Now is the time to start looking into which ski pass you’re going to get for you and your kids for the upcoming season in Colorado. While some passes might come at high costs, there are ways to save money so kids can ski or ride for free or at a reduced rate.
Kyana Miner is a Colorado mom and influencer with more than 31,000 followers on Instagram. She spends a lot of time exploring the state, and with four children ages six to 13 years old, she also shares many of her family’s adventures online and encourages and inspires other families to explore, even if on a budget.
“Skiing as a family of six, as you can imagine, can certainly get pricey. And I know especially now, families are really looking to save money, and so some of the things that we do are we take advantage of the passes,” said Miner.
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Two passes she recommended are about are the Epic pass and the Colorado Ski Country USA pass. The Epic SchoolKids Colorado Pack is a free program for kindergartners through fifth grade that provides four days of skiing and riding at five resorts, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Crested Butte. Registration for the Epic pass opens in the spring, and registration is still open through the end of September.
The Colorado Ski Country USA pass gives skiers and snowboarders in kindergarten through sixth grade a chance to explore 19 Colorado resorts, with four days of skiing and riding at each one. That comes to a total of 76 days of skiing for around $70. Sales for the Colorado Ski Country USA pass end in January.
“We definitely take advantage of these passes. They certainly make skiing more affordable. Another thing that we do is we look for packages and looking for packages that combine skiing with lodging and lift tickets to give us the best bang for our buck when skiing,” said Miner.
She added that many resorts also offer their own programs or discounts for children. Miner said now is the time to start making your ski plans.
“This is the time to start looking at making your ski plans. I think when you wait later in the season, things can get more expensive,” said Miner. “Now is really the time to start locking in your lodging, deciding on where you want to go, and locking in these passes. Another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of the mountains have discounted or free ski passes for children as well. So, you want to check into the places that you’re looking to go and just see if they offer something for children, because a lot of them offer their own programs, or they offer free ski, particularly for 4 and 5-year-olds and younger.”
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She also recommends hitting the slopes during the week, which are often cheaper compared to the weekends or busy holidays. Smaller resorts can also offer skiing at a great price, and renting gear offsite is usually cheaper.
Miner also said places like Christy Sports offer free kids’ ski rentals when you rent adult gear for four days. She added it’s best to wait for purchasing gear for your children until they’re teenagers, because often they grow out of gear quickly.
“I always suggest parents rent children’s gear because they grow so fast. From season to season, you don’t want to have to keep repurchasing gear, so waiting until they get into that teen phase where they’re staying in a size a little longer is the best time to invest in gear,” said Miner.
She also recommends checking out the smaller resorts that can offer great skiing and snowboarding at cheaper prices as well.
“Definitely keep in mind that some of the smaller resorts can offer amazing skiing, but at a cheaper price. So, check those out. And a lot of times the smaller resorts will offer discounted pricing or free pricing for kids, too,” said Miner. “For example, Winter Park is not far from Denver, and it’s accessible. You can go for a day trip, which will also save on lodging and cut down on some of that pricing too.”
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