The Definitive Guide to Ski Resort Reservations
- Sam Handy
- Jan 31, 2021
- 12 min read
Updated: Feb 13, 2021
The Avant Ski Team has been racking up ski days across the country and we've updated our guide with our findings. We've witnessed covid operating procedures enabling us to safely enjoy time outside this winter. The nuances of advanced reservations, state and local travel regulations and differing season pass restrictions remain hard to navigate. Good news, we have all of the latest in one place.
**Don’t delay! As of early-February, many weekends have been fully booked at resorts across the country. If you're planning a trip this winter, we recommend checking the reservation status of the resort you plan to visit before making any plans.
No matter where you are going, check the resort's operating policy directly (they're always changing) and try to book as far in advance as possible (at least a week). Remember, most reservations are cancelable or refundable should your personal or the resorts' circumstances change. While things have for the most part run smoothly, there have been a few temporary covid-related shut downs (e.g., Hunter Mountain) and some resorts have had to close briefly for weather related reasons.
Overall, we've found that our predictions from The Latest on Winter 2020 have held true. Resorts are operating at reduced capacity, reservations are often required, face coverings are required, indoor operations are closed or operating at reduced capacity and lessons are available but limited. Covid responses vary from state to state, but we are encouraged to see reservation systems running smoothly and resorts operating with stricter measures in place, even in states that have been hesitant to take restrictive actions.
Overview of Multi-Resort Season Pass Reservation Policies
Epic Pass: All Destinations Will Require Advanced Reservations
All Vail-owned Epic Pass destinations will require advanced reservations to ski this season. Passholders can reserve up to 7 priority day passes (this number may vary based on type of pass) for any time during the season. Additionally, passholders can reserve up to 7 days for any given week at the start of that week. Week-of reservations are released daily at midnight for the following seven days. The system is rolling so that once a passholder uses a day (priority or weekly), the passholder can reserve another day. Epic Passholders can sign in and make reservations here. Note, partner resorts, including Telluride, Sun Valley and Snowbasin, operate independently and have separate policies.
For example, if you are planning to go to Vail over President's weekend and want to have some flexibility to go to Okemo in early January, you can book up to 7 days at Vail immediately and then book week of week for your days at Okemo. Once your Vail week arrives, you can book days there that week (assuming they are available) and free up your priority days to reserve your choice destination for spring skiing.
Pro tips: If planning a visit during peak ski weekends or holidays, use your priority days to make your reservations ASAP. Week-of reservations are released daily at midnight. Reservations are fluid, check Epic's site regularly to see if a spot opens on your desired day. New reservations open up as people cancel or mountains open new terrain.
Ikon Pass: Reservations Policies Vary Amongst Resorts but System is Easy to Use
Ikon does not have a universal policy. This is not surprising given that Alterra (parent company of Ikon) does not own all of the resorts on the pass. Policies vary amongst resorts from full reservations, to parking reservations as a gating factor, to no reservations at all. Fortunately, Ikon does have an easy-to-use central reservation system, which you can access here.
Mountain Collective: Resort Reservations are Not Generally Required
The Mountain Collective offers 2 or 3 days at 22 resorts and does not have a standard reservation policy. This is not surprising as each resort operates independently. Mountain Collective aggregated the links to the covid-operating procedures for each destination here. While most resorts do not require a reservation for Mountain Collective passholders, some encourage fulfilling days in advance to avoid the need to visit ticket windows.
What This Means for the Resort You Want to Visit
Below is a list of travel restrictions by state as well resort specific policies on reservations, day-tickets and parking reservations. When looking to visit another state, pay close attention to the state regulations of that state. (Click the region to jump to that section). Resorts in blue link to our resort guides. Be sure to check them out before you plan your trip!
California – Colorado – Maine – Montana – New Hampshire – New Mexico – New York – Utah – Vermont – Wyoming/Tetons – British Columbia
California
State Regulations: California is requiring all out-of-state visitors to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. California introduced a regional 'stay home' order on December 7 that has severely restricted travel between certain regions whose ICU bed capacity drops below 15%.
As of January 13th, the stay home order for the Greater Sacramento Region (Tahoe-area resorts) has been lifted. However, the order for the Southern California Region (Mammoth Mountain) is still in effect.
Ski resorts have been allowed to remain open, however, hotels and other lodging options have been closed. Regardless of the status of a region's stay at home order, residents have been encouraged not to travel between regions. It is extremely difficult for non-residents to visit a California ski resort. For more details on California's 'stay home' order, click here.
Heavenly, CA – Epic Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes (make a reservation here)
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Kirkwood, CA – Epic Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes (make a reservation here)
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Mammoth Mountain, CA – Ikon Pass & Mountain Collective
Reservations Required for Passholders: No
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Northstar, CA – Epic Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes (make a reservation here)
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows, CA – Ikon Pass & Mountain Collective
Reservations Required for Passholders: No
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None. However, The Truckee-based Park & Ride transportation program will not be offered this season.
