Ikon Pass Reservations Go Live August 1. Should You Commit Now?
Ikon Pass mountains such as Jackson Hole require reservations for lift access for the upcoming season.
If you have an Ikon Pass product for the 2023-24 season, you may need to make in-advance reservations for lift access to certain resorts. This reservation system will open up on August 1, 2023 at 9am, allowing guests to start securing spots at participating mountains. But with many of Ikon’s most popular mountains requiring these reservations, do you need to commit now to secure your spot? In this piece, we’ve compiled all you need to know about Ikon’s reservation system—and whether you should rush to figure out your itinerary if you haven’t already.
Which Ikon Pass mountains require reservations for lift access?
The following Ikon resorts will require reservations for the 2023-24 season:
After requiring reservations last season, Taos, New Mexico and Windham, New York will no longer mandate them this winter.
Which Ikon products does this policy apply to?
All Ikon products, including the full Ikon Pass, Ikon Base and Base Plus Passes, and Ikon Session Passes, require reservations at the aforementioned mountains.
Do you need to book your reservations on August 1 to secure your spot?
No—if previous seasons are any indicator, reservations to these mountains will not fill up on day 1, even at the most popular mountains on the busiest days. But if you already have your vacation booked, there’s no harm to securing your reservation now so you don’t forget to do so later.
When will Ikon Pass reservations really start to fill up?
Based on previous years, we expect that Ikon Pass reservations will start to fill up by the middle of the fall. Holidays and peak weekends at top-tier destinations such as Jackson Hole, Big Sky, and Aspen will be the first to go, with the other destinations following shortly after.
For the most hassle-free experience, try to secure your reservations before mid-October—assuming you are visiting on a weekend or holiday. That said, if you plan to visit these mountains on off-peak weekdays (i.e. Monday through Thursday on a non-school vacation week), you may be able to wait until the day of to book your reservation.
If a reservation date is completely full, is there any chance it will open up?
Yes—if you check back religiously, chances are you can snag a spot, even if your date has already filled up. Others may cancel their reservations, or resorts may open more spots depending on expected snow conditions.
However, if you don’t want to deal with the stress of being in this situation and checking the Ikon website four or five times per day, it’s best to secure your reservations early.
Can you cancel your Ikon Pass reservations if you decide you don’t want to ski/ride on a particular day?
Yes—you can cancel your reservations up until 9am the date of your visit with no penalties. So even if you aren’t 100% sure of your itinerary, it may be a good idea to secure your spot now, and revisit later if need be.
It’s worth noting that if you do not show up or cancel after that time on the date of your reservation, you may be restricted from making or taking advantage of future reservations.
Is there a limit to the number of Ikon reservations one can make at a time?
Yes—passholders can only make reservations for up to the number of dates of access they have at each mountain—meaning seven for each mountain with the full Ikon Pass, five for each mountain with the Ikon Base and Base Plus Passes, and two to four total depending on the Ikon Session Pass product (none of the reservation-mandating mountains offer unlimited access on Ikon).
As a result, passholders can’t “over-reserve” if there are a lot of potential dates they want to secure spots for.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, Ikon passholders won’t need to scramble to secure their reservations on August 1 for access to Jackson Hole, Big Sky, and other popular mountains. But these reservations will begin to fill during the fall for peak weekends and holidays, and while spots do open up sporadically, passholders will save themselves a lot of hassle by booking reservations as early as possible. If you’re not 100% sure of your itinerary, you can always cancel your reservations up until the day of with no penalty!
Not sure of whether the Ikon Pass is right for you? Check out our in-depth comparison between the Ikon, Epic, Mountain Collective, and Indy pass products. Additionally, you can check out our Ikon Pass mountain reviews here.
