Best Cross-Country Ski Resort (2016)

Inspired by The Sound of Music, the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe opened as the first cross country ski center in the U.S. Today, the resort boasts 37 miles (60 kilometers) of groomed trails and another 62 miles (100 kilometers) of backcountry trails suitable for skiers of multiple ability levels.
Photo courtesy of Trapp Family Lodge

The American Birkebeiner Trail, or 'The Birkie" for short, measures a whopping 66.5 miles (107 kilometers) in Wisconsin. Besides hosting one of North America's biggest cross country races, the 27K Birkie Classic, the trail attracts skiers of all types and ability levels.
Photo courtesy of ABSF

Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Area recently opened a new state-of-the-art facility for visiting skiers, which includes a bar, rental shop, lockers and an extensive retail section. But what skiers really come for are the 62 miles (100 kilometers) of trails winding through the Tahoe Donner area.
Photo courtesy of Tahoe Donner

With 68 miles (109 kilometers) of trails, Devil's Thumb Ranch in Colorado has become one of the nation's most popular destinations for Nordic skiing. Located on private land at the base of the Continental Divide, the ranch has something for everyone, including lessons, clinics and rentals.
Photo courtesy of Devil's Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa

SilverStar Mountain Resort in British Columbia is home to Canada's largest network of daily groomed Nordic trails. Dual mountain ski passes allow visitors to enjoy the 34 miles (55 kilometers) of trails at SilverStar in addition to 31 miles (50 kilometers) of trails at neighboring Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre.
Photo courtesy of MEC, Noel Hendrickson

Not far from Big Sky and Moonlight Basin, Lone Mountain Ranch maintains one of the best Nordic trail systems in the region (if not the country). Just 18 miles from Yellowstone, skiers will find more than 52 miles (85 kilometers) of trails, including the challenging 10-mile Siberia Trail.
Photo courtesy of Lone Mountain Ranch

At the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, skiers glide through deep woods and fields along 65 miles (105 kilometers) of groomed trails. Lessons and rentals are available for skiers of all abilities.
Photo courtesy of AP Photo/Craig Line

Tahoe isn't just for downhill skiers! With an average 500 annual inches of snowfall, more than 125 miles (200 kilometers) of trails and 6,000 acres of terrain, Royal Gorge Cross Country Resort has a trail for everyone (as well as nine warming huts for breaks along the way).
Photo courtesy of Daphne Hougard

Managed by the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation, the Jackson Ski Touring Center offers some of the East Coast's most popular groomed and backcountry trails, perfect for casual skiers and competitive racers. Sights along the trails are quintessentially New England: covered bridges, steepled churches and charming villages.
Photo courtesy of Jackson Ski Touring Center

Skiers at Mount Bachelor Nordic Center enjoy one of the longest groomed seasons on the continent, running from mid-November through May. Athletes can choose from a dozen different trails, and 35 miles of them are groomed each night. The longest trail, Oli's Alley measures over 7 miles with a 600-foot elevation change.
Photo courtesy of Brian Becker