Ikon Base Pass Access Added to Deer Valley, Utah

At one of North America’s biggest and most luxurious ski resorts, Ikon Base Pass access is getting a little bigger.

This season, both the Ikon Pass and the cheaper Ikon Base Pass will provide access to Deer Valley, Utah, a change from last winter when only the Ikon Pass applied.

For Ikon Base Pass holders, the access is relatively limited, covering three days with blackout dates and lift reservations. Yet, for those curious about all the changes at Deer Valley but may not have visited otherwise, this could be just the ticket.

The changes are enormous, after all. For years, Deer Valley was a large—but not enormous—high-end ski resort known for its manicured groomers and good food all at a premium price. In recent winters, though, it’s gone from large to really, really big as a new initiative called “Expanded Excellence” unfolds. 

Since December 2024, 11 brand-new lifts have come online at Deer Valley, effectively amounting to an entire new ski resort (the expansion was, at first, a separate ski area called Mayflower). The slopes now span 4,500 skiable acres, making Deer Valley among the biggest ski resorts on the continent. It’s certainly worth seeing.

Plus, there’s a small addition joining the renewed lift fleet this winter in the form of the Hail Peak Express, a high-speed quad that adds 200 more acres of terrain above Deer Valley’s new East Village. 

For full Ikon Pass holders, Deer Valley access remains capped at seven days with reservations but no blackout dates. 

The expanded Deer Valley access joins a few more tweaks to the Ikon program for the 2026-27 season.

In Ischgl, Austria, Galtür and Kappl & See have joined the Ikon Pass, making for seven combined days (or five if you have a Base) across the region’s five ski areas. And three Midwest mountains—Crystal Ridge, Nordic Mountain and Little Switzerland—have joined the Ikon Pass’ two-day “Bonus Mountain” lineup. 

An adult Ikon Pass costs $1,529 while an Ikon Base Pass costs $1,099. The Epic Pass, Ikon’s main competitor, costs $1,169 (full) and $869 (Local) for adults and covers a different group of resorts like Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, and Kirkwood, California. 

The 2026/27 print issue of POWDER Magazine is here. Click here to have a copy shipped to your front door. Copies can also be found on newsstands at major retailers like Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, and more.

Related: In This New Ski Resort Game, You Don’t Just Build Resorts. You Ski Them.