Here Are 5 Ways (You Might Be Able) To Ski for Free

Let’s face it—skiing has gotten absurdly expensive. Between daily lift tickets that cost $250+, season passes that are more than a car, the increasing cost of gear, especially with recent tariffs, and so on, pretty much anyone other than the elite and wealthy is looking to save a buck on skiing wherever they can. 

While it’s unlikely you could ski completely for free (unless doing some girl math about last season’s gear purchases, getting your friend to drive while not pitching for gas, and going backcountry skiing counts), odds are high you’ll be paying at least some for some part of skiing. 

However, there are a couple of special places that offer free lift tickets and more that offer them for folks of a certain age group. Here are a few of the ways we found to save a couple of dollars on lift tickets, but if you think of any others, let us know!

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1. Be a Senior Citizen

If you’re still skiing by the time you’re 70, 75, or 80, there are a few resorts out there that have no interest in dipping into your retirement fund. If you’re over the age of 65, you can ski for free at Cannon Mountain (NH) on weekdays. If you’re over the age of 70, Shawnee Mountain (PA) will let you ski for free any day of the week.

Those who are still skiing at 75 and over can ski for free at Swain Mountain (NY) and Mt. Hood Meadows (OR). Octogenarians and older ski for free at Killington (VT), Waterville Valley (NH), Smuggler’s Notch (VT), Mammoth Mountain (CA), and Taos (NM), and if you’ve made it to 90 years old and are still skiing, Sugarbush (VT) will let you ski for free. Double-check the resort’s website before you go, just in case their policies have changed or have any contingencies.

2. Be a Child

In the inverse of free senior citizen lift tickets, many resorts have free lift ticket programs for kids under a certain age. For example, at Jackson Hole (WY) and Mammoth Mountain (CA), kids aged four and under ski for free, and at Swain (NY) and Taos (NM), kids age six and under ski for free. Some of these specials are contingent on whether their parents have also purchased lift tickets or season passes or are part of a lodging deal.

At Mt. Bachelor, adult season passes have the option to add on one kid’s ski free pass for kids aged 12 and under. Keystone Resort (CO) offers free skiing for kids aged 12 and under with two nights of lodging booked. For one of the better kid-friendly deals on the market, check out the Power Pass. It nets unlimited access to several ski areas throughout the U.S. and Chile.

As always, check the relevant website to see if they have a free lift ticket promotion for kids and if your kiddo qualifies.

Related: Want to Take the Family Skiing? Try One of These 6 Affordable (or Free!) Ski Passes for Kids

3. Visit a Ski Area With Free Lift Tickets

Free lift tickets??!?! For everyone?! It’s true, it actually exists in 2025. Storrs Hill ski area in Lebanon, NH, is offering free lift tickets for the second year in a row to everyone, regardless of age. Storrs Hill is open for skiing Fridays from 5 pm to 9 pm, Saturdays from 11 am to 9 pm, and Sundays from 11 am to 4 pm. Guests still need to stop by the ticket booth to get a lift ticket.

Steamboat Springs’ legendary ski jumping spot and ski area, Howelsen Hill, also offers free skiing to the public on Sundays. Every Sunday through the winter season, guests of all ages can ski for free in honor of Steamboat’s historic ski area and its Olympian spirit. Howelsen Hill also partnered with local brewery, Mountain Tap Brewing, to keep the Ski-free Sunday momentum going. You can bring your lift ticket down the road to Mountain Tap’s tap room on Yampa St. and get a free beer from 2 pm to 5 pm on Sunday afternoons.

Related: 12 Tips for Planning the Perfect Ski Trip

4. Buy a Piece of Helly Hansen Outerwear

This might not technically qualify as “free,” as it involves purchasing a $200+ ski jacket or pants, but it’ll at least save you some money! If you purchase a ski jacket or pants from Helly Hansen’s latest collection, you can also redeem the purchase for a free lift ticket from a participating resort. They have more than 40 participating resorts, including Alyeska (AK), Fernie Alpine Resort (BC), Mammoth Mountain (CA), Lake Louise (AB), Okemo (VT), Arosa-Lenzerheide (CHE), Mont-Blanc (FRA), Verbier (CHE), and more.

Depending on the resort, your ticket might only be redeemable the same day you purchase the jacket/pants, and others might be a 2-for-1 lift ticket deal, so double-check the resort’s policy through the Helly Hansen website.

5. Get a Job at a Ski Resort

We hate to say it, but one of the best ways to ski for free is to get a job at a ski area. Most (if not all!) jobs at ski areas, including lift operating, lift maintenance, ski patrol, and ski instructing, come with a free ski pass. Additionally, lots of ski resort jobs that don’t take place on snow, like working rentals, repair, or retail in a shop owned by the ski area, and even some restaurant jobs at resort-owned spots, also come with a ski pass.

Sometimes, one to two days a week is enough to get a pass or even a partial pass if you have another job already. Lots of these jobs also come with good discounts on ski gear, so unlike some of these other methods, you’re not paying top dollar for your equipment and only saving money on the lift ticket.

Related: Dreaming of a Winter Job in the Mountains? Ski Resorts Are Now Hiring