Prices for single-day lift tickets at some mountain resorts are set to surge heading into the end-of-year holiday period, with two resorts charging more than $300. 

Between Saturday, Dec. 21, through Sunday, Jan. 5, a one-day, adult lift ticket at Vail Mountain will cost $329. Tickets purchased in advance will cost $313 through Dec. 25 and $295 through Jan. 5. 

Same-day prices are identical at neighboring Beaver Creek, with advance tickets costing $312 through Dec. 25 and $295 through Jan. 5. 

The two resorts maintain the highest-priced, single-day lift tickets of any ski area in the state, eclipsing prices last December when same-day lift tickets reached $299 at both mountains over the holiday period. 

Same-day lift ticket prices over the past six seasons have increased by more than $100 at Vail during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. 

A handful of other popular Colorado resorts will approach $300 for a single-day ticket over the holidays, while others will remain below $200. 

Here’s where peak prices stand for a same-day, adult lift ticket at these ski areas between Dec. 21 and Jan. 5: 

• Breckenridge Ski Resort: $299 
• Steamboat Ski Resort: $299 
• Keystone Resort: $292
• Winter Park Resort: $267 
• Aspen Snowmass: $264
• Copper Mountain Resort: $264
• Arapahoe Basin Ski Area: $189
• Loveland Ski Area: $149 

Along with season passes, Vail Resorts sells a one-day pass option called the Epic Day Pass which, if purchased early, provides a discounted rate for resorts in and outside of Colorado. 

Certain Epic Pass holders can also use Vail Resorts’ Buddy Pass and Ski with a Friend discounts. Children aged 5-12 and seniors over 65 will also pay a reduced rate for lift tickets. 

Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek spokesperson John Plack said in an email that the vast majority of visitors to both resorts are expected to be Epic Pass holders, not guests purchasing a lift ticket. 

Three-quarters of resort visits last season were from guests on a pass, Plack said. 

“Our passes are highly discounted compared to lift tickets, with pass holders saving up to 65% compared to lift tickets with an Epic Day Pass,” Plack said. “Lift tickets purchased day-of at the ticket window will be the most expensive. Think of it this way — similar to the airline industry, planning ahead provides significant savings.”

Vail Resorts reported a decline in Epic Pass sales this season compared to last. Officials said the company sold 2% fewer pre-purchased passes even as total sales dollars were up 4% due to the increased cost of passes. 

The ski conglomerate has pointed to challenging winter conditions last season and “industry normalization” following the spike in outdoor visitor use following the COVID-19 pandemic as reasons for the decline.