Key facts
| Family Score | 7.5 |
|---|---|
| Pass | Ikon Pass |
| Youngest group lesson age | 3 |
| Childcare | Licensed daycare, 6 weeks to 10 years |
| Kids ski free | Kids Ski Free multi-day tickets |
| Nearest airport | Redmond (RDM), About 30–40 minutes to Bend, then ~30 to the hill |
| Last checked | 2026-11-06 |
Last checked 2026-11-06 against Mt. Bachelor.
Family Score
Weighted, not paid · 25/20/15/15/10/10/5
Last updated: 2026-11-06 · Data verified: Resort-confirmed: Mt. Bachelor's team, by email, Nov 3-6, 2026.
- School 25% · 8/10
- Beginner 20% · 7/10
- Care 15% · 9/10
- Cost 15% · 7/10
- On-mountain 10% · 6/10
- Non-ski 10% · 7/10
- Travel 5% · 8/10
- Ski school 25%8/10
Group and private lessons start at age 3. Signature Start (ages 3 to 6, half lesson plus half childcare) and Mountain Rippers (ages 4 to 6, half and full day, no childcare) are capped at 3. Kids Group Lesson is ages 7 to 12, full day, with no separate cap confirmed. Prices are on the resort's lesson pages.
- Beginner terrain 20%7/10
Families start at Sunrise. Green 20 runs (17%), Blue 69 (55%), Black 30 (23%), Double black 6 (5%).
- Childcare & kids programs 15%9/10
Licensed daycare, 6 weeks to 10 years, 8 am to 5 pm, 7 days a week including holidays.
- Affordability 15%7/10
Ikon days plus Bend lodging. Not Beaver Creek money. Tickets are dynamically priced. The free kids season pass window closed Sept 30, 2026. Kids Ski Free multi-day tickets are still available.
- On-mountain 10%6/10
3 on-mountain lodges with food, drinks and restrooms. Families start at Sunrise and use West Village for childcare. No pedestrian village on the hill.
- Non-ski 10%7/10
Bend is still the dinner. Free Kids Apres events through the season, a Jr. Snow Ranger program, ice skating at The Pavilion in Bend (not on the mountain), the Old Mill District for shopping, indoor play, concerts and movies, and on-mountain snow tubing with details still to come.
- Travel 5%8/10
Redmond (RDM) ~30–40 to Bend, then ~30 to the hill. The access road is not a canyon death march.
Our take
If you need daycare that is not a rumor, start here. Bachelor is why Oregon is on the map. The free kids season pass window closed Sept 30, 2026. Kids Ski Free multi-day tickets are still open. I would fly a family with a baby to Bend before I sent them to Whistler to discover the daycare is residents-only.
Perfect if
Who is Mt. Bachelor perfect for?
A non-skier under 5 who needs licensed care visitors can actually book.
Ikon households who can get to RDM.
A Bend long weekend, not a volcano day trip with no plan.
Kids 3 and up ready for lessons.
Families with kids 12 and under who can use multi-day Kids Ski Free tickets.
Families who want free kids' apres events.
Skip if
Who should skip Mt. Bachelor?
Anyone who needed ski-in lodging on the hill.
Biggest tradeoffThe best licensed visitor-facing age range we found in this expansion, on a mountain with no village. Terrain is Green 20 runs (17%), Blue 69 (55%), Black 30 (23%), Double black 6 (5%).
Ski school deep dive
Ski school is 25% of Family Score — the heaviest weight, on purpose. This mountain: 8/10. How we score.
Group and private lessons start at age 3. Signature Start (ages 3 to 6) and Mountain Rippers (ages 4 to 6) are capped at 3 kids. Kids Group Lesson is ages 7 to 12, full day, with no separate cap confirmed. Families start at Sunrise and use West Village for childcare. Resort-confirmed: Mt. Bachelor's team, by email, Nov 3-6, 2026.
Researched from official pages and 2026 reporting. Fields marked unverified are unpublished by the resort — we will not invent an age, a class cap, or a price.
