Editor’s note: This story has been updated to compare the cost of a season pass with day passes at the resorts it covers.
DENVER (KDVR) — While it may not feel like it, the snow season is just around the corner. Prices for Epic passes rise in early September, while Ikon’s prices went up in March.
FOX31 broke down the prices to see if getting a ski pass is worth it this season.
While almost a thousand dollars may seem like a lot if you’re just looking to ski near Denver, it really depends on how many times you want to go this year.
Between the five nearby mountains, the prices range from $149 to $225 per day, and that’s just for Keystone, Vail, Breckenridge, Crested Butte and Beaver Creek.
Not every mountain is over $100. Some places like Howelsen Hill are as low as $25.
Epic Pass
Price: $929
With the Epic Pass, you’ll have access to top mountains at Vail, Breckenridge and Park City, as well as mountains across the U.S., Europe and Japan.
With the pass, you don’t need reservations for partnering resorts, except for Telluride. The pass also discounts tickets for your friends and family.
To break even, you’d need to ski around seven days this winter at resorts like Crested Butte or Breckenridge. If you ski at Vail all season, that number goes down to about five times.
Epic Local
Price: $689
The Epic Local offers the same spots as the Epic Pass, with a few date and access restrictions.
To get your money’s worth, you’d have to ski around five times at Crested Butte or Breckenridge and three to four times at Vail.
If you’re looking to ski more than that, it may not be worth it, because it only offers 10 combined days of access to Vail, Beaver Creek and Whistler Blackcomb.
Ikon Pass
Price: $939 (ages 13-22) or $1,259 (23+)
The Ikon Pass offers 15 of the top destinations near Denver as well as access worldwide. With the pass, friends and family get a 25% discount on tickets, early morning access and discounts on trips, food and select gear.
If you go to a local resort like Winter Park, which is $89 for a day pass, it would take about 15 trips for an adult to start saving money.
Ikon passes are more accessible for avid skiers who are looking not only to ski near Denver but around the world. It offers unlimited access to nearby mountains and seven-day access for each destination worldwide, which includes locations across the country, in Europe and in spots like Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
Ikon Base Pass
Price: $669 (ages 13-22) or $929 (23+)
The Base Pass includes restricted access to 14 top locations as well as five days in each select resort worldwide.
It would be about the cost of skiing 10 times this season at Winter Park or even less at a more expensive mountain.
Is a ski pass worth it?
If you’re planning on going more than a few times this season, especially to top resorts, the pass is worth looking at. If you’re a ski bum planning on hitting the slopes every weekend, you’ll be saving a lot of money with the passes, especially if you use them around the world.
If you’re just looking to get the rust off your skis with a few runs this year, passes probably aren’t worth it.
