Updated October 2020
If you purchase the Ikon Base Pass early (over the summer), you can get the standard adult pass for as low as $749, but this price will go up as it gets closer to the start of the season, making it one of the most expensive pass options for people in the NYC and Philly area.
However, there are a handful of discounts that could make the pass more appealing for some groups. If the pass is purchased over the summer, Young Adults (13-29) will pay $599, school-aged kids (5-12) will pay $339, and little kids (0-4) will pay $169. There is also a discounted price of $569 available to college students, nurses, and military members, plus people renewing their pass for a second year in a row can get $50 off.
The great thing about this pass is that it offers unlimited skiing and riding at 14 mountains, and then it also offers up to 5 days on the slopes at an additional 27 mountains. Unfortunately, none of these mountains are located in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, and there is only one mountain (Windham) in New York.
The Ikon Base Pass also has blackout dates at most of its mountains, so when they say “unlimited,” that doesn’t mean there are no restrictions. On holidays, (12/26 – 1/2, 1/16-17, and 2/23-14) you will only be able to use your Ikon Base Pass at a limited number of mountains, but skipping holiday weekends is a great way to avoid crowds anyway, so these restrictions aren’t necessarily a big deal.
With all that in mind, this is an Ikon Base Pass guide designed specifically for people located in the Greater NYC Area, including those living in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
Mountains
Local Mountains
Unfortunately, the only local mountain option on the Ikon Pass is Windham Mountain in New York, and you’re only allowed to go here a maximum of 5 times during the season.
Vermont
Here’s where things start to get interesting, because there are three great mountains on the Ikon Pass to choose from in Vermont:
Stratton – Non-holiday unlimited (Southern Vermont, about 4.5 hours by car)
Killington – Non-holiday and 5 days maximum (Southern Vermont, about 5.5 hrs by car)
Sugarbush – Non-holiday unlimited (Northern Vermont, about 6.5 hours by car)
Vermont is narrow enough that you could hit them all in one long trip as you drive up or down the state
Maine
Sunday River – Non-holiday and 5 days max (7.5 hours by car from the NYC area)
Sugarloaf – Non-holiday and 5 days max (8 hours by car from the NYC area)
California
If you’re interested in flying to California, the Ikon Base Pass includes a handful of California mountains: Big Bear (fully unlimited), Squaw and Alpine Meadows, Mammoth, and June.
West Virginia
Yep, there are ski slopes in West Virginia! The Ikon Base Pass includes completely unlimited access to Snowshoe.
Colorado
There are lots of Colorado mountains on the Ikon Base Pass (how nice for the people out in Colorado…), so if you’re interested in an Ikon Pass, you should consider a trip out to Colorado to get the most out of your pass.
Copper, Eldora, and Winter Park are three of the mountains on the Ikon Base Pass that offer truly unlimited access, so Colorado would be a great choice for a long holiday weekend if you don’t mind crowds.
A-Basin and Steamboat are two more Colorado options on the Ikon Pass that you can visit on non-holidays.
Washington
Washington is another state you could fly into for a winter vacation that includes a visit to more than one mountain on the Ikon Pass. Stay in Seattle and then head out to both Crystal Mountain and Snoqualmie for a vacation that combines city sights with mountain adventure.
Other Mountains
The Ikon Base pass includes a bunch of other mountains as well, but most of them are not particularly convenient to people in the NYC area. If you’re up for some major travel, though, there are some fantastic options.
Tremblant in Québec and Blue Mountain in Ontario don’t have blackout dates, so making the trip to Canada could be a great plan for a holiday weekend, and the Australia, New Zealand, and Chile locations are particularly exciting because they would allow you to go snowboarding during North America’s summer months.
See the full list here for all of the mountains included on the Ikon Base Pass, from Utah* and Montana to Japan and New Zealand: IKONPASS.COM
(* Note that two of the four Utah Mountains on the Ikon Pass, Alta and Deer Valley, are stuck in the stone age and do not allow snowboarders.)
Sample Seasons
Season A: Big Spender
Using the Ikon Pass when you’ve got lots of money for hotels, gas, and flights, plus lots of vacation time and a passport:
December
- Start the season off at Windham Mountain
- Spend a weekend up at Stratton (2 days, 1 night)
- Return to Windham
January
- Spend a day at Windham
- Head to Colorado over MLK weekend, taking the rest of the week off work, where you choose to visit three different mountains (7 days, 6 nights)
February
- Head up to Killington for the weekend (2 days, 1 night)
- Take a half week off work for a mini vacation to California, Seattle, Canada, or another area. (5 days, 4 nights)
- Return to Windham
March
- Take another week off work to hit up Loon, Sunday River, and Sugarloaf (7 days, 6 nights)
- Spend another day at Windham (your 5th and last)
July
- Take yet another week off work to head to Chile, Australia, or New Zealand for some summer shred. (7 days, 6 nights)
Analysis:
You bought the pass over the summer, so it cost $750, plus this case study also calls for 23 hotel nights, a lot of gas and time in the car, and at least four flights. You also took 17 days off of work (assuming you already have two consecutive days off a week),
But you made it to 12 different mountains (and they were really great mountains!), and you spent at least 19 days on the slopes. It was a great season. Lucky you for having 17 vacation days and a lot of money to spare!
Season B: Moderate Spender
Using the Ikon Pass when you have a moderate amount of money and vacation time, and you’re willing to spend a lot of it:
December:
- Start the season off at Windham
- Spend a weekend up at Stratton (2 days, 1 night)
- Spend another day at Windham
January
- Return to Windham
- Windham, again
- Drive up to Sugarbush for a long weekend (4 days, 3 nights)
February
- Spend another day at Windham. This is your 5th day so you can’t go to Windham any more after this.
- Head up to Killington for the weekend (2 days, 1 night)
March
- Take a week off work to hit up New England. You go to Loon, Sunday River, and Sugarloaf (7 days, 6 nights)
July
- You think about heading to Chile, Australia, or New Zealand, but those flights are extremely expensive… and never mind hotels. So you stay home.
Analysis:
You paid $750 for the pass, and even though you were trying not to go too crazy and spend too much money, this sample season still called for 10 hotel nights and at least 7 days off of work, a ton of gas, and lots of time in the car. But you made it to 7 nice mountains where lift tickets would have been $100 per day or more, and you also spent a lot of time at Windham–good thing you like Windham a lot! You also got at least 14 days on the slopes, which isn’t too shabby.
Final Verdict
If you love the Ikon mountains, don’t mind a lot of travel, and can afford to pay for a lot of gas, hotels, and lodging, go for it! You’ll have a great time.
Otherwise, you’d be better off with almost any other season pass offering in the area. For the cost of the Ikon Base Pass ($750), you could buy two other season passes in the NYC area instead, or you could buy one season pass at the mountain of your choice and then purchase some individual lift tickets at any mountains in Vermont or New Hampshire or Canada if you desire to travel. Either of those options would give you a lot more flexibility, plus more time on the slopes.
What did you think of this analysis of the Ikon Base Pass for people in the NYC area?
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