Millcreek-area skiers holding an Ikon Base Pass can book three days at Deer Valley Resort this winter for the first time in four years.
The Park City ski-only resort announced Nov. 9 that it will accept Alterra Mountain Co.'s least expensive multi-resort pass during the 2026-27 season, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. Blackout dates apply, and all pass holders must make advance reservations.
Deer Valley had dropped Ikon Base Pass access after the 2021-22 season. For the past four seasons, only holders of the full Ikon Pass, Deer Valley season pass holders and individual ticket buyers could ride its lifts, according to the Tribune.
The price gap between the two Ikon tiers is steep. An adult Ikon Base Pass costs $1,099. The full Ikon Pass runs $1,529, almost 40% more, and comes with seven days at Deer Valley and no blackout dates. Base pass holders get three days with blackouts.
That three-day allotment is unusual. Stuart Winchester, host of the Storm Skiing podcast, noted on his Nov. 9 episode that no other ski area on the Ikon Base Pass has a three-day tier.
Reservations opened Nov. 9 through the Ikon Pass reservation system, according to Ski Racing.
"We look forward to welcoming Ikon Base Pass holders to Deer Valley this season as the resort's largest expansion continues to take shape," Todd Bennett, president and chief operating officer of Deer Valley Resort, said in a statement. "Deer Valley is a special place for skiers, and for winter 2026-27, Ikon Base Pass skiers now have three days to access Deer Valley's all-new terrain, award-winning dining and exceptional guest service."
The timing lines up with a major expansion. Deer Valley's new Hail Peak Express lift opens 200 additional acres in the East Village this season, pushing the resort to 4,500 skiable acres and 32 lifts. The work is part of a multi-year project called Expanded Excellence that began in 2024, according to Freeskier.
Deer Valley limits daily skier counts and bans snowboarding. Peak-season walkup lift tickets run $349. A Deer Valley season pass with blackout dates costs $3,490, and unlimited access costs $4,300.
For Millcreek skiers with an Ikon Base Pass, the rest of the Utah lineup includes unlimited days at Solitude Mountain Resort plus five days each at Snowbird and Brighton Resort, with blackouts. Full Ikon Pass holders also get access to Alta Ski Area and Snowbasin Resort without blackout dates.
Deer Valley is scheduled to open Dec. 5, conditions permitting.
