What Is the Indy Pass?

What Regions Are Best for Indy Pass Skiers?

When selecting a multi-pass, it’s best to think about your local region first. We all love to go on ski vacations, but having the option to make numerous quick day or weekend trips bolsters the value of whichever option you ultimately settle on. These are some clusters of Indy Pass ski areas.

The Northeast: There are an enormous number of Indy Pass ski areas in the Northeast. New Hampshire and Vermont are the heart of this cluster, where popular spots like Magic Mountain, Jay Peak, and Cannon Mountain are all accessible with the Indy Pass.

The Northwest: Washington and British Columbia feature several Indy Pass destinations, including Loup Loup, Hurricane Ridge, and Mt. Washington.

The Midwest: The Midwest—Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota, in particular—is another Indy Pass stronghold.

Japan: There are over 20 Indy Pass destinations in Japan. You’d need to string together a pretty impressive trip to hit all—or even half—of them in one trip. But on Hokkaido alone, there are five ski areas with Indy Pass access, so you could easily score ten days of skiing without venturing any further south.

As with any multi-pass, these are a few places to start, but they aren’t the end all be all. You could go ski Austria with the Indy Pass—or cruise around Colorado’s independent ski areas. Check out the Indy Pass map and get creative—opportunities to construct epic road trips abound.

Should I Buy an Indy Pass?

Selecting a multi-pass is all about thinking ahead. What do you want out of your ski season? What kind of skiing are you looking to do? How far are you willing to drive? Start with those questions before spending any cash.

In the case of the Indy Pass, it has lesser daily access than the Ikon Pass and Epic Pass, which both have unlimited ski days at many resorts as opposed to the Indy Pass’ two days of access per resort. However, the Indy Pass has a few strong points that appeal to a particular type of skier.
 
As the Indy Pass’ name implies, it’s focused on smaller, lesser-known ski areas. In many cases, this translates to fewer crowds and a more laid-back experience. If you’ve grown tired of the destination resort routine—or are itching to explore off the beaten path—the Indy Pass is a great choice. There are established ski resorts on the Indy Pass—think Big White or Jay Peak—but a significant portion of its portfolio are more humble mom n’ pop offerings.
 
The Indy Pass is also more suitable for those who aren’t trying to rack up as many days as possible with a single pass. To hit 30 days in a season on the Indy Pass, for instance, you’d need to visit 15 different ski areas. For frequent skiers that already have a local mountain they plan to frequent during the winter, the Indy Pass is better as an add-on—which is available for unrestricted standard passholders at Indy Pass ski areas—rather than being your only ski pass.

Ultimately, we like to think about it this way. The Indy Pass is all about exploration and finding yourself at a little ski area you may otherwise not visit. The other multi-passes hew more towards high-speed chairlifts and famous, popular destination resorts like Palisades Tahoe or Snowbird. You just need to decide what atmosphere you prefer.

How Much Does the Indy Pass Cost?

The Indy Pass isn't currently on sale. To reduce overcrowding at its partnering ski areas, the Indy Pass limits sales each season. It will go on sale again if more resort capacity is added ahead of the 25/26 winter. You can join the waitlist to buy an Indy Pass here.

Does the Indy Pass Require Reservations or Have Blackout Dates?

Yes, and yes, depending on the type of Indy Pass you’re talking about.

The Indy Base Pass has blackouts at several ski areas. You can view the full list of ski areas with blackout dates here. The Indy+ Pass does not have blackout dates.

Both the Indy Base Pass and the Indy+ Pass require reservations at a small handful of participating ski areas. Most don’t require reservations.

What Are Blackout Dates?

Blackout dates are dates when you can’t use your Indy Pass. They typically fall during busy days and periods. The window between December 21 and January 1 is a common period of time when ski areas implement blackout dates to prevent their slopes from becoming overcrowded.