How to Ski for $25/Day: Best Ski Resorts in Utah for Families

I’ve been skiing in Utah for almost three decades and it’s hands down one of my favorite things to do. I have been looking forward to the day when my kids are old enough to start skiing with me for a long time but what I didn’t anticipate was how dang expensive skiing would become as my kids got older! When I was in high school, I had a season pass to Park City that cost $99. Now you can’t even get a day pass for that price, which is insane. Then multiply that by four (the number of potential skiers in my family right now) and you can see why I’m obsessive about finding the best deal. Keep reading to learn your options for the cheapest ski resorts in Utah for families.

I spent hours combing over the websites of each of the local resorts as well as the combo season passes to try and find the best deal for me and my family. Now I’m sharing what I found to save you the time of having to do all that yourself. If you’re looking to get the best deals on lift tickets, multi-day, or season passes then you’ll want to plan ahead. The earlier you buy your passes, the cheaper they are. In fact, the best time to buy them is in the spring, shortly after the ski season ends as soon as season passes go on sale for the next season. But as long as you buy before Halloween, you’ll be able to get discounted pricing at most resorts.

These are not affiliate links and I don’t get paid for sharing any of this info.

I found these six options to be the most affordable skiing in Utah with kids, ranked in order of most to least expensive.

Cheapest Ski Resorts in Utah: Ski Multiple Resorts with a Single Season Pass

Multi-resort passes like the Ikon Pass, Epic Pass, and Mountain Collective may not be the most affordable options for skiing in Utah but they become more and more economical if you plan to do A LOT of skiing. Plus, this is the only way places like Park City, Alta, and Snowbird make the list of cheapest ski resorts in Utah. But to get the price per day down to around $25/day, you’d need to go skiing about 30 times or more. For more affordable skiing in Utah options, keep reading!

6. Ikon Pass

Ikon Base Pass cheapest before October 15

Over the last few years, season passes that include multiple resorts have gained popularity. The Ikon Pass is the most expensive of the bunch but it also has the best value if you plan to do a lot of skiing and like having the option to try several resorts, including five alone just in Utah. After October 15th, the price goes up to $919 but there is a monthly payment plan option to make it more affordable.
What ski resorts in Utah are included?

Solitude – unlimited days (excluding blackout days for holidays for the Base Pass)
Brighton – 5 days
Alta/Snowbird – 5 days at one or the other
Deer Valley – lift reservations required
Snowbasin – blackout dates apply

What makes the Ikon Pass an affordable option for skiing with kids in Utah?

Kid passes are $279
Great bang for your buck if you ski at least once a week (comes out to about $36/day)

Enjoying the mountain to myself at Solitude

5. Epic Pass

The Epic Local Pass from Vail Resorts is the one that started it all. And for the ‘21-’22 ski season, they actually lowered their prices by 20% instead of raising prices like everyone else has been doing. And a few years ago, Vail acquired Canyons Resort and later took over operations of Park City Mountain Resort when they forgot to renew their 100-year lease on time (oops). Then they combined the two into one massive resort.

What ski resorts in Utah are included?

Park City (two resorts in one) – unlimited days excluding holidays for the Local Pass
It also includes Vail, Whistler, Sun Valley, and several other resorts outside of Utah

What makes the Epic Pass an affordable option for skiing with kids in Utah?

Kids local pass is $377
Kids K-5 can ski free for 5 days at Park City with the Epic School Kids program, which includes one first-timer lesson for free (must register before October 15)

The 5 free days for kids option is what makes the Epic Pass higher on the list of cheapest ski resorts in Utah than the Ikon, although you do get access to fewer resorts.

Bonus: Park City is one of the best places to visit in Utah and a ski trip there is definitely worthy of inclusion on your bucket list!

4. Mountain Collective Pass

($650 for adults, $210 for kids under 12)

The Mountain Collective Pass is the most affordable of the multi-resort passes, but the downside is that you only get two days at each resort (plus a bonus third day at one resort of your choosing).