Colorado Rockies
State Regulations: Colorado does not currently have any interstate travel restrictions. Out-of-state visitors are not required to quarantine upon entering the state. Visitors are asked to respect social distancing guidelines, and are required to wear masks in all indoor public spaces. All Colorado ski resorts require masks at all times unless actively skiing or eating. Check Colorado's Covid Guidelines here.
Arapahoe Basin, CO – Ikon Pass & Mountain Collective
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes, but only for Ikon Pass (make a reservation here)
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: No
Aspen/Snowmass, CO – Ikon Pass & Mountain Collective
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes, but only for Ikon Pass (make a reservation here) Mountain Collective are not required to make a reservation, but are encouraged to pre-fulfill their passes for tickets in advance
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Copper Mountain, CO – Ikon Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: No. However, capacity will be managed through parking availability
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Not required, but recommended (buy tickets here). Make sure you book a parking space before purchasing tickets!
Parking Restrictions: Parking reservations are required (reserve parking here)
Crested Butte, CO – Epic Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes (make a reservation here)
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Eldora Mountain Resort, CO – Ikon Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: No. However, capacity will be managed through parking availability.
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Not required, but recommended (buy tickets here). Make sure you book a parking space before purchasing tickets!
Parking Restrictions: Parking reservations are required (reserve parking here)
Keystone, CO – Epic Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes (make a reservation here)
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Steamboat, CO – Ikon Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: Not at this time
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Telluride, CO – Epic Pass (Partner for Full Pass Only)
Reservations Required for Passholders: No
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Vail, CO – Epic Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes (make a reservation here)
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Winter Park, CO – Ikon Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: Not at this time
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Maine
State Regulations: Maine does not currently have any travel restrictions for residents of New Hampshire or Vermont. Travelers from other states are required to either complete a 10-day quarantine or receive a negative test within 72 hours prior to their arrival in Maine (the test can be completed in Maine, but visitors must quarantine while waiting for results). For Maine's latest Covid Guidelines, click here.
Sugarloaf, ME – Ikon Pass & Mountain Collective
Reservations Required for Passholders: No
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Not required; recommended (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: No
Sunday River, ME – Ikon Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: No
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Not required, recommended (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: No
Montana
State Regulations: Montana is currently not requiring out-of-state visitors to quarantine upon arrival to the state. Visitors are asked to adhere to social distancing and sanitation standards, and masks are required in any county with more than 4 active cases. Ski resorts have implemented their own mask mandates that require masks to be worn at all times unless actively skiing or eating.
Big Sky Resort, MT – Ikon Pass & Mountain Collective
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes, but only for Ikon Pass (make a reservation here)
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Not required; recommended (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: No
New Hampshire
State Regulations: New Hampshire is currently not restricting interstate travel by residents from the states of Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Residents of all other states and those that have recently traveled outside of New England are required to quarantine for 10 days when visiting New Hampshire. Those in quarantine have the option to end quarantine after 7 days with a negative PCR test.
Loon Mountain, NH – Ikon Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes, but only for Ikon Pass (make reservations here)
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: No
New Mexico
State Regulations: As of February 10, New Mexico is no longer requiring visitors to quarantine upon arrival. At this time, Taos Ski Valley is operating at 25% capacity.
Taos Ski Valley, NM – Ikon Pass & Mountain Collective
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes, but only for Ikon Pass (make reservation here); Mountain Collective passholders must fulfill tickets ahead of time using online pre-fulfillment or calling Taos at (575) 776-2291 ext. 2260
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here). Make sure to purchase tickets as far in advance as possible. Taos is operating at 25% capacity and tickets will be limited
Parking Restrictions: None.
New York
State Regulations: Travelers to New York from Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont are exempt from quarantine requirements when visiting, but must fill out a Traveler Health Form. Visitors from outside these states are required to complete a 14-day quarantine upon arrival in New York. Guidelines for travelers to “test out” of quarantine are as follows:
Travelers must obtain a test within three days of departure, prior to arrival in New York.
The traveler must, upon arrival in New York, quarantine for three days.
On day 4 of their quarantine, the traveler must obtain another COVID test. If both tests come back negative, the traveler may exit quarantine early upon receipt of the second negative diagnostic test.
Belleayre, NY – Independent
Reservations Required for Passholders: No
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Hunter Mountain, NY – Epic Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes (make a reservation here)
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Windham Mountain, NY – Ikon Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes, but only for Ikon Pass (make reservations here)
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: No
Utah Wasatch
State Regulations: Utah does not currently have any Covid-related travel restrictions. Though out-of-state visitors are not required to quarantine upon entering the state, as of mid-December, Utah has a "very high" rate of Covid infections (well over 200 cases per 100,000 residents and an ICU utilization rate of more than 72%). We recommend exercising caution when traveling to and within the state. See Utah’s latest guidelines here and Summit County's guidelines here.
