Best Ski Resort (2021)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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