Sticker Shock on the Slopes: $300 Lift Tickets Threaten to Freeze Out Wyoming Skiers

When Holli Jones heard some big-name ski resorts are charging more than $300 a day for lift tickets this winter, she didn’t hold back.

“You kidding me?” the co-owner of Meadowlark Ski Area and Lodge in Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains said. “That’s insane. How can the normal person take their family? You can’t. Your average family cannot afford to ski and rent skis and stay in a condo or motel. There’s just no way.”

Jones’ frustration mirrors what a lot of skiers are feeling as mega-resorts like Deer Valley in Utah and Vail and Beaver Creek in Colorado push single-day tickets to a jaw-dropping $329. Even Utah’s Park City is flirting with the $300 mark. For context: a day at Vail in 1972 cost $9. That’s a 3,600% increase over two generations.

At Meadowlark, Jones and her husband have made it their mission to keep skiing affordable. Daily passes remain $70, rentals go for $35, and cheeseburgers are still $10. That old-school approach has built a loyal fan base of budget-conscious skiers—many rolling up in RVs with Indy Passes, which grant access to smaller, independent ski areas.

“People come here once and can’t believe what they’ve been missing,” Jones said. “Wonderful skiing. No lift lines.”

Wyoming has four Indy Pass resorts—Snow King, White Pine, Meadowlark, and Antelope Butte—offering a more down-to-earth alternative to glitzy, high-dollar destinations.

Meanwhile, the ski industry is consolidating fast. Vail Resorts now owns 41 resorts, giving it leverage to keep prices sky-high. Analysts say the push is toward pricey season passes, which look like a “deal” compared to $300 day tickets but still lock out families who only want to ski a few days a year.

Constance Beverley, CEO of the Share Winter Foundation, says that shift risks sidelining the very people the sport needs to grow.

“If you look at a daily ticket at $300, but you can get a season pass for $1,200—if you plan on going a couple days, the season pass is a no-brainer,” she said. “But that misses families who just want to go once or twice.”

Closer to home, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is charging anywhere from $110 to $255 for a single day this season, even after rolling out 60th-anniversary discounts. Grand Targhee Resort ranges from $125 to $175. By comparison, Meadowlark’s $70 lift ticket feels like a bargain from another era.

For Jones, keeping skiing accessible isn’t just about business—it’s about the culture.

“People are done with those high-dollar resorts,” she said.

Still, as operating costs climb and mega-resorts keep raising the bar, small operators like Meadowlark face an uphill battle to keep the sport within reach for everyday families.

The original story by David Madison for Cowboy State Daily.