If you have a 5th or 6th grader who loves to ski or snowboard or one who’d like to learn, you’ll want to take advantage of the free skiing program offered by the Idaho Ski Areas Association, a.k.a. Ski Idaho.
Ski Idaho’s 5th and 6th Grade Ski-Free Passport Program allows 5th graders to ski three days for free or at steep discounts at all 18 Gem State ski resorts and lets 6th graders ski two days free or at steep discounts at 16 mountains. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this season, the program is open to any child from any state or country — not just Idaho kids. Ski Idaho launched its passport program in the northern part of the state in 1998, and the organization expanded the offering in 2005 to include mountains in southern and eastern Idaho.
Complete the application available at skiidaho.us/programs/passport and pay a $15 processing fee to order a passport for your child. Ski Idaho will email you a passport you can print out prior to hitting the slopes or pull up on your smartphone when you walk up to the ticket window. Your child must have a parent or guardian present to use the passport, and it must be shown at the resort in order to receive the lift ticket.
Participating resorts include:
Bald Mountain — skibaldmountain.com
Bogus Basin* — bogusbasin.org
Brundage — brundage.com
Cottonwood Butte — cottonwoodbutte.org
Grand Targhee — grandtarghee.com
Kelly Canyon — skikelly.com
Little Ski Hill — payettelakesskiclub.org/little-ski-hill
Lookout Pass — skilookout.com
Lost Trail — losttrail.com
Magic Mountain — magicmountainresort.com
Pebble Creek — pebblecreekskiarea.com
Pomerelle* — pomerelle.com
Schweitzer — schweitzer.com
Silver Mountain — silvermt.com
Snowhaven — grangeville.us/snowhaven-ski-and-tubing-hill
Soldier Mountain — soldiermountain.com
Sun Valley** — sunvalley.com
Tamarack — tamarackidaho.com
*5th grade only
**An additional $20 fee is required with a passport at Sun Valley’s Bald Mountain; however, there is no extra fee at Dollar Mountain.
“The family friendly reputation of Idaho ski resorts is well deserved,” Ski Idaho board chair and Brundage Mountain Resort president and managing director Bob Looper says. “Our incredible, uncrowded terrain offers some of the most spectacular skiing and snowboarding on the planet regardless of your age and ability, and our passport program makes it a lot easier for families to take advantage
of our good wintertime fortune.”
Participating ski hills reserve the right to limit passport use for ski racers, on race days, and on any scheduled blackout dates that may apply. Visit skiidaho.us/blackout-dates for a list of scheduled blackout dates, and check with your ski hill for full details.
Founded in 1982, the Idaho Ski Areas Association, a.k.a. Ski Idaho, is a nonprofit association funded by the Idaho Travel Council via the state’s 2 percent lodging tax paid by travelers and collected by hotel, motel, and private campground owners. Boasting 28,000 vertical feet of terrain spanning more than 20,000 acres, Idaho is the birthplace of lift-assisted skiing, home to America’s first destination ski resort, and often considered the soul of skiing. Its 18 family friendly Alpine ski resorts offer trails and backcountry for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and skill levels, breathtaking views, hundreds of inches of fresh powder, and short lift lines. Visit skiidaho.us for more details.