A complete guide to skiing in America, from the best resorts to saving money
CTO International
To most people contemplating a ski trip to America, it comes as a surprise to learn that this is where skiing began as a sport – rather than as a means of winter transport.
During the 1849 California Gold Rush in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Norwegian-born miners carved long skis and raced each other downhill for at least 40 years before the sport took off in Europe. There was even a fabled postman, nicknamed Snowshoe Thompson. In 1856, he skied 100 miles through the Sierra Nevada mountains from Placerville, California to deliver Christmas letters and parcels to snowbound miners in Genoa, Nevada.
Today, you can ski in around 480 resorts in 37 states. However, only a few of these are truly worthy of the long journey across the Atlantic for a ski holiday.
From meals to automobiles, we’re hardwired to the American concept that biggest must mean best. However, the second reality check is the relatively small size of even the most famous of these resorts when compared with ski areas closer to home. In Europe, you can ski seamlessly in the Portes du Soleil area in a dozen resorts, spanning France and Switzerland, linked by nearly 200 lifts. By comparison, Park City in Utah has the most lifts in America with just 42, while Vail, Colorado, has 34 and world-famous Jackson Hole, Wyoming, only 13.
But don’t imagine that the North American ski experience is inferior. It’s just, in so many ways, entirely different. The quality of the powder in the Rocky Mountains is far drier than in the Alps, and the process of turning in deep snow is effortless, even for non-experts. In Taos in New Mexico, I’ve skied perfect pistes above the cacti-dotted desert and adobe pueblos. In Mammoth in California, I asked my partner to marry me as we wallowed in deep powder past an active geothermal steam vent.
The biggest difference is the single corporate ownership of most resorts; having one company that owns everything from ski lifts and accommodation to restaurants, ski schools, childcare and equipment rental streamlines the whole holiday.
What never ceases to impress is the cuteness and plain friendliness of it all: lift queues are immaculately marshalled; strangers smile and talk to each other; on a bitterly cold day, there’s a warmth in the stateside holiday atmosphere that’s too often absent in Europe. Here’s how to experience it for yourself.
CTO International
Where to go
Colorado
Denver, the Mile High City, has the main international airport. Direct flights from the UK and links via Chicago and other hubs make this the best place to start exploring ski resorts in the Rockies, where snow cover is reliable.
First up is Aspen, once the world’s silver-mining capital and sometimes unfairly depicted as Hollywood-on-Ice. Yes, it attracts an abundance of celebrities and wealthy movie moguls, but that’s because it’s home to both sublime creature comforts and some of the best skiing in the US.
For the full experience, stay in the old Victorian town. However, Snowmass (one of its four areas) has the biggest variety of terrain and is a purpose-built resort in its own right. Be aware, driving time from Denver to Aspen is around four hours – the time-poor can take a local 30-minute flight from Denver to Aspen’s own airport.
Vail, the corporate capital of American skiing, lies half the distance from Denver and is Aspen’s swanky rival. Its so-called Bavarian architecture (they mean Tirolean) is oddly out of place here in the Wild West. But the quality and extent of the skiing for all standards is superb and its back bowls are legendary. Beaver Creek, a 15-minute drive away, is the rich and beautiful neighbour with a more intimate atmosphere.
Nearby stablemates Breckenridge and Keystone are less expensive and provide plenty of intermediate skiing. Much closer to Denver and connected to the city by rail, Winter Park is a family resort with more moderate prices. However, its proximity to the state capital means it can be busy at weekends.
The 19th-century mining town of Telluride has more history and charm than any other resort in the US. This is where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid robbed the San Miguel Bank of $24,000, and Jack Dempsey washed dishes in a brothel before finding gold with his fists. The skiing suits all standards. For atmosphere, stay in the old town rather than in the purpose-built resort up the mountain.
Unless stated otherwise, prices are per person for seven nights, based on two sharing, including flights and transfers.
