The best ski resorts and hotels in the US for a winter escape

The first dusting of powder across the US is loaded with anticipation, where hopes of first tracks and slope-side beers set plans in motion for venturing to the mountains. You’ll often find experienced skiers sticking with their tried-and-true trails on the East Coast, while the mystical mining lore and wide-open bowls of the West will always attract adventure seekers. But, in America, it’s not about selecting a coast, range, or even a specific mountain – it’s all about the resort.

“One of my favourite things about skiing in America is the diversity of the resorts offered here,” says Dan Sherman, chief marketing officer of Ski.com, a North American travel company specialising in mountain packages. “I’ve skied at 86 resorts, and each has their own unique personality, feeling and vibe.”

You can tell a lot about a person from where they ski in America, and these are the resorts that tell you the most, from a Wyoming resort leading in sustainability to the most peaceful glades in Vermont.

The best ski resorts in the US

Aspen Snowmass

Best for: All round skiing
Location: Colorado
Nearest airport: Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) or Denver International Airport (DEN)

Skiing on any of Aspen’s four mountains (Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk) comes with some serious bragging rights, and few would dispute that anything comes close to what this cohesive resort can offer. Lift tickets are on the pricier side, but that’s because they give access to all four of the separate ski areas (more than 5,700 acres of terrain) that make up the Aspen Snowmass resort. The season runs from November to mid-April, but conditions are best between January and March when consistent snow conditions, spacious groomed runs, powder-filled bowls and controlled backcountry skiing keep things interesting for all levels on the mountain.

The resort hosts one of the country’s top culinary festivals, the Food & Wine Classic, each summer, but winter is when many local chefs and bartenders really get creative with their après menus. The J Bar is swathed in swanky western vibes and often packed with celebrities and ski bums sipping locally distilled rye whiskey cocktails inside the Hotel Jerome, while the Lynn Britt Cabin delivers a more rustic après experience, with house-made pâté and shot skis served on the slopes. Score a deal by staying in Snowmass Village, where hotels like the Limelight Snowmass often come bundled with après ski deals and bonus upgrades like First Tracks.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Best for: Sustainability credentials
Location: Wyoming
Nearest airport: Jackson Hole Airport (JAC)

In typical Wyoming cowboy fashion, there’s an unspoken competition among regulars of this wild west mountain resort. Jackson Hole skiers are tough, and they ski tougher. In fact, of the 131 named trails, exactly half are labelled expert and come loaded with natural obstacles like cliff jumps and chutes. The resort is home to one of the continent’s steepest and most challenging runs, Corbet’s Couloir, but also offers some of the most kid-friendly groomers and gentle beginner hills in the state. The technical backcountry skiers are well removed from the bottom of the mountain, where most of the resort’s intermediate and beginner runs are located, which separates the pack enough to make for relatively uncrowded days on the mountain.

To help reduce CO2 emissions, the resort waives parking fees for cars with four or more passengers and has been fully wind-powered since 2019. December to March are the coldest (it’s rare to have a day above freezing), and are the best time for catching fresh powder.

Stop for après at the Mangy Moose or head into town to saddle up (literally, since the barstools are fashioned from old horse saddles) for a Ranch Hand cocktail at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. Gravity Haus Jackson Hole is just a short walk from the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s aerial tram, and is home to the best coffee in Teton Village.

Park City Mountain

Best for: A short trip
Location: Utah
Nearest airport: Salt Lake City International (SLC) 

The possibility of going from baggage claim to the chair lift in less than an hour is enough to make this many out-of-towners’ preferred Salt Lake City resort. But even locals love the easy access Park City provides, perfect for popping in during lunch breaks on those rare bluebird days (cloudless blue-skies and ideal skiing conditions). It also has an immense number of trails to choose from. Park City Mountain’s 7,300-plus acres make it the largest public lift-served resort in the US.

After a successful run hosting the 2002 Winter Olympic games, Park City is gearing up to host again in 2034, and the energy in town is already charged with excitement. Plans to offer more public transportation are already falling into place, and the boutiques and shops along the Hallmark-esque Main Street have begun selling 2034 swag in anticipation of the games. Guests of the Washington School House Hotel can still feel the heat from the 2002 Winter Olympics nightly, while enjoying après and s’mores around a firepit composed from a 2002 steel Olympic torch. High West Saloon, the world’s only ski-in gastro-distillery, is the best for a truly “Utahn” après with Utah-made whiskey flights and cocktails and locally-sourced snacks, while the Corner Store’s kid-friendly outdoor patio is where you’ll find live music – and the liveliest crowd – after the lifts close.

