North American Ski Resorts with Day Passes Under $100

    Every US and Canadian resort still selling an adult day pass under USD/CAD $100 for the 2026–27 season — ranked by skiable terrain and vertical drop. Brand-name destinations (Vail, Whistler, Aspen) are excluded; this is the parallel universe of independent skiing.

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    41 resorts under $100

    ResortRegionWalk-up7-day advanceVerticalAcresPassNotable
    Sipapu
    New Mexico
    New MexicoUSD $59USD $491,055 ft200
    Indy
    Earliest opener in Southern Rockies — kids 6 and under free
    Caberfae Peaks
    Michigan
    MidwestUSD $52USD $49485 ft230
    Cheapest 4-lift resort in USA
    Lost Trail
    Montana
    Northern RockiesUSD $65USD $551,800 ft1,800
    Closed Mon-Tue — pure powder-day mountain
    Silver Mountain
    Idaho
    Northern RockiesUSD $69USD $592,200 ft1,600
    Indy
    USA's longest gondola — town-to-summit ride
    Pajarito
    New Mexico
    New MexicoUSD $69USD $591,410 ft750
    Indy
    Closed Tue–Wed — sub-$70 weekday powder paradise
    Sandia Peak
    New Mexico
    New MexicoUSD $69USD $591,700 ft200
    Access by world's longest aerial tram from Albuquerque
    Plattekill
    New York
    NortheastUSD $69USD $591,100 ft75
    Indy
    Catskills locals' mountain — Friday cat skiing days
    Bogus Basin
    Idaho
    Northern RockiesUSD $79USD $691,800 ft2,600
    Non-profit — night skiing included in day rate
    Lookout Pass
    Idaho
    Northern RockiesUSD $79USD $691,650 ft1,023
    Indy
    Free kids ski programme since 1942
    Mount Ashland
    Oregon
    Pacific NorthwestUSD $79USD $691,150 ft240
    Community-owned non-profit — Cascade summit volcano view
    49 Degrees North
    Washington
    Pacific NorthwestUSD $79USD $691,851 ft2,325
    Indy
    Northeast Washington — 300 inches annually, no crowds
    Sasquatch Mountain
    British Columbia
    BC InteriorCAD $79CAD $691,300 ft392
    Cheapest mountain within 2 hours of Vancouver
    Hudson Bay Mountain
    British Columbia
    Northern BCCAD $79CAD $691,750 ft1,700
    Smithers locals' mountain — no lift lines, ever
    Shames Mountain
    British Columbia
    Northern BCCAD $79CAD $691,608 ft304
    Co-operatively owned — 12 m coastal snowfall
    Calabogie Peaks
    Ontario
    OntarioCAD $79CAD $69780 ft134
    Indy
    Ottawa Valley — Ontario's highest vertical
    Sir Sam's
    Ontario
    OntarioCAD $79CAD $69230 ft25
    Haliburton family hill — cheapest Ontario day pass
    Brundage Mountain
    Idaho
    Northern RockiesUSD $89USD $791,921 ft1,920
    Indy
    Indy partner — McCall locals' mountain with serious tree skiing
    Sunlight Mountain
    Colorado
    ColoradoUSD $89USD $792,010 ft730
    Indy
    Glenwood Springs — cheapest mountain near Aspen
    Ski Apache
    New Mexico
    New MexicoUSD $89USD $791,900 ft750
    Southernmost ski resort in USA — owned by Mescalero Apache Nation
    Magic Mountain
    Vermont
    NortheastUSD $99USD $791,500 ft200
    Indy
    Vermont's last true expert-only mountain — open Thu–Sun
    Apex Mountain
    British Columbia
    BC InteriorCAD $89CAD $792,000 ft1,112
    Powder Alliance
    Penticton family resort — night skiing included
    Powder King
    British Columbia
    Northern BCCAD $89CAD $792,100 ft1,500
    Powder Alliance
    12.5 m annual snowfall — Canada's snowiest commercial resort
    Sommet Saint-Sauveur
    Quebec
    QuebecCAD $89CAD $79700 ft145
    Laurentians — Canada's longest night-skiing season (Nov–May)
    Blue Mountain (mid-week)
    Ontario
    OntarioCAD $109CAD $79720 ft365
    Mid-week early-bird — Toronto's largest mountain
    Granite Peak
    Wisconsin
    MidwestUSD $94USD $84700 ft215
    Indy
    Wisconsin's largest mountain — 11 chairs, terrain park
    Whitefish Mountain
    Montana
    Northern RockiesUSD $99USD $892,353 ft3,000
    Cheapest big-mountain in Northern Rockies, 300+ inches snow
    Loveland
    Colorado
    ColoradoUSD $99USD $892,210 ft1,800
    Continental Divide — Vail's cheaper Front-Range alternative
    Monarch Mountain
    Colorado
    ColoradoUSD $99USD $891,170 ft800
    Indy
    100% natural snow — 350 inches annually
    Wolf Creek
    Colorado
    ColoradoUSD $89USD $891,604 ft1,600
    USA's deepest snowpack — 430 inches average
    Cannon Mountain
    New Hampshire
    NortheastUSD $99USD $892,180 ft285
    Indy
    State-owned — White Mountain National Forest classic
    Lutsen Mountains
    Minnesota
    MidwestUSD $99USD $89825 ft1,000
    Indy
    Largest ski area in Midwest — Lake Superior view
    Whitewater
    British Columbia
    BC InteriorCAD $89CAD $892,044 ft4,000
    Powder Alliance
    12 m annual snowfall — Nelson cult mountain
    Mount Washington
    British Columbia
    BC InteriorCAD $99CAD $891,657 ft1,700
    Vancouver Island — record 24 m snow year in 1995–96
    Castle Mountain
    Alberta
    Canadian RockiesCAD $99CAD $892,833 ft3,592
    Indy
    Empty mid-week, 3,500 vertical — Alberta's hidden gem
    Mont-Sainte-Anne
    Quebec
    QuebecCAD $99CAD $892,050 ft450
    Indy
    Largest night-skiing area in Canada
    Stoneham
    Quebec
    QuebecCAD $99CAD $891,380 ft326
    Quebec City family resort — night skiing included
    Mount Bohemia
    Michigan
    MidwestUSD $99USD $99900 ft585
    Indy
    100% ungroomed expert terrain — $115 season pass
    Red Mountain
    British Columbia
    BC InteriorCAD $119CAD $992,919 ft4,200
    Mountain Collective
    Mid-week deal — 4 mountains, no crowds
    Lake Louise (mid-week)
    Alberta
    Canadian RockiesCAD $159CAD $993,250 ft4,200
    Mountain Collective
    Mid-week early-bird from CAD $99 — Banff icon
    Marmot Basin
    Alberta
    Canadian RockiesCAD $119CAD $993,000 ft1,720
    Mountain Collective
    Jasper resort — highest base in Canadian Rockies
    Le Massif
    Quebec
    QuebecCAD $109CAD $992,526 ft406
    St Lawrence River view — highest vertical east of Rockies
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    Frequently Asked Questions

