96 Days of Skiing for $82
Colorado's Kids Ski Passport Programs

Everything below comes from the programs' own pages — epicpass.com and coloradoski.com — no third-party lists, because the details that matter here are exactly the ones aggregators get wrong. Two programs, zero resort overlap, and one of them can't be registered the way you'd expect.

What it is: four days of skiing and riding at each of five resorts, for kids in kindergarten through 5th grade during the 2026/27 season — twenty days, free. Epic states plainly that no purchase is necessary and no adult pass is required. Registration for 2026/27 is open now.

Participating stores: Aurora (2650 S Havana St), Boulder (2525 Arapahoe Ave), Colorado Springs (2454 Montebello Square Dr), Littleton (8100 W Crestline Ave), Park Meadows (8691 Park Meadows Center Dr, Lone Tree), and Westminster (9170 Wadsworth Pkwy). Enrollment is not available at the Frisco location — Epic says this three times on their own page, which tells you how often people try. Your child's pass is printed at the store you visit.

Renewing is different. If your child had a pack last season, email epicschoolkids@vailresorts.com with the parent and child details, wait for the confirmation email, then still book an in-person grade-verification appointment. Renewals reload the prior season's card rather than printing a new one.

Any participating child who has never skied or snowboarded gets one free first-timer lesson and rental package. Three things to know: it's one per child total, not one per resort; it must be booked at least two weeks in advance by calling the resort directly; and it's only available in three windows — Dec 7–19, 2026, Jan 5–15, 2027, and Jan 19–30, 2027. Booking numbers: Keystone (970) 496-4170, Vail (970) 754-4300, Beaver Creek (970) 754-5300, Breckenridge (970) 496-3272, Crested Butte (970) 251-7023. Note a Child 4-and-Under Epic Pass is not an Epic SchoolKids pack and doesn't include this benefit.

Epic SchoolKids restricted dates: Nov 27–28, 2026; Dec 26–31, 2026; Jan 16, 2027; and Feb 13–14, 2027.

What it is: four days at each of 19 Colorado Ski Country USA member resorts — 76 days. Cost: $77 for grades K–2, $82 for grades 3–6, including two free junior daily rentals from Christy Sports. You don't have to live in Colorado. Sales open in August and close January 31 (or when sold out); as of this writing the page reads "coming soon." Allow three to five business days for activation during the season.

The 19 resorts: Arapahoe Basin, Aspen Highlands, Aspen Mountain, Buttermilk, Cooper, Copper Mountain, Echo Mountain, Eldora, Granby Ranch, Howelsen Hill, Loveland, Monarch Mountain, Powderhorn, Purgatory, Snowmass, Steamboat, Sunlight, Telluride, and Winter Park.

Blackout dates: Dec 25, 2026–Jan 1, 2027; Jan 16–17, 2027; Feb 13–14, 2027. How you use it: validate each planned visit in the Pass Portal, up to seven days ahead or same day, for a Visit Validation code — but once confirmed a validation cannot be canceled, so don't validate speculatively. Screenshot your codes before you leave, since many resorts have only variable broadband near the base.

Compare the two resort lists. Epic SchoolKids covers Keystone, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, and Crested Butte. The CSCUSA Passport covers nineteen resorts, and not one of them is on that list — Vail Resorts properties aren't Colorado Ski Country members. There's zero overlap, so a kid in K through 5 is eligible for both:

Ninety-six days at twenty-four resorts, for less than most single-day adult lift tickets in the state. Two notes on stacking: sixth graders age out of Epic SchoolKids but still qualify for the Ski Passport — and once they age out of that, the section below is the only Colorado deal on this page that still covers them. Second, and genuinely useful: the blackout dates don't match. Epic blacks out Thanksgiving weekend (Nov 27–28) while the Passport doesn't; the Passport blacks out Dec 25 and Jan 1 while Epic's window runs Dec 26–31; on Jan 17, Epic works and the Passport doesn't. Check both calendars before you pick a day.

Both passport programs stop at sixth grade, which leaves anyone with a seventh-grader and up paying full freight. The one Colorado deal that closes that gap isn't a passport at all — it's a season pass promotion. Copper Mountain's own page puts it in a sentence: "Get a free Kid's Season Pass (ages 17 or under) for each adult pass purchased." The adult Copper Season Pass is listed at $799 for unlimited, unrestricted access.

On that $799: it's what Copper lists today, not a fixed season price. Copper prices its passes in tiers that step up as the season gets closer, and the spring early-bird window has already closed for 2026/27. Treat the number here as a checkpoint, not a quote, and confirm the live price at checkout before you commit. The free child pass is attached to the adult purchase, so buy them together rather than expecting to add the kid later.

• Right now: book an Epic Mountain Gear appointment — registration is open, it's free, and it needs a physical trip with your kid.
• August: watch for CSCUSA Ski Passport sales to open.
• Sooner rather than later: if you're going the Copper route, its pass price steps up as the season nears — the free child pass doesn't change, but what you pay for the adult pass does.
• Before Dec 7: if your child has never skied, call to book the free first-timer lesson (two-week minimum lead, only three windows all season).
• By Jan 31: last call on Ski Passport sales, earlier if they sell out.

Is Epic SchoolKids Colorado really free?

Yes — 20 free days (four at each of five Vail resorts) for K–5, no adult pass required. The catch is you must register in person at a Front Range Epic Mountain Gear store with proof of grade; you can't do it online or at the resort.

How much is the CSCUSA Ski Passport?

$77 for K–2, $82 for grades 3–6 — four days at each of 19 resorts (76 days), plus two free Christy Sports junior rentals. Sales open in August, close Jan 31 or when sold out. No residency requirement.

Can my kid use both programs?

Yes, in grades K–5. The two resort lists don't overlap, so both together is 96 days at 24 resorts for $77–$82. Sixth graders age out of Epic SchoolKids but keep the Ski Passport.

My kid is past sixth grade — is there anything left?

Not a passport, but Copper Mountain gives one free kid's season pass (ages 17 or under) for each adult season pass purchased, with the adult pass listed at $799. It's the only option here that covers teens, and it's a full season rather than four days — but the adult pass is a real $799, and Copper is already a Ski Passport resort for younger kids.

What proof do I need to upload?

Epic wants in-person visual proof of grade; CSCUSA wants a photo plus proof of age — and rejects any document that shows grade but not date of birth. Fail to upload eligible proof and the passport isn't activated, with no refund.

Colorado isn't unique, but the terms aren't the same anywhere else. We verified four other states at the source: Utah (grades 4–6, three days at each of 15 resorts, price rises Dec 1), Idaho (cheapest at a $29 fee, opens October), Vermont (90+ days for $35, but an adult must hold a ticket), and New Hampshire ($59 for 30+ mountains at one day each, and it sells out). Or see the full side-by-side comparison.