All three ski areas around Eden advertise free skiing for kids this winter, and each one means a different age. The free window closes after age 4 at Snowbasin, after age 6 at Powder Mountain and after age 12 at Nordic Valley. A family with a 5-year-old and a 10-year-old gets a different cheapest mountain for each child.
Mountain | Free without a parent's pass | Free with a qualifying parent's pass | First paid youth pass |
|---|---|---|---|
Nordic Valley | Ages 12 and under, Power Kids pass | Not needed | Ages 13–18, Power Pass Core $349 |
Powder Mountain | Ages 6 and under, $0 Child Unlimited | Ages 7–12, up to two free youth passes | Bought alongside the adult pass |
Snowbasin | Ages 0–4 | None listed | Ages 5–12, Premier $509 or Value $359 |
Ages and prices only go so far. The more useful pattern is that each mountain spends its kids' discount on a different stage of a young skier's life. For an Eden household those stages arrive in order, so the cheapest mountain can change as a child gets older.
Nordic Valley covers the longest free stretch
On the Nordic Valley season pass page, the resort calls its Power Kids pass "100% free, unlimited skiing and mountain biking for children ages 12 and under," and no adult purchase is required. The pass works at Nordic Valley and at the other resorts listed on the Power Pass, with no blackout dates. By contrast, the paid Core pass is blacked out at Nordic Valley on Dec. 27–31, 2026, Jan. 16–17, 2027 and Feb. 13–14, 2027.
That makes Nordic the simplest mountain for kids who can already ski. The lesson side runs on a later schedule. Nordic's FAQ lists Dec. 18 as the scheduled opening day. Its six-week Junior Senders program starts Saturday, Jan. 9, 2027, for ages 8–16. It costs $329 without rentals or $429 with rentals. Lift access isn't included, so kids 12 and under ride on the free Power Kids pass. There are beginner and intermediate groups, Saturday or Sunday morning and afternoon sessions, and no sessions on MLK or Presidents' Day weekends.
At 13, a Nordic kid's price goes from zero to $349 for a youth Power Pass Core. Even after the free years end, that's the lowest teen season-pass price among the three mountains. Snowbasin's teen passes for ages 13–18 cost $759 Premier or $569 Value.
Powder Mountain ties the middle years to a parent's pass
At Powder Mountain, kids 6 and under get a $0 Child Unlimited season pass or a $0 all-day ticket, and the resort says no adult purchase is needed. From age 7 the deal changes. An Adult Unlimited pass at $1,649, or a Senior or Military Unlimited pass at $1,399, can include up to two free youth passes for ages 7–12. The resort uses each child's age on Dec. 15, 2026, and asks for proof of age in person, such as a birth certificate or passport.
For a family with two kids between 7 and 12 and one parent who skis, that turns $1,649 into three season passes. With three kids in that range, one has to pay. With no adult skier in the house, the offer doesn't apply.
Elizabeth Gillette, Powder Mountain's marketing manager, described the offer to the Standard-Examiner this fall:
"This year, with every adult, senior, or military season pass, you also get two free kids passes for kids 12 and under, which is a really awesome offer."
The store terms are narrower than that quote. The two free passes cover ages 7–12, and children 6 and under use the separate $0 child pass. In the same interview, Gillette said Powder had raised the age for its daily Kids Ski Free tickets from 4 and under to 6 and under. Powder opens for the season on Dec. 11.
The first-timer programs are three-year bets on one mountain
Free passes help kids who can already ski. A brand-new skier of any age needs lessons and gear, and Powder Mountain and Snowbasin both package those as programs that run up to three years.
Program | Year one | Year two | Year three | Three-year total | Ages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Powder Mountain Powder Pathway | $799 | $899 | $899 | $2,597 | 5–99 |
Snowbasin Learn & Earn | $912 | $976 | $549 | $2,437 | 4 and up |
Powder's year one costs less, and Snowbasin's full three years cost less. The difference comes from Snowbasin's third year at $549, which includes private lessons and a season pass. Its second year includes three more all-day group lessons, gear to keep and a season pass. Year one at Snowbasin includes three all-day group lessons, a season of rentals and a Premier season pass. The pass works on lesson days and opens the whole mountain after the third lesson.
