This season, we set out to create the first ever index of family ski resort prices. We wanted to compare the costs of going to various Rockey Mountain region ski resorts with a family of four.
We had to make some assumptions in order to get close to an apples-to-apples comparison. We assumed a family a four, with two kids aged 10 and 8. We assumed four days of skiing, including two days of ski school for the kids. We assumed mid-tier equipment rental at the resort. The dates used when searching for this trip were Feb 5-8, which is just prior to peak for many resorts, or in peak time for resorts with more simple schedules.
Lodging is a wild card -- we had to do a search of various lodging options and use our judgment to determine the best value. To keep things somewhat consistent, we tried to choose mid-tier lodging in a two bedroom condo near the resort. We didn't choose the nicest option on the list, nor did we choose the least expensive one.
Since the cost of transit is such a variable depending on where you are travelling from, we left flight or driving costs off of our analysis. It would be impossible to find an "average" flight cost since airfares change daily based upon the market.
The most expensive resort and the least expensive resort were not surprises. But in between, we had a couple unexpected results.
| Resort |
Price |
Notes |
| Deer Valley |
$3,855 |
Reasonable lodging is hard to find |
| Aspen |
$3,033 |
Staying in nearby Snowmass may reduce costs |
| Park City |
$2,990 |
Pricey ski school makes its total high |
| Jackson Hole |
$2,864 |
Expensive lift tickets and ski school drive cost up |
| Sun Valley |
$2,846 |
Staying in Ketchum may provide better value |
| Grand Targhee |
$2,820 |
Choosing lodging at the newer facility raised what would have been a value trip |
| Northstar at Tahoe |
$2,779 |
Still a great option for Californians due to proximity |
| Breckenridge |
$2,746 |
Advanced booking discounts are reflected in this price |
| Steamboat |
$2,744 |
Balance overall costs. Great value. |
| Taos |
$2,654 |
If not for pricey lodging, would probably be the best value on the list |
| Winter Park |
$2,627 |
Lowest-price ski school of the bunch |
| Keystone |
$2,621 |
Best Colorado value of our sample |
| Big Sky |
$2,560 |
Under 10 ski free deal added to savings |
