Skiing in North America
Skiing is one of North America’s most popular winter tourist attractions. Most North American ski resorts also provide lessons and offer several other winter activities such as snowboarding and tobogganing. With an abundance of restaurants and resorts where visitors can enjoy hot chocolate in front of a warm fireplace after a day on the slopes, you don’t even need to come for the skiing.
Jackson Hole - Wyoming, US: Signs hanging above Jackson Hole’s tram dock and printed on t-shirts describe these Wyoming slopes as being ‘like nothing you have skied before.’ Only two of Jackson Hills’ slopes are beginner hills, while the rest are only recommended for intermediate and expert skiers.
Killington - Vermont, US: The eastern US’ largest ski resort has something for everyone, featuring seven distinct peaks for skiers of all levels and a friendly party atmosphere.
Mammoth mountain - California, US: California’s favorite ski resort lives up to its name. The Panoramic Gondola takes skiers up to the top of this 11,053ft mountain. Steep and rocky Hangman’s Hollow is Mammoth’s most famous run, which most locals won’t attempt unless there’s a sizable amount of new snow to guarantee a soft landing.
Snowbird - Utah, US: This top-rated ski resort an hour from Salt Lake City is known for its heavy, dry, and fluffy lake effect snowfall which kept skiers on the slopes as late as early July. The 11,000ft Hidden Peak is the highest among 89 runs.
Aspen - Colorado, US: One of the world’s famous and most star-studded ski resorts, Aspen offers visitors a more casual atmosphere in the colorful downtown. Despite Aspen having four main mountains, many say the best skiing of all can be found in the nearby resort of Snowmass.
Squaw Valley - California, US: Best known as the host of two Olympics and the birthplace of extreme skiing, Squaw Valley also offers many options for novice and intermediate skiers and has a renowned ski and snowboard school.
Sun Valley - Idaho, US: Sun Valley’s visitors include Olympic athletes, Hollywood celebrities, and 2004 US presidential candidate John Kerry. Challenging Bald Mountain has been called the world’s best single ski mountain, while Dollar Mountain is recommended for less experienced skiers.
Vail - Colorado, US: Containing the country’s biggest ski school and more ski terrain than any other resort in the world, Vail offers something for everyone. This famous resort is both a comfortable place for beginners to learn how to ski and a challenging adventure for experts.
Whistler-Blackcomb - British Columbia, Canada: The future home of the 2010 Olympics ski events, this resort outside of Vancouver is one of Canada’s most popular. Challenging Seventh Heaven and Glacier Express are Whistler’s most famous runs, and snowfall is generally good.
Lake Louise Mountain Resort - Alberta, Canada: This Banff National Park ski resort is an hour’s drive west of Banff itself, and offers 139 ski runs of all difficulty levels. The gondola is open year-round and although summer visitors won’t be able to ski, they can still soak in the panoramic scenery.
Mont Tremblant - Quebec, Canada: Ski Magazine named Mont Tremblant eastern North America’s top ski resort eight years in a row. Mont Tremblant offers over 600 ski and snowboarding trail acres, as well as a popular pedestrian village open year-round.