Back in high school, when I first got hooked on snowboarding, there was no way my parents were footing the bill for lift tickets. It was all on me—gas money, sticky wickets, the whole deal. And my friends? Same situation. Every preseason, we were on the hunt for any way to ease the sting of that lift ticket price. Fast forward to today, and man… the Indy Pass would’ve been a total game changer! And now they’re introducing a new one for beginners starting at $189 which accesses 250+ resorts called Learn-to-Turn.
A Look Back at the Discount Lift Ticket Days
Hearing about this pass brought back memories of how we’d chase the deal and had an entire system setup. First stop? We’d always mark the Midwest Ski & Snowboard Expo in Rosemont on the calendar—there were always discount lift tickets being handed out like candy. Then in the 1990’s we discovered Chestnut Mountain in Galena had a “The Day Is What You Pay” through early December. That meant if you went on December 1st, it only cost $1 to ride! Over at Tyrol Basin, there were $10 Tuesdays into the early 2000’s, even for night skiing. And when we made it out to Colorado, we’d hit up King Soopers for discounted lift tickets. We didn’t care where or how—as long as we could ride. The more we saved, the more days we got on the mountain.
Learn-to-Ride Pass is Now The Way To Go
These days, it feels like ski resorts aren’t offering many real discounts. Instead, they’re pushing mega passes like the Epic Local, now retailing for $799 with access to 29 resorts, or the Ikon Base at $1,009 for 54 resorts. As a high schooler, that would’ve been waaay out of my budget. But the new Indy “Learn-to-Turn” Pass? That would’ve been what my friends and I would’ve gotten. For just $189, you get three days of lift access at 250+ resorts, plus rentals and lessons included!
Already Know How To Ski? Indy Back on Sale!
If you already have your own gear then consider getting a classic Indy Pass. Thanks to increased capacity from the addition of new ski resorts, the Indy Pass is going back on sale August 28, 2025 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time. Passes will be available while supplies last. If you’re not already on the waitlist, sign up now to get early access before it opens to the general public.
While the full list of new resorts won’t be revealed until the sale date, we can say this: based on past years, it’s only going to get better. Expect dozens of new mountains across the U.S., Canada, Austria, France, Slovenia, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Scotland, and Japan!
And even though two out of our three local resorts are on the Epic Pass, we always make it a point to support independently owned resorts when we hit the road. And honestly? The Indy Pass is the revolution skiing has needed.
Still on the fence? Check out our list of favorite Indy Pass resorts and see why we think it’s totally worth it.
