8 affordable ski resorts in the US and Canada

14.10.2024 - 18:58 / thepointsguy.com / Cooper

Skiing has long had a reputation as a sport for the wealthy. Since its introduction to North America in the early 20th century, it's typically been reserved for those who can afford to take time off from work to spend exorbitant amounts of money traveling to far-flung destinations like Colorado, Idaho and New England.

Today, not much has changed except that the cost of skiing has grown exponentially. During the 2022-23 ski season, 47% of skiers had an income of $100,000 or more, according to Snowsports Industries America's annual participation study. Skiers and riders on a tighter budget have to find alternate options from the megaresorts, given they can expect to pay nearly $300 per person, per day at popular destinations like Vail, Colorado; Deer Valley, Utah; and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, even if tickets are purchased online in advance. Factor in lodging, food, travel and gear rentals, and the cost starts to get out of reach.

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Luckily, there are ways to cut down on costs. Most ski resorts are incentivizing skiers to purchase season passes or day tickets in advance by offering discounted pricing. Multimountain passes like the Epic and Ikon passes, which cost $1,025 until Oct. 9 and $1,359, respectively, offer unlimited access to their resorts. But even those offer rates that are cheaper the earlier you buy. The Epic Pass has several options like the Northeast Value Pass, which costs $626 until Oct. 9 and gets skiers unlimited and limited access to select Northeast ski resorts. And then there are passes like the Indy Pass, which offers two days each at over 200 resorts (although it's currently on a waitlist-only purchase option for the 2024-25 ski season), and Mountain Collective, which gets passholders two days at each of its 25 resorts for $659.

But for those unwilling to commit to buying a multiday or multimountain pass, there are plenty of smaller ski and ride areas offering lift tickets that don't require taking out a loan to pay for. And you don't necessarily have to sacrifice snow quality, terrain or a cool vibe to save a few bucks.

Below, we round up a few resorts with the cheapest lift tickets in North America.

Vermont is known to have some of the deepest and most reliable snow on the East Coast. And while Burke's 217 inches of annual snowfall isn't the most in the country — or even the state — it's more than what most New England resorts typically get.

Located in northern Vermont, two hours from Burlington, Vermont, and less than seven from New York City, Burke Mountain offers 53 named trails and glades on 270 acres of terrain and has a vertical drop of over 2,000 feet. Adult lift tickets are just $89 per day on