all with different vibes and of different sizes - whether a major destination resort such as Vail or Whistler-Blackcomb or smaller local Midwest ski areas such as Mt. Brighton near Detroit or the Mid-Atlantic's Seven Springs, newly acquired in Pennsylvania with great access from Pittsburgh.

The Epic Pass essentially provides unlimited skiing and riding (with no blackout dates) to a significant number of Vail Resorts across North America, as well as Perisher, Hotham and Falls Creek Ski Resorts in Australia. Additionally, Epic Pass holders receive 7 days at Telluride, 7 total days at the Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, 5 total days each at Rusutsu and Hakuba Valley, Japan, and limited access to Les 3 Vallées in France; 4 Vallées in Switzerland; and Skirama Dolomiti in Italy.

Epic Pass holders receive 10 Buddy Tickets (discounted passes) and 6 Ski-With-A-Friend (SWAF) complimentary tickets. Check out Pass Insurance and the Auto Renew Program to guarantee the lowest price on this year’s Epic Pass. Other Vail Resorts' pass options, including the Epic Local Pass, offer unlimited access to various ski resorts across multiple regions of North America. Be sure you check out Epic FlexPay, a new option for this card if you want to stretch out your payments.

Epic Mountain Rewards

The Epic Pass loyalty program gives pass holders discounts such as 20 percent off lodging, dining, lessons, and more at Vail Resorts locations in North America; 20 percent off guided cat skiing in Keystone and Whistler-Blackcomb’s heliskiing packages; 10 Buddy Pass tickets, offering up to 45 percent off window rates if you purchase soon after announcement; 6 Ski- With-A-Friend (SWAF) Tickets of varying discounts.

For the latest and most up to date information on the Epic Pass, visit 2022/23 Buyer’s Guide: Epic Pass.

Colorado resorts included in the Epic Passes

You'll enjoy skiing and riding at some of the iconic world-class destinations in Colorado such as Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Keystone, Telluride and Vail.

Utah resorts included in the Epic Passes

Just one, but it's the big one: Park City Mountain Resort. It's a quick ride from Salt Lake City International Airport into the Wasatch Mountains and the delightful old mining town of Park City.

Lake Tahoe resorts included in the Epic Passes

Play on three of the very best Lake Tahoe Resorts on the Epic Pass: Heavenly on the glitzy play all night with skiing in both California and Nevada at Stateline, plus Kirkwood located south of the lake and beautiful Northstar-Tahoe on the South Shore at Truckee. All three are owned and operated by Vail Resorts. (Note: the other major destination at Lake Tahoe is Palisades-Tahoe, formerly known as Squaw Valley. To ski there or at its joined-at-the-gondola neighbor Alpine Meadows, check out the IKON pass.)

Northeast resorts included in the Epic Passes

You'll have plenty of choices and you will find lots of Northeast value including at iconic ski resorts in New England and lots of fun choices in the Mid-Atlantic. Ski or ride in New Hampshire at Attitash, Crotched Mountain, Mount Sunapee and Wildcat. Hit the Green Mountains of Vermont at Mount Snow, Okemo and Stowe, the "Grandaddy of them all." Live in the Big Apple area? Closeby Hunter Mountain in the Catskills, the so-called "snowmaking capital of the world" is your New York choice. Round it all out in Pennsylvania at Big Boulder, Hidden Valley, Jack Frost, Laurel Mountain, Liberty Mountain, Roundtop Mountain Resort, Seven Springs and Whitetail.

Midwest resorts included in the Epic Passes

Ski or ride close to home (and then head to one of the major destinations for a mid-winter vacation). Included are Afton Alps, Minn.; Alpine Valley, Boston Mills, Brandywine and Mad River Mountain, Ohio; Hidden Valley and Snow Creek, Mo.; Mt. Brighton, Mich.; Paoli Peaks, Ind. and Wilmot, Wis.

Canadian resorts included in the Epic Passes

You won't go wrong heading to Canada for your ski vacation. Many of the best in the country are included: Whistler Blackcomb, B.C.; Fernie Alpine Resort, B.C.; Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, B.C.; Kimberley Alpine Resort, B.C.; Mont-Sainte Anne, Qué.; Nakiska Ski Area, Alb. and Stoneham, Qué.

What European and other worldwide resorts are included?

Jump on the silver bird: Southern Hemisphere ski areas Falls Creek, Hotham, and Perisher, Australia; Europe's Les 3 Vallées, France; Skirama Dolomiti, Italy; 4 Vallées, Switzerland and Ski Arlberg, Austria. Japan's Japan -- Hakuba 47 Winter Sports Park (10 areas) and Rusutsu.

Are there different types of passes?

The Full Epic Pass

There are a number of pass options and, yes, it can be confusing. You'll first need to decide where and how often you and your family will want to ski or ride. If you are a hardcore skier or snowboarder, for example, with the ability to travel to multiple resorts in different state and even different countries, go for the whole enchilada, so to speak. Buy the full Epic Pass at $859 and never look back. There are absolutely no restrictions in North America and the only restriction in Europe is you cannot tie it into any lodging packages.

The Epic Local Pass

Perhaps the best bet to get the most out of the ski season is to play close to home and perhaps take a ski vacation mid-winter. That's your clue to purchase the Epic Local Pass for $626. Here, you will enjoy unlimited skiing at 25 resorts and some 10 days total at Vail Resorts' flagship destination. That's more than enough for a ski vacation to the superstars like Vail/Beaver Creek or Whistler-Blackcomb. The Epic Local Pass also assures plenty of night skiing and snowboarding too as playing under the lights is a staple of the smaller, close to home ski areas. And don't worry about the snow as they all have extensive snowmaking. Vail Resorts are among the best assuring good conditions. There is no holiday access for Epic Local Pass holders.

The College Epic Pass

There's a special pass for college and university students that's quite a bit more selective and goes for $526. They are a good deal if you plan to ski in Summit County, Colo.; Lake Tahoe, and a few Midwest Resorts such as Afton Alps and Mt. Brighton. Only the two Midwest resorts include holiday use.

Copyright © 1995-2024 Mountain News LLC. All rights reserved.