Ski Idaho introduces tiered pricing for Idaho Peak Season Passport

KELLOGG — This winter, Ski Idaho is introducing tiered seasonal pricing for the Idaho Peak Season Passport, its popular youth-access initiative for fifth- and sixth-grade students. 

Under a decision made by the Idaho Ski Areas Association board of directors at its annual meeting June 2 at Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg, Ski Idaho passports will remain at their current price of $29 when registration opens in October. After Dec. 20, the price will increase to $49. 

The Idaho Peak Season Passport allows fifth-grade students to ski or snowboard three days for free at 18 Gem State ski areas and gives sixth-grade students two free days at each participating area. The only Ski Idaho member that does not participate is Rotarun in Hailey. The nonprofit ski area offers many no-cost and low-cost opportunities to ski and ride throughout the winter, including $10 lift tickets for children and a free Community Ski Night every Wednesday. 

The Idaho Ski Areas Association launched the youth-access initiative in northern Idaho in 1998 and expanded the program in 2005 to include mountains in southern and eastern Idaho. The program is open to any fifth- or sixth-grade student from any state, not just Idaho, as well as children ages 10-12 from any country. 

Silver Mountain Resort General Manager and Idaho Ski Areas Association board President Jeff Colburn said the Idaho Peak Season Passport offers families a tremendous value, even when the price increases to $49 on Dec. 20. For fifth graders, the overall value exceeds $2,600, while the value for sixth graders is about $1,800. 

"Idaho offers some of the most incredible skiing and snowboarding on Earth, and Ski Idaho's Idaho Peak Season Passport makes it far easier for families to take advantage of our wonderful wintertime bounty," Colburn said. "You'd be hard pressed to find a more family friendly destination or a better value in North American skiing and snowboarding." 

For more information about the Idaho Peak Season Passport, visit skiidaho.us/passports. 

Also at the June 2 annual meeting, Idaho Department of Commerce Tourism and Marketing Administrator Jeremy Chase, who oversees the Visit Idaho program and the state's broader economic and travel marketing efforts, highlighted continued growth in Idaho's tourism economy. He reported that statewide hotel tax collections increased 15.95% in February and 10.18% in March compared with February and March 2025, respectively. 

"This positive trend underscores the value of Idaho's outdoor recreation industry, including the state's ski areas, which generate more than $1 billion in annual economic activity and support more than 7,600 jobs across Idaho communities," Chase said. 

Founded in 1982, the Idaho Ski Areas Association, also known as Ski Idaho, is a nonprofit association funded in part by the Idaho Travel Council through the state's 2% lodging tax, which is paid by travelers and collected by owners of hotels, motels, private campgrounds and vacation rentals. 

With nearly 29,000 vertical feet across more than 22,000 acres, Idaho is home to America's first destination ski resort, the birthplace of the chairlift and what many consider the soul of skiing™. Its 19 family-friendly alpine ski areas offer groomed trails and backcountry terrain for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and skill levels, along with scenic views, hundreds of inches of annual snowfall, affordable passes and short lift lines. 

Many Ski Idaho destinations also operate during the summer, offering lift-served mountain biking, scenic chairlift rides, hiking, trail running, disc golf, horseback riding and other recreational opportunities. 

For more information, visit skiidaho.us.