Powder Pathway costs the same $799 for a 5-year-old and a 50-year-old. It includes three group lessons, rental gear and a lift ticket, then unlimited daily rentals and a season pass once the lessons are done. Child and youth lessons are full day. Adult lessons are half day, either morning or afternoon. Powder's regular lesson prices show what the package is worth. A full-day group lesson for ages 7–12 costs $314 with a lift ticket, so three of them would cost $942 before rentals or a pass.
The eligibility rules shape who should sign up. Pathway is only for people who have never skied or snowboarded and have never held a Powder Mountain season pass. An adult pass earned through Pathway also doesn't come with the Kids Ski Free benefit. A parent who is learning alongside young kids can't use that pass to get the two free youth passes. For that, the parent needs a regular Adult Unlimited pass.
Enrollment opened Sept. 29 and stays open until the program fills. Lessons are booked before the season, using instructions Powder sends by email. Every Powder lesson checks in at Sundown Center, and the resort asks guests to arrive 30 minutes early, with extra time for rentals, parking and the shuttle.
Snowbasin's calendar runs earlier. Learn & Earn Year One lesson reservations opened Nov. 15, and lessons start Dec. 1. For kids who would rather take one lesson at a time, Snowbasin's ski and ride school has youth group lessons for ages 3–12. Mini Cubs, ages 3–4, is half day. Cubs, ages 4–6, and Bears, ages 7–12, are full day with lunch included.
The $79 Passport fills in the gaps
The Ski Utah Passport for 4th, 5th and 6th graders costs $79 until midnight on Dec. 1, 2026, and $99 after that. It includes three ski or ride days at each of 14 participating resorts. Powder Mountain, Snowbasin and Nordic Valley are all on the list, along with Alta, Brighton, Beaver Mountain, Brian Head, Cherry Peak, Snowbird, Solitude, Deer Valley, Park City Mountain, Sundance and Woodward Park City.
For an Eden 4th grader, the age table above shows which of those days matter most. Nordic is already free through age 12, so its three Passport days add little. The value is at Snowbasin, where a youth pass for ages 5–12 costs $359 or $509, and at Powder in a household where no parent buys an Adult Unlimited pass. Snowbasin and Nordic Valley have no Passport blackout dates. Powder Mountain blocks Passport use on Dec. 26–31, Jan. 16–17 and Feb. 13–14, which covers the holiday week and the MLK and Presidents' Day weekends.
After the lessons come the teams
Kids who keep skiing past the first three years move into team programs, and the prices go up.
- Snowbasin Sports Education Foundation Devo: for ages 5–12 moving on from lessons, with one training day a week. Kids should be able to ski green and blue runs and handle lifts and their own equipment. 2026–27 tuition is $1,450 for DevoMini, $1,680 for Devo and $1,830 for Devo+.
- Snowbasin Youth Ski League: $2,560 for one training day a week, up to $4,580 for four. A season pass is required, and team members get a link for 20% off the lowest pass price.
- Powder Mountain All-Mountain Team: ages 5–17, skiing or snowboarding. A one-day program for ages 7–17 costs $1,449, or $1,159 for passholders.
- Powder Mountain Freeride Team: ages 10–18, with 11-week programs. Passholder prices run from $1,740 for the weekday freestyle two-day program to $4,580 for four days. Lift access isn't included.
- Nordic Valley Junior Senders: the lowest-cost structured program in the valley, six weeks for $329 to $429, for ages 8–16.
The team step brings the free-pass math back in. A Powder team member aged 7–12 can ride on a parent's free youth pass, and a Junior Senders kid 12 and under rides on Power Kids, so those families pay only for the coaching.
Dates between now and January
- Already open: Snowbasin Learn & Earn Year One lesson reservations, since Nov. 15.
- Dec. 1: Snowbasin Learn & Earn lessons begin. The Ski Utah Passport goes from $79 to $99 at midnight.
- Dec. 11: Powder Mountain opens.
- Dec. 15: The date Powder uses to set each child's age for the free youth passes.
- Dec. 18: Nordic Valley's scheduled opening day.
- Jan. 9, 2027: Junior Senders begins at Nordic Valley.
Skiing with kids is a big part of winter in Eden, and we'd be glad to talk through it with you, from which mountain is easiest to reach on a lesson morning to how each one feels for families. Range Realty Co lives and works here, between all three. Connect with a Valley Expert.