    Both columns are shown. 'Walk-up' is the window rate on a regular weekend; 'Advance' is the seven-day-advance online rate, which is the cheapest most resorts will sell without a multi-pack. Holiday-period and Saturday rates may be higher at some resorts — always check the resort's own pricing page before travelling.

    Both regions have short seasons (90–120 days) and small natural markets, which cap demand. Independent ownership is also key — none of the resorts on this list are owned by Vail Resorts or Alterra Mountain Company, which price aggressively for season-pass conversions. The trade-off is shorter vertical drops (Midwest) and shorter seasons (New Mexico) — but the snow quality and crowd levels are excellent.

    The Indy Pass ($329 for 2 days at each of 130+ resorts) works out to ~$35 per day. For sub-$100 resorts on this list, that's a 50–60% saving versus walk-up. Major savings come at the higher-priced resorts that are still Indy partners (Mount Bohemia, Cannon, Magic Mountain, Granite Peak, Castle Mountain). The pass is most efficient if you'll ski 4+ different Indy partners in a season.

    On day passes, yes — Canada has more sub-$100 (CAD) options at big-mountain resorts than the USA. With the CAD/USD exchange around 0.73, CAD $99 ≈ USD $72, which is below the USA's cheapest big-mountain options. The flip side: Canadian resort food, lodging and equipment rental have climbed sharply since 2022 and now run 10–15% above US equivalents. Best value: stay off-mountain in Nelson, Smithers or Penticton and drive to the hill.