What ski resorts in Utah are included?

Alta
Snowbird
Snowbasin
It also includes places like Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole.

This means I could ski up to 7 days locally in Utah. Assuming I get an adult pass and two kids passes, that averages out to about $92/day per adult and $30 per kid. Not bad. That makes Alta, Snowbird, and Snowbasin worthy of inclusion on this list of cheapest ski resorts in Utah. But there are even cheaper options for the best ski resorts in Utah for families, so keep reading!

cheapest ski resorts in utah for families

If you want to try Utah’s famous powder, Snowbird & Alta are the best places to do it.

What makes the Mountain Collective Pass an affordable option for skiing with kids in Utah?
What I like about this pass is the chance to do a cool ski trip out of state on the cheap. I got this pass a couple years ago when I wanted to try Snowbasin and I absolutely loved it. That year I skied Alta, Snowbird, Snowbasin for the first time, and Jackson Hole for the first time. Jackson Hole is consistently ranked as the #1 ski resort in North America, so it had been on my bucket list for a long time. And it was amazing! Because we’re so spoiled to have several world-class resorts close by here in Utah, I never bothered to take a ski trip out of state. If it hadn’t been for the Mountain Collective, we wouldn’t ever have thought to spend New Year’s Eve in Jackson Hole. Because of the Mountain Collective Pass, I figured I had gotten my money’s worth of skiing at the local resorts so skiing at Jackson Hole was “free” in a sense.

And I cashed in some Marriott points for a few free nights at the Springhill Suites in downtown Jackson. We spent New Year’s Eve eating at a great local pub, walking around the famous town square with the antlers arches, and watching fireworks. And come to find out, winter is actually the best time for wildlife viewing because they all come down out of the mountains and into the valley, so we saw a ton of elk, moose, and even bison. It was a pretty epic trip and we did it all pretty much for free!

Highly recommend staying at the Springhill Suites in downtown Jackson!

Best Ski Resorts in Utah for Families

3. Sundance – Affordable Skiing in Utah with No Traffic

($769 for unlimited pass or $299 for night skiing pass for adults before Oct. 31, $199 for kids 6-12)

Sundance Mountain Resort is best known for being the birthplace of Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival. The film festival outgrew the place and moved to Park City ages ago and Robert Redford sold the resort in 2021 to a private equity firm. Even though it’s the end of the Redford era, it’s still a great place to ski, especially thanks to the sweeping views of magnificent Mt. Timpanogos. The night skiing option and lack of traffic compared to the Little Cottonwood & Big Cottonwood resorts make it a great option too. If you live in Utah County, it’s a no brainer.

Single day lift ticket $119, kids under 12 $79, kids 5 and under ski free
Night only – $55 for adults, $45 for kids
Night Skiing Pass $299 for adults, $198 for kids under 18, free under 6

Sundance has amazing views of Mt. Timpanogos. Photo credit: Utah.com

2. Brighton – Family-Friendly Ski Resort in Utah

($499 for the Twilight season pass Oct. 1 or $599 after that, free for kids 10 and under)

Brighton used to be the #1 spot on my list because they offered free skiing for kids 10 and under. Unfortunately, they recently changed that to free skiing for kids 6 and under, like most resorts.

Skiing at Brighton Resort is almost like a rite of passage in Utah because it’s the place where so many locals first learn to ski or snowboard. It’s also the place that popularized night skiing. Not only does it have great beginner terrain, it also has a good variety of expert level runs and terrain parks. Truly something for everyone.

Normally, the main reason I think Brighton is the best option for affordable family skiing is that with the Twilight pass & night skiing options, we can head up and ski for a few hours after work/school during the week and don’t have to worry about braving the weekend traffic. And if you don’t want to commit to a season pass, you can get a night skiing ticket for just $60.

Personally, I am opting to go with the 5-day Go Card for $399 (before Oct. 31 – offer goes away completely after that). Killer deal! Besides, five days of skiing with the kids is plenty for me. If you want more than that, try one of the other unlimited options listed above.

