One of the most unusual season passes in skiing is no longer available for the coming winter.
Ski California’s $4,250 Gold Pass for the 2026-27 season is officially sold out, according to the industry association’s current Gold Pass page. The pass provides unrestricted access to 36 downhill and cross-country ski areas across California and Nevada.
“2026-27 Gold Passes are SOLD OUT! To be added to the 2027-28 waitlist, email goldpass@skicalifornia.org.“ -Ski California
The price alone makes the Gold Pass stand out, but its defining feature is something most modern ski passes specifically prohibit: you can give it to somebody else to use.
A Ski Pass You Can Actually Share
The Gold Pass is fully transferable, meaning the person who purchases it does not have to be the person skiing with it.
Ski California says pass owners can share it with friends, family members or employees. The pass includes unlimited access to all 36 participating mountains with no blackout dates or reservations required.
Only one person can use an individual Gold Pass at a time, so it does not provide simultaneous access for a group. But the ability to hand the pass to another skier makes it substantially different from products such as Epic and Ikon, which are tied to an individual passholder.
The participating areas include some of the biggest names in California and Nevada skiing, including Mammoth Mountain, Palisades Tahoe, Heavenly, Northstar California, Kirkwood, Sugar Bowl and Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe. Ski California says the Gold Pass also provides direct lift access at most participating resorts.
That gives one physical pass access to a remarkably broad range of skiing, from Southern California mountains to Lake Tahoe, the Eastern Sierra and Nevada.
The Price Climbed Again for 2026-27
The Gold Pass cost $4,125 for the 2025-26 season. Ski California increased the price to $4,250 for 2026-27, a $125 jump.
Despite that price, the limited supply has now been exhausted.
Ski California is no longer accepting purchases for the coming season and is instead directing interested skiers toward a waitlist for the 2027-28 Gold Pass.
The organization does not currently state how many 2026-27 passes were available. When Unofficial Networks covered the Gold Pass in 2018, only 100 passes were being issued each season, with existing owners receiving the first opportunity to renew.
The current program still gives renewing Gold Pass holders first access each year at a discounted price.
The sellout arrives as California resorts prepare for the 2026-27 winter. Several of the state’s major ski areas have already announced opening dates, with Mammoth Mountain currently scheduled to lead the major California resorts on Nov. 13.
For anyone who did not secure a Gold Pass this time around, Ski California is already accepting requests for its 2027-28 waitlist. Apply here.