Jay Peak Resort

Best for: Arboreal scenery
Location: Vermont
Nearest airport: Northeast Kingdom International Airport (EFK) 

When West Coast skiers bash the East Coast as being the “ice coast,” they aren’t talking about Jay Peak. No one would dare joke about this scenic, hidden gem of a ski resort, especially since it gets the most snowfall on the East Coast. It averages 350 inches each year from its prime location just five miles from the US-Canada border, and those who make the trip up north are rewarded with some of the most stunning runs in the country.

There are plenty of beginner trails and groomed runs – Lower Rabbit Run trail is a favourite for first timers – but many skiers who come to Jay, come for the glades. The mountain is full of opportunities to cut through the trees, and Beaver Pond and Valhalla are favourites among those who know.

Further down the mountain, the views are just as good at Bullwheel Bar inside the Stateside Hotel and Baselodge, where live music and craft beer (and some of the best poutine in the US) keep the after-skiing crowd hydrated, fed, and entertained. The hotel is ski-in-ski-out, which makes it easy to escape the cold on below freezing days, but on really cold days, there’s no shame in skipping the slopes and heading to the indoor waterpark at the Hotel Jay instead.

Steamboat Ski Resort

Best for: Inclusivity
Location: Colorado
Nearest airport: Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN) 

There’s a reason Steamboat has become known for producing more winter Olympic athletes than any other resort in the country (more than 100); – it’s a great place to ski. It’s not all Olympians though, as the adaptive snow sports programme STARS operates ski schools on the mountain and has turned Steamboat into one of the most accessible resorts in the country.

The resort’s Champagne Powder – the trademarked term for Steamboat’s famously fluffy fresh snow – doesn’t hurt its allure, which is exactly why the National Brotherhood of Skiers – the biggest nonprofit in America dedicated to supporting skiers of colour and increasing participation in winter sports–has hosted their annual week-long fundraiser and racing competition, the Black Ski Summit, at the resort more times than in any other destinations.

Everyone is welcome at Steamboat, and the attitude of inclusivity really makes for a cool atmosphere on and off the mountain. The TBar is where most skiers end up at the end of the day, and markets itself as a “5-Star Dive Bar” where pitchers are filled with craft beer and a “chef’s choice flatbread” takes the place of pizza on the menu. Grabbing a taco from the roving snowcat-turned-food truck, Taco Beast, is a rite of passage in Steamboat, as is soaking in the spacious outdoor hot tub at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas at the base of Mount Werner.

Northstar California Resort

Best for: Non-skiers
Location: California
Nearest airport: Truckee Tahoe Airport (TKF) or Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO)

The resort may be home to some of the best groomed runs in the country, but when people talk about the “Northstar experience”, they’re not just talking about skiing. Yes, the resort has more than 3,100 acres of skiable terrain, most of which are geared toward beginner and intermediate skiers, but the chance to be in Lake Tahoe during the winter is incentive enough for many to make this their choice for a mountain vacation.

The snow is best from mid-January to the end of February, but visitors come all season to be part of Tahoe’s snow-globe setting. The smell of sugar pines is Tahoe’s signature scent, as is the sweet aroma of roasting marshmallows as visitors d make s’mores around the many firepits in the village. These surround Northstar’s 9,000 sq ft ice skating rink, where locals (yes, locals, Northstar is one of the rare resorts where people live there year-round) bring their own graham crackers and chocolate, while visitors can purchase s’mores kits from the True North shop in the village.

Community is key in Northstar, where sitting around a fire, meeting friends for coffee, or just sharing comfort dishes fresh from the rotisserie at Wild Pine to cap off the day are core elements to of the Tahoe culture. The ski-in-ski-out access of the super luxe Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe is hard to beat, but booking a condo in town is only a short gondola ride away from the slopes, and provides direct access to the village’s relaxed mountain nightlife.

Powder Mountain Ski Resort

Best for: Terrain
Location: Utah
Nearest airport: Ogden-Hinckley Airport (OGD) or Salt Lake City International (SLC)

Anyone who is coming to Powder Mountain knows it’s the best kept secret in the state, but the secret is getting out on this no-frills, all-thrills resort. Compared to its sister slopes of Park City, Sundance, and Snowbasin the journey to Powder Mountain is a trek, as the road to get to the resort has one of the steepest gradients in Utah, at an average of 14 per cent. Once you get to the top, you simply gear up and head down the mountain – from two of the three parking areas in Powder Mountain, you ski down to the chair lifts. Even at the lifts, it’s rare to see a queue because they limit ticket sales each day to keep crowds sparse.

This 8,464-acre resort is the largest ski resort in America, with an extensive network of backcountry runs and snowcat skiing options to help skiers find fresh powder. Head to Hidden Lake Lodge for an après dinner, where indoor and outdoor tables set the scene for some of the best barbacoa burritos around. For live music, many skiers end up dancing on the tables at the Powder Keg once the lifts close. Lodging is limited to condo rentals near the lifts, but a short drive to Huntsville will have you sleeping among the craft-brew drinking crowd at Compass Rose Lodge.

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