Wyoming
Jackson Hole is the primary destination here and the most popular with British visitors. There are other resorts in the state, such as Grand Targhee, renowned for its deep powder, which is an hour’s drive from Jackson and best visited for a day. Snow King is the ski area above the town of Jackson, which is also worthy of a morning or afternoon.
But the incomparable Jackson Hole is the main course that’s brought you all this way from home. Importantly you can fly directly into its own airport. Herds of elk and the occasional moose can be seen from the runway, fringed by the majesty of the Teton mountains, which offer some of the most challenging skiing in the country.
First, you have to decide where you want to stay: either in the town of Jackson with its boardwalks and colourful cowboy saloons, or around the ski base of Teton Village, a 20-minute drive away. Both have a variety of hotels and restaurants. Teton Village is more convenient for dedicated skiers.
The resort has only 13 lifts and 2,500 acres of terrain. However, the off-piste is so varied and demanding it will keep any strong skier happy for a week… or even a season. Yes, there’s also scope for intermediates and even for complete beginners. Corbet’s Couloir, the fabled chute that is normally reached via a 2m (6ft 6in) jump off a cornice, gets the headlines.
Unless stated otherwise, prices are per person for seven nights, based on two sharing, including flights and transfers.
Chris Pearson / Ski Utah
Utah
Fly to Salt Lake City and half a dozen ski resorts lie within a 45-minute drive. Park City is an attractive Victorian mining town with an impressive 42-lift ski area. You are in the heart of teetotal Mormon territory here, but provided you are over 21 and can prove it, buying alcohol is relatively hassle-free for visitors.
The adjoining resort of Deer Valley is renowned for the immaculate grooming of its trails and guests alike. Alta and Snowbird are more hardcore and have earned themselves the reputation of being the powder capital of the world. They receive 30 per cent more of it than Park City and around twice that of some resorts in Colorado. Deer Valley and Alta continue to ban snowboarding, but riders are welcome in Snowbird. Smaller Solitude and Brighton are worth a visit, along with Snowbasin and Powder Mountain.
Unless stated otherwise, prices are per person for seven nights, based on two sharing, including flights and transfers.
California/Nevada
The shores of Lake Tahoe are home to a dozen resorts reached from Reno or San Francisco. Heavenly, at South Lake Tahoe, is the most famous of these and hugs the state line between Nevada and California. From on high, you are treated to views of the turquoise lake in one direction and the arid brown of the Nevada Desert in the other. At street level, it’s wall-to-wall casinos in Nevada and an altogether more relaxed lakeside ambience in California. Snow cover is usually reliable, but the quality depends on fluctuating air temperature. When it’s moist, the snow can turn to what the locals call “Sierra cement”, which challenges even the best technique.
Take a trip across the lake to Palisades Tahoe (formerly called Squaw Valley). It now operates as one resort with adjoining Alpine Meadows and makes an equally fine base for all skill levels. The most challenging terrain lies 45 minutes from South Lake Tahoe at Kirkwood. Don’t miss out on a day at family-oriented Northstar and Sierra-at-Tahoe.
Mammoth Mountain has the most reliable snow, with skiing up to 3,369m and 25 lifts. When it’s not snowing, the resort averages 300 sunshine days per year. The season lasts from November until as late as Independence Day on July 4. It’s great skiing for all, but the only problem is its remote location above the town of Mammoth Lakes. Fortunately, there are limited services from LAX to Mammoth Yosemite Airport (10 miles) or Bishop Airport (48 miles).
Unless stated otherwise, prices are per person for seven nights, based on two sharing, including flights and transfers.
Idaho
Sun Valley is the oldest and one of the more remote resorts in the United States, and has been steeped in stardom since 1936. Averell Harriman, then chairman of the Union Pacific Railroad, wanted to create a homegrown St Moritz, where Hollywood could rough it in luxury.
