Earlier today,<\/a> Alterra released the Ikon Pass product suite<\/a> for the 2025-26 season. Adults can purchase a full Ikon Pass, which comes with unlimited access to 18 resorts and no holiday blackout dates, for $1,329\u2014an increase of 6% from last year. An Ikon Base Pass, which offers unlimited access to 14 resorts with holiday blackouts, goes for $909, an increase of 5% from last year. As in previous years, children and young adults under 23\u2014as well as military personnel, college students, and nurses\u2014are eligible for significantly cheaper pass rates.<\/a> <\/p>\n
Six full Ikon destinations are excluded from the base pass, including Alta, Aspen\/Snowmass, Deer Valley, Jackson Hole, Snowbasin, and Sun Valley. The Ikon Base Plus Pass, which previously allowed access to these mountains at a cheaper rate than the full Ikon Pass, is no longer available for 2025-26.<\/a><\/p>\n
For 2025-26, a few Ikon access terms have changed. Most notably, Colorado\u2019s Arapahoe Basin<\/a> has moved to unlimited access on the full Ikon Pass after only offering seven days of access this past season; this follows its acquisition<\/a> by Ikon\u2019s parent company, Alterra. In addition, Ikon Passes now come with access to Europe\u2019s Ischgl ski area, with seven days of unrestricted access on the full Ikon Pass and five days of unrestricted access on the Ikon Base Pass.<\/p>\n
Passes go on sale March 13.<\/p>\n
With Epic generally maintaining the status quo<\/a> with its passes this season, it seems like the general pass landscape versus last season remains unchanged. Ikon continues to command a price premium over Epic with fewer unlimited mountains and more restrictive blackouts on the Ikon Base Pass, while Epic continues to offer access to Vail-owned mountains at competitive prices.<\/p>\n
Another major change is Arapahoe Basin\u2019s shift to unlimited access on the full Ikon Pass\u2014a long-anticipated (and, for some, dreaded) move within the ski community. We\u2019ll be paying close attention to what happens with Arapahoe Basin\u2019s crowds; the resort was an unlimited member of the Epic Pass until 2018, and crowding was a significant problem until the switch to limited access days on Ikon. However, A-Basin also introduced a strict paid parking reservation system<\/a> during peak times this past year, and the resort may be hoping that this policy is enough to artificially deflate crowds on busy days (other Alterra-owned resorts with limited capacity, such as Solitude<\/a>, have made similar moves).<\/p>\n
Lastly, after years of speculation, Windham Mountain Club<\/a> has officially exited the Ikon Pass. The New York resort has been moving toward exclusivity, enforcing strict weekend and holiday reservations while charging over $200 for peak-time lift tickets\u2014despite offering just 285 acres of terrain. For many, the reservations were so hard to come by that it was hard to make use of an Ikon Pass anyway. That said, Windham\u2019s departure puts Ikon at a disadvantage in the New York metropolitan area versus Epic, where Hunter Mountain remains an accessible option. Ironically, one of the best alternatives for Ikon Pass holders seeking a day-trip destination near the city is now Jiminy Peak, one of the new Bonus Mountains\u2014though, as mentioned earlier, access is limited to the full Ikon Pass and comes with holiday blackouts.<\/p>\n
For more information on resorts on the Ikon Pass, see our Ikon Pass mountain reviews<\/a> as well as our Colorado,<\/a> Tahoe,<\/a> Utah,<\/a> Vermont,<\/a> Washington,<\/a> and Western Canada<\/a> rankings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"