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Ski areas all across the USA and Canada have been excitedly preparing for their winter season. We wanted to find the best of the best in North American ski resorts, so we asked a panel of skiing and snowboarding experts to nominate their favorites–mountains that offer serious snowfall, varied terrain, lots of lift access and so much more. Then we invited our readers to vote for the 10 best.
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Winter Park Resort
Winter Park, Colo.
The 3,081 acres of terrain at Winter Park is divided into seven distinct territories – glade skiing in Eagle Wind Territory, bowls in Parsenn Bowl, jumps and jibs in Terrain Park Territory, steeps and deeps in Cirque, the bumps of Mary Jane, black diamonds of Winter Park and the powder stashes of Vasquez Ridge. Skiers and riders have 166 named trails to choose from, accessed by 25 lifts.
Photo courtesy of Winter Park Resort
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Sunshine Village
Banff, Alberta
Skiers and snowboarders at Sunshine Village in Banff are treated to Canada’s only heated chairlift. The resort’s three mountains – Goat’s Eye, Lookout and Mount Standish – offer more than 3,500 acres of skiable terrain.
Photo courtesy of Sunshine Village
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Palisades Tahoe
Olympic Valley, Calif.
Three-time winner of the Readers' Choice award for Best Ski Resort sits between Truckee and Tahoe City, where skiers and riders enjoy some 6,000 acres of terrain, including 16 bowls, 270 trails and 42 lifts ferrying visitors to the top of the dual resorts, accessible on the same lift ticket.
Photo courtesy of Ben Arnst / Palisades Tahoe
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Mount Bohemia
Lac La Belle, Michigan
Michigan might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think skiing, but Mount Bohemia is a hidden gem for extreme mountain sports. Located on the Upper Peninsula, this resort features some of the longest runs, highest verticals and deepest powder in the Midwest, with 273 inches of average annual snowfall.
Photo courtesy of Joey Wallis / Mount Bohemia
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Kirkwood Mountain Resort
Kirkwood, California
At Kirkwood, skiers and boarders enjoy 2,000 feet of vertical drop and more than 2,300 acres of terrain with something for every ability level. The mountain receives an annual average of 354 inches of snowfall, creating excellent conditions throughout the season. The resort’s five peaks all top out at over 9,000 feet.
Photo courtesy of Kirkwood Mountain Resort
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Copper Mountain
Copper Mountain, Colorado
Copper Mountain offers 140 trails serviced by 23 lifts covering 2,490 acres of skiable terrain. The parks and pipes at Copper Mountain put their focus on progression, allowing newbie freestylers to move from easy features to larger, more difficult ones. March is typically the snowiest month – perfect for some spring skiing.
Photo courtesy of Copper Mountain
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Brundage Mountain Ski Resort
McCall, Idaho
This independently-owned resort in Central Idaho gets more than 320 inches of snow at its base each year. That means skiers and snowboarders enjoy powdery glades and wide groomed runs along 69 named trails spanning 1921 lift-accessible acres. An additional 18,000 acres of backcountry terrain is accessible via the resort’s guided Snowcat Adventures.
Photo courtesy of Brundage Mountain - John Webster Photography
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Stowe Mountain Resort
Stowe, Vt.
Divided over two mountains, Stowe Mountain Resort offers East Coast residents and visitors 116 named trails spread out over 485 acres of terrain, much of it geared toward intermediate and advanced skiers. Six terrain parks keep freestylers happy, while four interconnected Nordic areas attract cross country skiers from around the globe.
Photo courtesy of iStock / DonLand
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Lake Louise Ski Resort
Lake Louise, Alberta
The biggest ski resort in the Canadian Rockies boasts 4,200 acres of skiable terrain, 145 marked runs and back bowls, 10 lifts (including one gondola) and a 3,250-foot vertical drop. The vast and varied terrain is all easily accessible, with runs for all levels from every chair.
Photo courtesy of Lake Louise Ski Resort
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Revelstoke Mountain Resort
Revelstoke, B.C.
With North America's greatest vertical – 5,620 feet – Revelstoke Mountain Resort offers 3,121 skiable acres, in addition to cat skiing and heli skiing, making it one of Canada's best. Combine that with the area's big powder dumps, and you have a giant playground worthy of any powder hound's bucket list. With 93 percent of the terrain rated for intermediate and advanced skiers and riders, this is certainly a resort for adrenaline junkies.
Photo courtesy of iStock / stockstudioX
The top 10 winners in the category Best Ski Resort are as follows:
- Winter Park Resort - Winter Park, Colorado
- Sunshine Village - Banff, Alberta
- Palisades Tahoe - Olympic Valley, California
- Mount Bohemia - Lac La Belle, Michigan
- Kirkwood Mountain Resort - Kirkwood, California
- Copper Mountain - Copper Mountain, Colorado
- Brundage Mountain Ski Resort - McCall, Idaho
- Stowe Mountain Resort - Stowe, Vermont
- Lake Louise Ski Resort - Lake Louise, Alberta
- Revelstoke Mountain Resort - Revelstoke, B.C.
Congratulations to all these winning ski resorts!
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The Experts
10Best Editors
10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased... Read More
10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
Kristen Lummis
Kristen Lummis is a freelance writer based in... Read More
Kristen Lummis is a freelance writer based in Colorado focused on skiing and outdoor adventure. In addition to producing her award-winning website, braveskimom.com, Lummis writes for FIS (International Ski Federation), Liftopia and several regional Colorado magazines.
Kristen Lummis
Kristen Lummis is a freelance writer based in Colorado focused on skiing and outdoor adventure. In addition to producing her award-winning website, braveskimom.com, Lummis writes for FIS (International Ski Federation), Liftopia and several regional Colorado magazines.
Lyndell Keating
Lyndell Keating is one of the directors of Read More
Lyndell Keating is one of the directors of Powderhounds, a ski and snowboard travel website that reviews snow destinations around the world to facilitate readers in their pursuit of the perfect powder stash. Lyndell has skied at 200-plus ski resorts and a multitude of cat skiing, heli skiing and backcountry bucket list areas.
Lyndell Keating
Lyndell Keating is one of the directors of Powderhounds, a ski and snowboard travel website that reviews snow destinations around the world to facilitate readers in their pursuit of the perfect powder stash. Lyndell has skied at 200-plus ski resorts and a multitude of cat skiing, heli skiing and backcountry bucket list areas.