Brighton Axes Free Lift Tickets for Kids Aged 7-10

Brighton’s Snake Creek lift, pictured here, is a popular lift among families.

Brighton’s free lift ticket policy for children aged 7-10 will no longer be in effect for the 2022-23 season, according to sources within the resort. Tickets for kids in these age groups will now be in the same tier as those aged 11-12. Tickets for kids 0-6 will continue to be free, provided at least one adult ticket purchase per two children.

When asked for comment following rumors about the policy change, a Brighton representative sent the following message to PeakRankings:

Things have changed a bit for the 22/23 season. Kids 6 and under are still free. Kids 7-12 are now in the ‘grom’ category and season passes are $139.77 after tax.

Our Take

Brighton has experience increased crowds in recent years thanks in part due to traffic from the Ikon Pass. The resort has very few redundancies, and its lift system isn’t exactly the best set up to handle the quantity of traffic the mountain now sees.

While one of Brighton’s biggest strengths has always been the remarkably high age limit for its free kids tickets, the resort needs to do something about its increased traffic. By axing free tickets for those aged 7-10, the resort is likely to cut out at least some of the patronage that has made it so busy. This policy change is not the only decision that Brighton has made to mitigate crowds in recent years; the resort has also required reservations for Ikon Pass holders since last season.

There’s one clear loser from this policy change: locals. Nearby families will no longer get the sweet family deal that’s been a Brighton staple for years, with the culprit arguably being increased crowds that are no fault of their own. That said, Brighton is still very competitive when it comes to complimentary child tickets, with its free tickets for kids 6 and under tying Snowbird for the best policy in Utah (all other Utah destinations still charge for children 5 and 6). In addition, the Utah Ski and Snowboard Association (also known as Ski Utah) offers $45 “passports” to all 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, which provide three days of access to each Utah ski resort with some holiday blackouts. For kids who qualify, this pass will pay itself off with a single full-day visit to Brighton.

Considering a ski trip to Utah this year? Check out our Brighton review, as well as our full Utah rankings.