80 Year-Old Retirees Ski For Free At These Resorts

At Alta Ski Area in Utah, a daily lift ticket for a single adult costs $189 to $209 this winter, and at New Mexico's Taos Ski Valley, the price ranges from $115 to $210. Over at California's top ski destination, Mammoth Mountain, rates start at $169 and go up to $229. For the average winter sports enthusiast, there's a slight variation in pricing between the ski centers. However, all three of these destinations have one important feature in common: if you're 80 years old or older, you'll ski for free. 

At Alta, as the story goes, the tradition dates back to Alf Engen, a Norwegian-American ski champion and member of the U.S. Olympic Ski Team in 1940. The founder of Alta's Alf Engen Ski School, he lived into his late 80s, and he believed that skiers of all ages should feel welcome on the slopes. Plenty of senior skiers agree. "Inside of every old, beat-up body on the ski slope is a 16-year-old kid," 84-year-old Bob Phillips, a frequent skier at Alta, told the New York Times. "And while you keep slowly falling apart, the 16-year-old is still in there."

Phillips is part of the Wild Old Bunch, a group of seniors who started skiing together at Alta in the 1970s. Today, the group has around 100 active members who take advantage of Engen's octogenarian-friendly policies, which have been in place for years at Alta Ski Area. In fact, skiers age 80 and over can pick up a free daily lift ticket or apply for a heavily discounted season pass ($50) that allows them to skip lines at the ticket window (and ride for free on the UTA Ski Bus).

Luckily, the Alta Ski Area in Utah is not the only skiing destination that has picked up this trend. At Taos Valley, considered one of America's best underrated skiing destinations, those 80 or older ski for free every day of the week. Complimentary season passes for seniors are available at the Lake Fork Ticket Office on the resort's opening day. Like at Alta, the program has been in place for years. Some participants spoke about their experiences in a Taos News article published in 2024. "I enjoy skiing with a couple of old timers," said Mickey Blake, age 80. "I enjoy saying hello to employees who have been there for years." Others echoed the social and health benefits of skiing. "I love it," said senior skier Steve Natelson. "It's one of the primary reasons I'm still here."

Older skiers have long enjoyed similar privileges at low-key Mammoth Mountain, California's highest-elevation ski area. Senior skiers and snowboarders can claim their free lift tickets at the window by showing proof of age. Skiers can also score a season pass to skip the ticket lines by paying a $25 processing fee. 

Not quite old enough to cash in on these senior-friendly policies? Lots of resorts offer free or discounted lift tickets for skiers and snowboarders in younger age brackets. At Colorado's Monarch Mountain, those age 69 and up are eligible for $25 season passes. And at Mt. Hood Meadows Ski and Summer Resort, one of Oregon's most scenic destinations, you can ski for free from age 75.