Ernest Hemingway wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls in room 206 of the palatial Sun Valley Lodge, and if you think you recognise the face of your chairlift companion, you’re probably right. Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable are no longer with us, but Tom Hanks and Arnold Schwarzenegger are regulars. Incidentally, the chairlift was invented here.
The best of the mainly intermediate skiing lies on Bald Mountain, above the vibrant Victorian town of Ketchum, which is the best place to stay.
Unless stated otherwise, prices are per person for seven nights, based on two sharing, including flights and transfers.
Montana
Big Sky, the state’s principal resort, lies on the edge of Yellowstone National Park and is reached from Bozeman International Airport. With 5,850 skiable acres and more than 10m of snow each year, Big Sky provides plenty of intermediate skiing amid gloriously dramatic scenery.
If Big Sky joined up with its neighbour, it would become the largest resort in North America. But that’s unlikely because that neighbour is the world’s only private ski resort. Yellowstone Club is an exclusive gated community with its own lifts, real estate, airstrip, and fire/ambulance services, along with 100 trails set in 2,900 skiable acres for the super-wealthy.
Unless stated otherwise, prices are per person for seven nights, based on two sharing, including flights and transfers.
New Mexico
Taos is out on a limb in a state not renowned for its winter sports. Flying into Albuquerque airport with a ski bag and a helmet hanging from your backpack raises a few eyebrows. But the snowfields of the magical Sangre de Cristo mountains lie an 18-mile drive up from the cactus and sage of the desert floor.
The ancient town, with its adobe buildings, is rich in Native American sculpture. DH Lawrence, Georgia O’Keeffe and frontiersman Kit Carson all made their homes here. Snow cover is fairly reliable. While there’s some easy terrain, this resort suits those looking for deep powder and steep challenges.
Unless stated otherwise, prices are per person for seven nights, based on two sharing, including flights and transfers.
Vermont, Maine & New Hampshire
With 51 ski resorts, interestingly, New York has more ski resorts than any other state. However, the pick of East coast skiing is to be found in Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire.
Killington and Stowe in Vermont stand head and shoulders above the rest, followed by Sunday River and Sugarloaf in Maine. New Hampshire has Mount Washington, Cannon Mountain and Loon Mountain, as well as Waterville Valley, which is a popular family resort close to Boston.
For all of these, the journey to Boston is much shorter than to Denver. The terrain suits all standards, but it’s colder, and the snow quality does not match the Rockies. The slopes can be icy and are a test of technique.
Unless stated otherwise, prices are per person for seven nights, based on two sharing, including flights and transfers.
Oregon
The biggest resort here is Mount Bachelor, with 4,300 acres of landscape – it’s renowned for its backcountry terrain and the quality of the powder. However, Timberline Lodge, on 3,425m Mount Hood, is internationally known as the only resort in North America with year-round skiing. American national ski teams train here in the summer. Mount Hood Meadows is the largest resort on the mountain, with more varied intermediate terrain. Portland Airport is an hour’s drive away.
Unless stated otherwise, prices are per person for seven nights, based on two sharing, including flights and transfers.
Alaska
Alyeska is the resort here with international fame. It lies 40 miles south of Anchorage and offers intermediate and advanced terrain, including the longest double-black-diamond trail in the country. But you don’t come all the way up here just to ski trails confined to resorts. Alaska is about heli-skiing and attracts aficionados from all over the world to the fabled powder fields near Valdez and the old Gold Rush town of Girdwood.
Unless stated otherwise, prices are per person for seven nights, based on two sharing, including flights and transfers.
How to do it
When to go
In most American resorts, the ski season mirrors Europe’s – running from late November until April. Jackson Hole closes its lifts in late March, before the elk migration begins. Skiing continues at Timberline Lodge throughout the year. Heli-skiing in Alaska starts in February, because daylight is restricted to around four hours in December and January.
The best time for light powder is January and February. Try to avoid national holidays – Americans have limited annual leave and tend to tag extra days onto bank holidays. Busy periods are Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday in November), Christmas, New Year and President’s Weekend (Monday, February 17 in 2025).
