Indy Pass Is ALWAYS The Deal Of The Year

There’s a reason why corporations run every industry including skiing and snowboarding… you know what to expect. They provide uniformity and a high standard of excellence. But just like the music industry, small independent resorts provide something that’s unique and different. It’s like Joan Jett versus Jimmy Buffett. Unfortunately, most of the small Mom & Pop resorts out there aren’t on a collective season pass like the Ikon or Epic passes. Well, that changed with the Indy Pass. This upcoming winter for only $449, you can gain access to 270+ alpine and nordic ski resorts (and counting) across North America, Japan, Europe, and now South America!

What Do You Get For The Indy Pass?

Unlike the Epic or Ikon passes, this one isn’t trying to funnel you into a resort just to spend big on lodging, food, and drinks. The goal here is simple: make skiing more affordable. You get two days at every resort on the roster, plus a discounted third day — and let’s be real, no one’s hitting every resort in a single season. Even if you only ski ten days, that works out to just $44.90 per day — a total steal. And if you’re thinking about heading to Japan, it pairs perfectly with a Tohoku or Hokkaido Indy Pass trip through our friends at Japan Ski Tours.

Keep The Passion Alive

Every year, the number of passholders keeps climbing—especially heading into the 2025/26 winter season, with record-breaking sales reported last spring. As many Epic and Ikon passholders will tell you, the sheer volume of skiers from these affordable multi-resort passes has dramatically changed the experience at many of their resorts.

But Indy Pass took a different approach. As part of their evolution, they continue to limit the supply based on how many resorts they have instead of overselling. When 2025/26 passes went on sale, they hit capacity in just ten days.

Why? Because Indy Passholders are a different breed—they’re chasing a more relaxed atmosphere and a one-of-a-kind experience on the slopes, not just lift lines and crowds.

Waitlist is on Sale NOW!

If you didn’t grab your pass back in April, now’s the time! Indy Pass just announced that passes will be available until midnight on Thursday, September 18, 2025.

Some Of Our Favorite Ski Resorts Are On The Indy Pass

Ever since the big boys started gobbling up the major players, we’ve begun to venture further and further off the beaten path. This list of Mom & Pop Ski Resorts reads like a bucket list for us. Here’s just a few of the ones that got our attention:

Brundage Mountain

Although we’ve visited Brundage Mountain, we have been wanting to get back here and hit this place again. If you know where to look, the terrain at this resort is like Kirkwood in Lake Tahoe but without the crowds. It’s packed with steep chutes, an assortment of glade skiing, & an open boundary policy. Simply put: Heaven on Earth.

Castle Mountain

What if we told you there’s a resort as big as Mammoth with more consistent snowfall, home to one of North America’s only resort-based cat skiing operations, AND has less people? It’s hard to believe, we know. We’ve been drooling about this place for years and now have no reason NOT to head north and hit this spot.

Red Lodge Mountain

When we wrote about the famous storms that have pummeled North America, a kind reader let us know about a massive storm that hit Red Lodge in Montana. Thanks to them, this put the ski area on our radar as we began to research it a bit more. Focused more on the skiing, the region is also home to amazing backcountry ski terrain that we’d love to explore as well.

Silver Mountain

Silver Mountain is another ski resort we’ve ridden before that features insane terrain & is just down the road from one of our favorite cozy ski towns – the Historic Town of Wallace. This place is home to one of the longest gondolas in North America and some steep slopes as well.

For Midwesterners & East Coasters Too

For those that live in the Midwest or on the East Coast & don’t know if you’ll make it out West, you still may want to consider picking up an Indy Pass for your local resorts. From Tyrol Basin near Madison to Bolton Valley out East, they provide an assortment of fun little spots to shred.

If you haven’t noticed, we’re pretty darned excited about the Indy Pass. In fact, we’re hoping this season we can hit a few on our bucket list that we haven’t had a chance to ski yet. If you’re on the fence for where you want to go this season, the Indy Pass is a great one to consider.

For more info, venture over to the Indy Pass website, or better yet, if you need some inspiration on a road trip, check out our post The Indy Pass Ski Road Trip – The Best Deal In Skiing.

Perfect Time To Plan That Big Trip

Even if you aren’t considering the Indy Pass this year, it’s a perfect reminder to start planning your ski trips this winter! To help with your planning, we’ve created a ski trip planning guide to give you the scoop on what time of year to visit to find the best snow. Give you the low-down on what items to bring. We even talk about unheard of ski resorts that you can find fresh powder days or even weeks after a storm. No matter if you’re a beginner or an expert, you’ll find some juicy tidbits in our guide found here: