Everything You Need to Know About the Indy Pass

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The Indy Pass, a multi-resort season pass offering skiers access to independently owned and operated ski areas across North America, was first introduced at the beginning of the 2019 ski season as a more affordable alternative to the Epic, Ikon, and Mountain Collective pass products.

In its second season, the Indy Pass now offers passholders access to 63 ski areas, two new pass products, a purchase protection program, and deals to independent lodging properties for $259.

“We had a great first season generating nearly 9,000 skier visits and establishing the concept of a multi-mountain pass for the independent mountains,” says Doug Fish, chairman of Fish Marketing Strategy, the Oregon-based advertising agency behind the Indy Pass.

This year’s sales numbers prove the popularity of this more affordable multi-resort pass. According to Fish, September pass sales are up 630 percent over the same period last year.

For the 2020-’21 season, these additional resorts joined the Indy Pass coalition:

• Waterville Valley Resort, N.H. 
• Saddleback Mountain, Maine
• Snow Ridge, N.Y. 
• Antelope Butte, Wyo. 
• Jay Peak, Vt.
• Swain Resort, N.Y. 
• Snow King Mountain Resort, Wyo.
• Buck Hill, Minn. 
• White Pine Ski Resort, Wyo.
• Winterplace Ski Resort, W.Va.  
• Cannon Mountain, N.H.
• China Peak, Calif.
• Crystal Mountain, Mich.
• Granite Peak, Wis.
• Lutsen Mountains, Minn.
• Sasquatch Mountain, B.C.
• Tamarack Resort, Idaho

“We are excited to join the Indy Pass coalition and help promote the joy of skiing and riding at independent resorts,” said Charles Skinner, co-owner of Lutsen Mountains, Minn., and owner of Granite Peak, Wis. “The pass has really been embraced by skiers who want a less-crowded alpine experience and we look forward to sharing our mountains with them.”

Related: Jay Peak Joins Indy Pass

Related: Independents Day, Cannon Mountain 

In its inaugural season, Indy Pass holders gained access to two days of skiing at 45 independently owned and operated ski areas across the U.S. and Canada not included on any other multi-resort season pass. In this way, the Indy Pass not only offered an affordable multi-resort pass option to skiers who don’t ski enough days in the season to warrant the more expensive season pass products on the market, but also a marketing solution for independent ski areas struggling to compete with resorts on the Epic and Ikon passes.

Read more: The Rise of the Indy Resorts

“In our work and in our discussions with people in the industry, we identified a gap in the market,” Fish explained when introducing the Indy Pass last season. “That gap exists for small resorts and consumers who aren’t core skiers and who are getting squeezed by ever-increasing lift ticket prices.”

The new Indy Pass does also seek to bring core skiers and families into its fold by offering a $129 Indy Pass to skiers who are current season passholders at any Indy Pass partner resort, and an all-new pass for children 12-and-under starting at $99.

While the $259 Indy Pass includes holiday blackout dates at some resorts, the new Indy+ pass grants skiers unrestricted access to its 63 resorts for $399.

Additionally, the 2020-’21 Indy Pass includes its Get America Skiing Promise, a purchase protection program introduced in light of the COVID-19 pandemic that provides up to an 80-percent credit for the following season if skiers are unable to take advantage of their 2020-’21 Indy Pass.

“There’s no fine print or complicated formulas with the Get America Skiing Promise,” said Geoff Hatheway, owner of Magic Mountain in Vermont. “It’s a straightforward, no-BS reassurance for skiers and riders to go Indy this winter.”

In light of the pandemic and its implications for travel during the upcoming ski season, lodging deals have now also been added to the ’20-’21 Indy Pass products. “During the coming COVID winter, I believe that indie resorts will be very popular with people looking for a simpler, closer-to-home experience,” said Fish. This season, Indy Pass holders can receive at least a 10-percent discount on participating independent lodging properties listed on the Indy Pass website.

Indy Pass Resorts at a Glance

West – 23 Ski Areas

• Alaska: Eaglecrest Ski Area
• Alberta: Castle Mountain Resort
• Arizona: Sunrise Park Resort
• British Columbia: Apex Mountain Resort; Sasquatch Mountain
• California: China Peak, Mt. Shasta Ski Park
• Idaho: Brundage Mountain; Silver Mountain Resort; Tamarack Resort; Pomerelle; Soldier Mountain
• Oregon: Hoodoo Ski Area
• Montana: Lost Trail Powder Mountain; Red Lodge Mountain
• Utah: Beaver Mountain
• Washington: 49 Degrees North; Hurricane Ridge; Mission Ridge; White Pass Ski Area
• Wyoming: Antelope Butte; Snow King Mountain Resort; White Pine Ski Resort

Midwest – 17 Ski Areas

• Michigan: Big Powderhorn Resort; Caberfae Peaks; Crystal Mountain; Pine Mountain Resort; Shanty Creek; Swiss Valley Ski Area
• Minnesota: Lutsen Mountains; Spirit Mountain; Powder Ridge; Detroit Mountain; Buck Hill
• South Dakota: Terry Peak Ski Area
• Wisconsin: Granite Peak; Little Switzerland; Nordic Mountain; Trollhaugen; Tyrol Basin

Eastern Region – 23 Ski Areas

• Connecticut: Mohawk Mountain Ski Area
• Massachusetts: Berkshire East Mountain Resort, Catamount Mountain Resort
• Maine: Saddleback Mountain
• New Hampshire: Cannon Mountain; Pats Peak; Black Mountain; Waterville Valley Resort
• New York: Catamount Mountain Resort; Greek Peak Mountain Resort; Swain Resort; Snow Ridge
• North Carolina: Cataloochee Ski Area
• Pennsylvania: Blue Knob Resort; Shawnee Mountain
• Tennessee: Ober Gatlinburg Ski Area
• Vermont: Bolton Valley Resort; Magic Mountain; Suicide Six; Jay Peak
• Virginia: Bryce Resort; Massanutten Resort
• West Virginia: Canaan Valley Ski Resort; Winterplace Ski Resort

Indy Pass Price Information

Indy Pass

• $199 for adults before Nov. 30; after Nov. 30, $259
• $129 for skiers who hold a season pass at an Indy Pass partner resort
• $99 for children 12-and-under
• Grants skiers two days at any of the 63 Indy Pass resorts throughout North America
• Some resorts have blackout dates Dec. 26-Jan. 5 plus weekends and holidays Jan. 16-Feb. 15 (check Indy Pass website for final list of blackout dates in August)

Indy+

• $399 for adults
• Grants skiers two days at any of the 59 Indy Pass resorts throughout North America
• No blackout dates

Indy Add-On Pass

• Reduced pass prices for skiers and riders who hold a full season pass at an Indy Pass partner resort
• Indy Pass Adult: $129
• Indy Pass Kid: $69
• Indy+ Adult: $199
• Indy+ Kid: $149

Additional Indy Pass Benefits

Get America Skiing Promise

The Get America Skiing Promise is a purchase protection program for skiers who buy a 2020-’21 Indy Pass product. Passholders will receive an automatic credit towards a 2021-’22 Indy Pass product if they use their pass less than four days, no questions asked:

• 0 days = 80% credit
• 1 day = 60% credit
• 2 days = 40% credit
• 3 days = 20% credit

Independent Lodging Partner Discounts

Indy Pass holders will receive at least a 10 percent discount on stays at independently-owned lodging properties that have partnered with the Indy Pass. Visit the new lodging section on the Indy Pass website for a full listing of participating lodging properties.

Learn more about the Indy Pass at indyskipass.com.