Our criteria for the Best United States Ski Resorts gives greater consideration to: annual snow fall, vertical rise, facilities/amenities, and scenery.
Our choices for the Best
United States Ski Resorts
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Alta, Utah
Trails: Beginner: 25% - Intermediate:40% - Expert: 35%
Adult daily lift ticket: $64 (2008/2009), Annual snow fall: 500 inches, Vertical drop: 2,020 ft.; 2,200 acres
This is old fashioned skiing, it's secluded, un crowded, slow lifts, low prices, and one of the highest snowfalls in the world. Snow boarders are not allowed.
They have excellent variety of terrain with narrow chutes through the trees, twisting trails, bowls, and bump runs.
Aspen, Colorado
Adult daily lift ticket: $82 (2008/2009), Annual snow fall: 300 inches, Vertical drop:3,267ft., 4,100 acres
Aspen Highlands
Trails: Beginner: 18% - Intermediate: 30% - Expert: 52%
Aspen Mountain
Trails: Intermediate:48% - Expert: 52%
Aspen has four world-class mountains with a great variety of skiing for all abilities. It's known for ambience and variety, with a charming Victorian ski village in a backdrop of beautiful natural scenery. Aspen Highlands and Aspen Mountain caters to the expert and intermediate skiers, while Buttermilk is for less experienced skiers. Twenty minutes away you can ski Snowmass, an excellent mountain for skiers of all levels.
Crested Butte, Colorado
Trails: Beginner: 23% - Intermediate: 57% - Expert: 20%
Adult daily lift ticket: $82 (2008/2009), Annual snow fall: 300 inches, Vertical drop: 2,775 ft.; 1,125acres
Crested Butte is differs from some of the other popular ski resorts in that it is less glitzy, with a laid back, friendly atmosphere, and charm of an old western mining town. Being away from populated areas, ii is a destination only resort area. On one hand there's not much else to do but ski, but if you come to ski, you will experience short lift lines with lot's of runs each day. It offers a variety of trails for all levels, and has a mid mountain lodge for beginners and intermediates with food service and outdoor seating.
Expert skiers are attracted by the large expanse of open skiing on the north face.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Trails: Beginner: 10% - Intermediate:40% - Expert: 50%
Adult daily lift ticket: $87 (2008/2009), Annual snow fall: 459 inches, Vertical drop: 4,139 ft.; 2,500 acres
This is an advanced skiers paradise with some of the most difficult terrain in the U.S. It is home to the longest and steepest vertical drops in the country. Beginner and intermediate skiers have 22 miles of machine-groomed runs. The new aerial tram at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort that will open for the 2008/09 season will be faster and twice the size of the original, carrying 100 passengers, soaring 4,139 vertical feet in 9 minutes. At the base, Teton Village, is a charming village with shops, restaurants, and lodgeing.of lodging, shops and restaurants.
Park City Mountain, Utah
Trails: Beginner: 18% - Intermediate:44% - Expert: 38%
Adult daily lift ticket: $83 (2008/2009), Annual snow fall: 355 inches, Vertical drop: 3,100 ft.; 3,300 acres
This world class ski resort, the largest in Utah is known for having lots of powder snow, has wide appeal with skiers of all levels and is one of the best ski resorts for a family vacation.
The mountain is wide and steep, and offers some of the most varied terrain in the Wasatch range. The town has many charming shops, art galleries, restaurants, and an active nightlife.
Vail, Colorado
Trails: Beginner: 9% - Intermediate: 31% - Expert: 60%
Adult daily lift ticket: $92 (2007/2008), Annual snow fall: 346 inches, Vertical drop: 3,450 ft.; 5,289 acres
This is the largest single ski area in the United States, and one of the world's largest area of groomed terrain. Vail is composed of three distinct mountain experiences: Vail is an intermediate skiers paradise having 34 lifts serving 5,289 acres of terrain.The Front Side has 14 high speed lifts, wide open, and has a tremendous variety of gentle beginner slopes, glades, and moguls. The Legendary Back Bowls are powder heaven and stretch more than six miles wide. Blue Sky Basin is home to 645 acres of natural, gladed terrain for intermediate and advanced levels. And there's Vail Village with world-class dining, shopping, spas, galleries, apres ski and nightlife.
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