With snow already falling all over the U.S., it is clear that ski season is in full swing, and with winter still more than a month and a half away, ski bums and bunnies have plenty of great months on the slope ahead. To that end, Outside Magazine has published their list of the 16 best ski resorts in North America, just in time for you to start planning your first weekend in the mountains.
As you might expect, the majority of the resorts are found in the western United States, with Colorado and Utah particularly well represented. Some of the places that make the cut include the iconic Alta/Snowbird, which averages an astonishing 500 inches of snow per year and Snowmass in Aspen, which combines great skiing with luxury living. Our neighbors to the north get some love too, with Whistler-Blackcomb and Revelstoke Mountain Resort, earning nods. Both are located in British Columbia for those looking for a Canadian escape.
The rest of the list includes Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Alyeska Resort, Alaska; Silverton Mountain, Colorado; Breckenridge, Colorado; Park City, Utah; Power Mountain, Utah; Bridger Bowl, Montana; Crested Butte, Colorado; Steamboat, Colorado; Taos, New Mexico, and Mammoth Mountain, California. And just to prove that not all of the fun is out west, Jay Peak, Vermont makes the list as the lone resort in the Eastern United States, proving that you don’t have to go a long way to get a superior experience on the slopes.
So, did your favorite resort make the list? Which of these have you been to? What did they leave off the list?