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The 6 Best Ski Resorts for Seniors in the U.S.

Originally posted on Powder | By Izzy Lidsky | Last updated Feb 12, 2025 5:48 AM ET

When I was 16, I tore some ligaments in my knee and had to wear a knee brace while skiing for a season. One day, I was putting my knee brace and ski boots on in the lodge in Steamboat Springs, and a woman next to me asked why I had a knee brace. I told her I'd injured my knee, and she sympathized and told me she'd had both knees replaced a few years ago. She said she hadn't been able to ski from the time she was 55 until she had them replaced at 73. Now 78, she went skiing almost every day and didn't need a knee brace like me, 62 years younger than her.

While skiing can certainly be a bit hard on the body, there are many, many folks who enjoy it well into their senior years, and many who are still shredding through retirement. If pure passion for the sport wasn't enough to treat your body well and have a little bit of longevity, maybe the steep senior discounts at some of these resorts will. Here are a few of the best ski areas for seniors in the U.S.

1. Gunstock Mountain Resort, NH

Gunstock Mountain Resort in New Hampshire is a great ski area for seniors. The resort opened in 1936 and has seen generations of dedicated skiers coming back year after year. Skiers over the age of 70 are eligible for Gunstock's Golden Pass at only $49, and day tickets are free for those who wait at the ticket window. A screamin' deal for Gunstock's 1400 feet of vertical drop and terrain accessed by eight chairlifts.

2. Sugarbush Resort, VT

Sugarbush is generally known as one of Vermont's most loved ski areas. Six hundred skiable acres, a fantastic lodge, and a wide range of terrain make it a staple for Vermonters and visitors of all ages. Sugarbush offers pretty good senior discounts as well, with skiers over the age of 90 skiing for free and discounts for skiers between 80 and 89. While seniors have to "earn" those free passes, Sugarbush makes our list because of the discounted midweek pass option for skiers over 65, The Sugarbush Boomer Pass. The pass grants unlimited midweek access to seniors for just a few hundred dollars.

3. Swain Resort, NY

New York's oldest independent ski area offers discounts for New York's oldest skiers! At Swain Resort, which opened in 1947, those over 75 can get daily lift tickets for free and a season pass for $10. The younger crowd (skiers over 65) can also get $29 lift tickets on Thursdays. Swain also takes extra care to groom trails early so that popular terrain is easily navigable and skis well.

4. Pomerelle Mountain Resort, ID

Pomerelle Mountain Resort, in Idaho's beautiful Sawtooth National Forest, is known for its amazing beginner and intermediate terrain. Often one of the first resorts in Idaho to open due to its annual 500-inch snowfall, seniors can enjoy Pomerelle from early November to April. For skiers aged 70 and up, single-day tickets are just $30, and season passes are $299.

5. Waterville Valley Resort, NH

Waterville Vally Resort's groomed trails and vibrant social scene are perfect for seniors still getting out on the slopes. The resort grooms 100% of its terrain, which makes for excellent cord whether you want to make gentle turns or are still dropping a hip in your carve. The Silver Streaks program at Waterville Valley is designed for skiers over 50 and offers midweek skiing and other events for folks to gather and ski together. Lift tickets are also free for skiers over 80.

6. Smugglers' Notch Resort, VT

Smugglers' Notch has a reputation for being one of the most family-friendly resorts around, and that certainly includes seniors. The Smuggs 55+ Club has Nordic and alpine skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing every Wednesday on the mountain's most gentle terrain. Lift tickets are discounted 15-25% for skiers over 65. Skiers over 70 can get season passes for $299 (as compared to a normal $749), and skiers over 80 ski for free.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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