- Group min age
- 3+
- Private min age
- 3+
- Max group size
- 3 for Signature Start (ages 3 to 6) and Mountain Rippers (ages 4 to 6). No separate cap confirmed for Kids Group Lesson (ages 7 to 12).
- Certification
- PSIA-AASI
- Formats
- Signature Start, ages 3 to 6: a half day of lessons plus a half day of childcare, group cap 3. https://www.mtbachelor.com/lessons-rentals/lessons/group-lessons/signature-start/ Mountain Rippers, ages 4 to 6: half day and full day, no childcare, group cap 3. https://www.mtbachelor.com/lessons-rentals/lessons/group-lessons/youth-mountain-rippers-ski/ Kids Group Lesson, ages 7 to 12: full day. No separate group cap confirmed for ages 7 to 12. https://www.mtbachelor.com/lessons-rentals/lessons/group-lessons/kids-group-lessons/
- Group pricing
- Posted on the resort's pages, no numbers here. Signature Start (ages 3 to 6, cap 3): https://www.mtbachelor.com/lessons-rentals/lessons/group-lessons/signature-start/. Mountain Rippers (ages 4 to 6, half day and full day, no childcare, cap 3): https://www.mtbachelor.com/lessons-rentals/lessons/group-lessons/youth-mountain-rippers-ski/. Kids Group Lesson (ages 7 to 12, full day): https://www.mtbachelor.com/lessons-rentals/lessons/group-lessons/kids-group-lessons/. Adult group: https://www.mtbachelor.com/lessons-rentals/lessons/group-lessons/adult-group-lessons/.
- Private pricing
- Starting at $249. Full options: https://www.mtbachelor.com/lessons-rentals/lessons/private/
- Location
- Most beginner and group lessons meet at Sunrise, which has the Lava Tube carpet (free and open to the public) plus the Early Riser, Alpenglow and Sunrise chairs for beginner terrain. The Child Care Center is at West Village. West Village's Chipmunk Carpet is for ski and ride school lesson kids only. West Village also has Little Pine chair and quicker access to advanced terrain on the west side.
- Progression
- Families start at Sunrise and use West Village for childcare.
- Specialized
- Signature Start for ages 3 to 6 is a half day of lessons plus a half day of childcare, group cap 3. Mountain Rippers for ages 4 to 6 is half day and full day, no childcare, group cap 3. Kids Group Lesson for ages 7 to 12 is a full day. Licensed daycare, 6 weeks to 10 years. Beginner tickets: a free beginner ticket and a $49 learning progression ticket: https://www.mtbachelor.com/tickets-passes/lift-tickets/beginner-lift-tickets/
- Booking
- Kids Ski Free multi-day tickets: kids 12 and under ski the same number of days as their parent when the parent buys a 3-of-5, 4-of-6 or 5-of-8 Day adult lift ticket. https://www.mtbachelor.com/tickets-passes/lift-tickets/ksf-tickets/ The free kids season pass (an equivalent Kids Ski Free pass with an adult Season Pass or Outplay 365) required buying before Sept 30, 2026, so that window has closed for 26/27.
- Pickup / drop-off
- https://www.mtbachelor.com/the-mountain/getting-to-around-mt-bachelor/getting-here/
- Season programs
- Multiweek kids lessons: https://www.mtbachelor.com/lessons-rentals/signature-programs/
Childcare
Licensed daycare, 6 weeks to 10 years. 8 am to 5 pm, 7 days a week including holidays. Price not stated in the confirmation.. Licensed. The best licensed, visitor-facing age range we found in this expansion. Book it as if it were lodging. Childcare page: https://www.mtbachelor.com/amenities-groups/childcare/. Resort-confirmed: Mt. Bachelor's team, by email, Nov 3-6, 2026.
Visitor booking is the part that actually matters. Compare Mt. Bachelor against the childcare table.
Beginner terrain
- Carpets: Sunrise has the Lava Tube carpet (free and open to the public). West Village's Chipmunk Carpet is for ski and ride school lesson kids only.
- Learning area: Most beginner and group lessons meet at Sunrise, with the Early Riser, Alpenglow and Sunrise chairs.
