Alyeska Resort: A winter lover’s dream and gem of the Ikon Pass

A sign welcomes visitors to Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska. December 2025. Adventuresome Co. photo.

The Ikon Pass and its sibling, the Ikon Base Pass, boast many benefits for passholders around the globe, including access to some of the most pristine, powder-perfect slopes on the planet. There’s one location on the list, however, where you can get the best of so many worlds: Alyeska Resort, just a stone’s throw south of Anchorage, Alaska.

First and foremost, let’s talk mountain specs! At Alyeska Resort – which you can get to on a clear day in less than an hour from the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport – you have more than 1,600 acres of terrain to play on, including a handful of truly beginner runs at the bottom and the incredible advanced runs near the summit. The resort is known for steep and challenging terrain above the treeline, with a 3,200-foot vertical, while also serving up calmer, even tranquil trail options on the lower part of the mountain. That’s all while clocking an average of close to 700” of snowfall annually and boasting 76 trails, accessed by seven different lifts.

Some of the top runs to consider checking out, dependent on your skill level, include North Face, a steep, double-black-diamond run only open when determined safe and snowy enough to travel; the mixed-level runs around the famed Glacier Bowl, at the very top of mountain access; and the winding, dealer’s-choice Sourdough, from which you can reach the day lodge, local restaurants and accommodations, and all of the lifts at the base. If hit with enough snow, the beginner-level Blueberry Run – on the way to the hotel, tram and bottom of Chair 7, and formerly known as Prince Run – will put you into a real-life snow globe, lined with trees, snow-covered fields and panoramic mountain views. Be prepared, however, as the cold can sit in this small bowl and shock you with temperatures even lower than the rest of the mountain.

With the full Ikon Pass for the current 2025/2026 season – which includes mountains at dozens of destinations on six continents – you can access Alyeska seven times during the season, without any blackout dates on the calendar. With the Ikon Base Pass, you are allowed five visit dates, also without blackouts to have to work around. With the Ikon Session, you get up to four days of access, but will have to look out for blackout dates. As of press time, it wasn’t clear what kind of access to Alyeska the 2026/2027 pass tiers might include.

The night lights shine bright along ski runs at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska. Adventuresome Co. photo.

Beyond hitting the slopes, there’s so much to do in Girdwood both indoors and out! The Nordic Spa at Alyeska – albeit at a pretty hefty price tag for a full day’s visit – welcomes visitors for hot and cold dips, multiple steam rooms and saunas, an on-site bistro, and private appointment options for massages and other treatments. Sitzmark Bar and Grill offers bar fare throughout the day and live music throughout the year from the base of the mountain. At the newly-renovated ski-in/ski-out Hotel Alyeska, the tram not only offers slope access, but also another route to the chalet, where you’ll find the Bore Tide Deli for quick and light fare during the day and Seven Glaciers restaurant for a more refined bar and dinner menu in the evening.

Off resort property, you’ll find delicious food at Jack Sprat, a modern but warm restaurant just a few steps from the lifts, and the locally-inspired Mother Hubbard’s, a small shop carrying a variety of artisan work, home goods and snacks. The fan-favorite Alpenglow is a cafe inside a wooden A-frame in the same area, featuring a cozy atmosphere and friendly bartenders with local knowledge. There are also various walking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and fat tire biking paths around town, plus an entire town center to explore!

For more information on Alyeska Resort from our buddies over at Ikon Pass, click here. Check out the official mountain report, which is updated regularly, by heading here.

Alyeska Resort winter trail map, 2025. Alyeska Resort image.