Alta Ski Area – Ikon Pass & Mountain Collective
Reservations Required for Passholders: No. However, capacity will be managed through parking availability.
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Not Required
Parking Restrictions: Parking is limited (first come, first served). We *highly* recommended checking the status of the notorious Highway 210 and the parking lot here.
Brighton – Ikon Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes, but only for Ikon Pass (make reservation here)
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: Parking is Limited (first come, first served). For the latest, Check their Twitter account @BrightonResort or visit their live parking lot webcam
Deer Valley Resort – Ikon Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: No
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Park City Mountain Resort – Epic Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes (make reservation here)
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None. Note that Park City Base Parking fills up quickly. More parking is available in Canyons Village. Closer Preferred parking is available near the Sundial base at the Canyons for $15/day (peak) and $12/day (off-peak).
Snowbasin – Epic Pass (Partner)
Reservations Required for Passholders: No
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Recommended (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Snowbird, UT – Ikon Pass & Mountain Collective
Reservations Required for Passholders: No. However, capacity will be managed through parking availability.
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: Parking Reservations Required. Parking reservations must be made in advance and parking capacity has been capped. Snowbird is allowing parking reservations for up to 14 days at a time with more spaces to be released for the week starting Monday at 12pm. (reserve parking here). Snowbird also has limited valet parking available, first come, first serve for $30/day.
Solitude Mountain Resort – Ikon Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: No
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: Paid Parking Only
Vermont
State Regulations: As part of it’s COVID-19 response plan, Vermont is requiring Non-Vermont residents traveling, and Vermont residents returning, to adhere to the quarantine guidelines. Travelers arriving to Vermont must complete either a 14-day quarantine or a 7-day quarantine followed by a negative test in their home state and enter Vermont without further quarantine restrictions. Those who have not completed a pre-arrival quarantine must complete either a 14-day quarantine or a 7-day quarantine followed by a negative test in Vermont. Vermont has also banned social gatherings between individuals from different households (i.e. renting a house with friends). Note they have not gone so far as to ban out-of-state visitors from skiing, instead requiring that anyone visiting a VT ski resort to fill out an attestation form stating they have followed all VT travel restrictions. View Vermont’s guidelines here.
Killington – Ikon Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: No. However, capacity will be managed through parking availability.
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: Parking reservations are required (reserve parking here)
Okemo – Epic Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes (make a reservation here)
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Smugglers’ Notch – Independent
Reservations Required for Passholders: No
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
*Smugglers Notch is still working out specifically how they're going to manage capacity as the season moves along without requiring reservations, for the latest, click here.
Stowe – Epic Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes (make a reservation here)
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Stratton – Ikon Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: No, but passholders visiting for the first time must sign an attestation stating they have followed VT travel guidelines.
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Sugarbush – Ikon Pass & Mountain Collective
Reservations Required for Passholders: No, but passholders visiting for the first time must sign an attestation stating they have followed VT travel guidelines.
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Wyoming / Tetons
State Regulations: Wyoming and Idaho do not currently have any Covid-related travel restrictions. Jackson Hole is offering free COVID testing (Vault) to visitors who have a hotel or lift ticket (or both) reservation in Jackson Hole until Dec 31. The goal is to reduce any stress around testing requirements required by some states when guests return from travel and to relieve any anxiety a guest may have about travel.
Grand Targhee, WY – Mountain Collective
Reservations Required for Passholders: No
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Highly recommended (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, WY – Ikon Pass & Mountain Collective
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes, but only for Ikon Pass (make reservation here)
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Highly recommended (buy tickets here) *Note Jackson Hole day tickets are already sold out through January 4.
Parking Restrictions: None
British Columbia
Provincial Regulations: As of December 15, non-essential travel at the Canada-U.S. border remains restricted. Further, the Provincial Government is advising residents of British Columbia and those further afield not to travel for non-essential purposes. People traveling to B.C. from another province or territory within Canada should only come for essential reasons. Guests must also follow British Columbia’s response to Covid-19 which currently requires those arriving from other provinces to self-isolate for 14 days upon entry into BC.
Revelstoke, BC – Ikon Pass & Mountain Collective
Reservations Required for Passholders: No.
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required
Parking Restrictions: None
Whistler/Blackcomb, BC – Epic Pass
Reservations Required for Passholders: Yes (make reservation here)
Advanced Lift Ticket Purchase (non-passholder): Required (buy tickets here)
Parking Restrictions: None
Advanced planning will be essential to ski this season. *Policies are constantly changing. While we have compiled the latest information and will continue to monitor for changes, please make sure to check directly with your intended destination for travel restrictions and specific Covid-related policies.*
Be diligent about planning your trip and always be vigilant, and you should be able to seamlessly enjoy skiing and riding all season long. For more on what to expect at resorts this season, don't miss our Winter Preview.
We hope to see you on the slopes!
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