- Greens: Green 20 runs (17%), Blue 69 (55%), Black 30 (23%), Double black 6 (5%).
- Progression: Families start at Sunrise and use West Village for childcare. West Village also has Little Pine chair and quicker access to advanced terrain on the west side.
On mountain
3 on-mountain lodges with food, drinks and restrooms. Bend is still the dinner.
Most beginner and group lessons meet at Sunrise. The Child Care Center is at West Village.
No pedestrian village on the hill. Trailhead Lodge is not on the hill, about 10 minutes from downtown Bend and 20 minutes from the mountain, with free shuttles for hotel guests. The resort says rates start at $119 a night: https://www.trailheadlodgebend.com/. Bend is the town.
Non-ski
- Bend restaurants and river
- High Desert Museum
- Lava Lands
- Free Kids Apres events through the season: s'mores roasting, cookie decorating, helmet decorating, snow sculpting, and touch-a-truck (snowcats, snow removal equipment, snowmobiles)
- Jr. Snow Ranger program with Discover Your Northwest: families explore the forest, learn winter safety, wildlife tracks and the snow layer, snowshoe, and earn a Junior Snow Ranger badge
- Ice skating at The Pavilion in Bend, not on the mountain: https://www.bendparksandrec.org/facility/the-pavilion/
- Old Mill District for shopping, indoor play, concerts and movies: https://www.oldmilldistrict.com/
- Snow tubing is an on-mountain option. Prices and hours are not published to us yet. Check the resort.
Kids programs
- Signature Start (ages 3 to 6, cap 3, half lesson plus half childcare)
- Mountain Rippers (ages 4 to 6, cap 3, no childcare)
- Kids Group Lesson (ages 7 to 12, full day)
- Kids Ski Free multi-day tickets
- Licensed daycare 6 weeks to 10 years
- Free Kids Apres events
- Jr. Snow Ranger
- On-mountain snow tubing (details to come)
Getting there
Redmond (RDM). Transfer: About 30–40 minutes to Bend, then ~30 to the hill. The access road is the rare Western road that is not a canyon death march. Still winter. Still traction. Possible from Bend. A car is simpler with daycare drop-off.
What a day costs
Everything below links straight to the merchant. No tracking IDs, no commission. Disclosure.
Typical 2025–26 / early 2026–27 ranges — not a quote. Flights not included.
- Adult window
- Tickets are dynamically priced. Ticket calendar (toggle to youth for kids): https://shop.mtbachelor.com/l/lift_tickets/all-tickets/c/all-mountain-lift-tickets-202526-10
- Child window
- Tickets are dynamically priced. Same calendar, toggle to youth: https://shop.mtbachelor.com/l/lift_tickets/all-tickets/c/all-mountain-lift-tickets-202526-10
- Family of 4 / day (2 adults, 2 kids: lifts + rentals + 1 group lesson)
- Varies with dynamic ticket pricing. No single number.
- Pass
- The free kids season pass (an equivalent Kids Ski Free pass with an adult Season Pass or Outplay 365) required buying before Sept 30, 2026, so that window has closed for 26/27. Still available: Kids Ski Free multi-day tickets. Kids 12 and under ski the same number of days as their parent when the parent buys a 3-of-5, 4-of-6 or 5-of-8 Day adult lift ticket: https://www.mtbachelor.com/tickets-passes/lift-tickets/ksf-tickets/
Last checked 2026-11-06 against Mt. Bachelor.
What six days on snow costs
Family of four: window tickets × 6, rentals × 6, one 3-day kids' lesson block. Not a week — lodging isn't in our data, so it isn't in this number.
This page doesn't have dollar ranges we can add. We will not invent a six-day total.
This mountain is on the 26/27 kids-ski-free list — read the cutoff before you plan a week around it. Kids ski free: the list and the fine print.
Season at a glance
December through May. The resort is open through Memorial Day.
Dec
Good
Care is the reason to come early.
Jan
Good
Storms and Bend nights.
Feb
Great
The window.
Mar
Great
Kids-pass season still paying off.
Apr
Fair
Shoulder, volcano weather.
May
Fair
Open through Memorial Day.