Kids under 10 ski free at Brighton

1. Nordic Valley & Brian Head

(Power Pass is $799 for adults but kids under 12 ski for free) Nordic Valley near Ogden and Brian Head near Cedar City have joined forces to offer the Power Pass. It also includes 3 days at Sundance. The season pass isn’t a super great deal unless you live near one of them and plan to go a lot. And they’re both relatively small resorts, so I’m a little surprised the season pass isn’t cheaper. They are great places for kids to learn to ski, though. And kids 12 and under can ski free the Power Kids Pass.

If you go by the cost of a day pass alone, then Nordic Valley is definitely one of the cheapest ski resorts in Utah. The day passes at Nordic Valley are by far the most affordable of any of the 10 resorts near Salt Lake, so if you don’t want to commit to a season pass, it’s a worth checking out. And they just happen to be two of the resorts in Utah that I haven’t tried, so I’ll probably opt for a day pass or two at each of them next season so I can check them off my Utah Bucket List.

I have three kids right now under 12 that want to ski with me this season, so I consider that to be $799 split across 4 people (because kids 12 and under ski free). If I take them skiing just four times, that comes out to be $25/person! This makes Nordic Valley & Brian Head hands down the most affordable way to ski with kids in Utah.

That view of Cedar Breaks is why skiing Brian Head is on my Utah Bucket List! Have you downloaded your free copy yet?

Bonus – Alta’s Sunnyside Pass

Alta’s Sunnyside at 3:00 season pass for $59

Alta Ski Resort has an interesting option that no other resort offers – an after 3:00 season pass. It only applies to the Sunnyside lift and you only get an hour and a half of skiing, but sometimes that’s all little kids can handle. It’s a good option for little kids under six who are just learning to ski. But be warned, traffic down Little Cottonwood Canyon can get backed up very easily in inclement weather or holiday weekends. I tried this last year when I was teaching my son to ski and we got stuck in traffic for FOUR HOURS. He got to watch two movies in the backseat DVD player of our AWD minivan, so he didn’t seem to mind. But let’s just say there’s a reason why I just spent all this time researching other options for next year.

As you can see, there are lots of options to help make skiing a little bit more affordable for you and your family and each one offers something a little different. As for me and my family, the Brighton Go Card is what works best for us, plus that leaves room in the budget for a few days here and there at other resorts, like Nordic Valley and Brian Head. I want to check those off my Utah Bucket List! If you found this information useful, please consider sharing on social media or saving to Pinterest!

🤘🏻 -JJ

Looking for more things to do in Utah in the winter? Try one of these 25 Christmas activities in Utah!

P.S. If you need gear recommendations, below are Amazon affiliate links for gear that I personally use and recommend:

Smith Optics Ski Helmet
Smith Optics Ski Goggles
Atomic Vantage All-Mountain Skis – great for groomers and powder and everything in between
Rossignol Poles
Head Outlast Ski Gloves – hands down my favorite gloves. When mine finally wore out after about 10 years I went back and bought the same ones.
Atomic Ski Boots
Stance Compression Ski Socks – the best socks I’ve ever owned for skiing. One pair is all you need to stay toasty warm all day!
Columbia Ski Coat
Columbia Ski Pants
GoPro Action Camera – a must have for capturing action shots and selfies with the kids
GoPro Pole Mount – don’t bother with helmet mounts – the footage is garbage, IMO. Mount the camera on your pole like a selfie stick and you’ll get some really cool videos and pictures.

Gear for kids:

The GoPro Action Camera and GoPro Pole Mount are a must if you want action shots like this in Utah’s iconic powder. Truly the Greatest Snow on Earth!

PPS Our family is on a mission to experience the best our home state of Utah has to offer and help other families find affordable, kid-friendly adventures in the process. You can follow us on Instagram @theminivanbucketlist or download our free Utah Bucket List for the top 100 things to do in Utah.