Ikon and Mountain Collective Passes Go Off Sale December 12th. Here’s Who Should Buy One.
The Ikon and Mountain Collective Passes offer access to dozens of ski areas across North America—but they go off sale tomorrow.
Ski season is upon us, and now is your last time to save big on some of the most compelling mountain destinations across the world.
Ikon Pass products, including the Ikon Base, Ikon Base Plus, and Ikon Session Passes, are going off sale on December 12, 2024. This is your last time to save big on destinations such as Mammoth, Palisades Tahoe, and Steamboat (full list below).
In addition, the Mountain Collective Pass, which has a lot of overlap with the Ikon Pass but is a different product, is also going off sale on December 12.
If you don’t buy one of these pre-season products, you may face higher prices to visit resorts that are affiliated with them.
The Ikon Pass allows for skiing or riding at many of the most compelling mountains across North America.
Source: Ikon Pass
Note: This map is from 2023, and doesn’t include Sierra-at-Tahoe, which joined the Ikon Pass in 2024.
What are the Ikon and Mountain Collective Passes?
The Ikon Pass is a multi-mountain pass offered by Alterra, which is the owner of multiple mountains in the US and Canada. Along with the mountains owned by Alterra, the Ikon Pass offers days at many other mountains, including big hitters such as Jackson Hole, Alta, and Big Sky. There are a few different products, namely:
Ikon Pass: This pass is $1,449 and allows unlimited skiing at 17 destinations, and up to 7 days at each of another 42 destinations.
Ikon Base Pass: This pass is $1,019 and allows unlimited skiing at 14 destinations, but generally has blackout days over the week after Christmas, MLK weekend, and President’s weekend. It also has up to 5 days of access at each of another 39 destinations. Certain resorts, including Aspen Snowmass, Jackson Hole, Sun Valley, Deer Valley, Alta, and Snowbasin, are missing from this product.
Ikon Base Plus Pass: This pass is $1,269 and allows the same access as the Ikon Base Pass, but adds 5 days each at the Aspen Snowmass resorts, Jackson Hole, Sun Valley, Deer Valley, Alta, and Snowbasin.
Ikon Session Pass: This pass has two, three, and four day options, ranging from $329 to $549. This is basically a discounted early-bird day pass to 43 destinations, but there are blackout dates. Certain resorts on the full Ikon and Base Pass products are missing from the Session Pass.
Mountain Collective Pass: This pass isn’t within the Ikon family or sold by Alterra, but it contains many of the same mountains. It’s on sale for $679 and allows for two days at each of 27 destinations. While many offerings overlap with Ikon, a few are exclusive to the Mountain Collective, including Sugar Bowl, Grand Targhee, and Le Massif de Charlevoix. This pass doesn’t have any blackout days, and also allows for one third day at any resort on the pass, as well as 50% off any additional days.
If you don’t buy now:
Depending on the resort and number of days you plan to visit, missing the Ikon and Mountain Collective deadlines could have major consequences. Day tickets at some of the resorts accessed by these passes are through the roof, with places like Steamboat and Deer Valley hitting $299 for walk-up tickets.
If you want to know what mountains are on what passes, check out this chart.
Are the Ikon and Mountain Collective Pass Resorts Worth It?
Unlike the competing Epic Pass, the Ikon and Mountain Collective Passes are not going to be a better value than lift tickets under every circumstance. However, if you have your heart set on visiting any of the following mountains between mid-December and late March, an Ikon or Mountain Collective Pass product will save you money under essentially every circumstance, including weekdays, weekends, and holidays:
Aspen Snowmass, CO: which includes
If you plan to visiting any of the following mountains between mid-December and late March, an Ikon or Mountain Collective Pass product will save you money under essentially every weekend or holiday:
If you plan to visit any of the following mountains between mid-December and late March—and you don’t plan to visit multiple ski resorts this winter—regular lift tickets may be better deals than an Ikon or Mountain Collective Pass product, provided you buy them far enough in advance:
June Mountain, CA
Big Bear, CA
Snow Valley, CA
Includes Alpental
Camelback, PA
Blue Mountain, PA
Cypress, BC
Blue Mountain, ON
Le Massif, QC
Bromont, QC
If you’re not sold on these specific mountains, know that many of them are among the best in the United States and Canada—although other mountains that are also within the upper echelon of the ski scene, including Vail, Park City, Whistler Blackcomb, and Breckenridge, are not on the Ikon or Mountain Collective Passes.
However, nearly every destination resort not on Ikon or Mountain Collective is actually on the competing Epic Pass, which just went off sale on December 2nd.
If you want to go to just about any top ski area in North America, this deadline is your last chance to do so for less than the exorbitant walk-up ticket price.
Final Thoughts
With the Ikon and Mountain Collective Pass deadlines fast approaching, now is the time to make your move. An Ikon Pass often offers the best access and value to the resorts it’s affiliated with—even if you are the most casual vacationer on the planet. Act now to ensure your ski season is memorable for the right reasons, not the sticker shock.
Considering buying an Ikon or Mountain Collective Pass product? Check out our detailed comparison against each other and competing Epic and Indy offerings. You can also check out this comparison in video form below.