When to book
The earlier you book, the more certain you will be to secure the accommodation you want and get the best deals on transatlantic flights. Provided you avoid the peak holiday periods listed above, you can often book at the last minute. Most accommodation is not subject to the sale prices we see in Europe during the second half of the season.
How to get there
The number of tour operators and agencies offering ski holiday packages to the United States has dwindled in recent years to a handful of specialists. These include: Ski Safari (01273 224060); Ski Independence (0131 243 8097) ; Frontier Ski (020 8776 8709; Sno (020 7770 6888); Ski Solutions (020 7471 7700); Igluski (020 3811 4171); Crystal Ski (020 3451 2821); and Skiworld (0333 254 3947). You can, of course, book independently by booking the airline, car rental and accommodation directly.
How much does it cost?
For flights, accommodation and travel to ski resorts in Colorado, expect to pay from £2,000 per person for a three-star hotel. At the higher end of the scale, in Vail you will pay £6,200-9,400 for a five-star. California tends to be less expensive, but the flight is longer. You should bear in mind that hotel, restaurant and resort staff, including ski instructors, expect a tip of 15 to 20 per cent. Leave a budget for lift passes, equipment rental, ski lessons, childcare and insurance – all of which cost more than in Europe.
Taking the family
You can learn to ski in Europe, but it’s more fun in the US – especially if you’re a small child. Somehow US instructors manage to transform lessons into a game. Sure, the shared language helps, but there’s an affinity with young children that you don’t necessarily find nearer home.
The downside is the high price. A one-day lesson for a child aged seven-plus (9.15am to 3pm, with lunch) varies by date and resort. Over February half-term expect to pay $274 in Winter Park, $290 in Aspen and $449 in Vail. On top of that, your child’s instructor will also expect a 15 to 20 per cent tip.
But toasting marshmallows over fire pits, skiing on adventure trails and Wild West forts, along with perhaps the chance to see moose and elk in the wild, makes it the trip of a lifetime.
Insider skier tips
Lift passes
A lift ticket in America can cost up to four times the price of its European counterpart. Always avoid extortionate prices in the resort by looking out for online discounts in advance. If travelling with a tour operator, it’s likely you’ll get the best deal by buying your pass through the company. It may be advantageous to buy a multi-resort pass: check out Ikon Pass and Epic Pass.
Insurance
Medical costs are stratospherically high and adequate ski travel insurance is essential. Ensure that your policy covers the US (not just Europe) and provides sufficient third-party cover (e.g. if you accidentally injure somebody else).
Piste grading
Trail grooming in America is immaculate, but the trail marking system is different from Europe. A piste map will include the following labels: green circle indicates easy slopes; intermediate trails are labelled blue; there is no red; black-diamond is difficult; double-black-diamond is more difficult; occasionally, you will come across a triple-black-diamond, which means very difficult.
Ski area boundaries
In the US, if a run is closed, it means just that. Going “under the ropes” lays you open to losing your lift ticket or even arrest and jail. You can ski in ungroomed areas within the resort’s boundary; however, you can only leave the boundary through controlled gates. You need to be properly equipped with appropriate safety equipment for backcountry skiing, and you should be accompanied by a qualified guide.
Know before you go
You must have either an Esta, a visa waiver, or a visa. Fill in the form at least 72 hours before travel. Cost is $21.
Time zone (GMT): Colorado, –7hrs; Boston, –5hrs; San Francisco, –8hrs; Anchorage, –9hrs
Currency: US dollar. Use cards everywhere, but take a wad of small bills for tipping
Dialling code: 001
Emergency number: 911
Meet our expert
In a lifetime as a professional ski nomad, Peter Hardy has visited 528 ski resorts worldwide and co-written 25 books on skiing. Val d’Isère, France, is his spiritual snow home and when he’s not skiing Peter continues to write guides to resorts across Europe and North America and share his expert advice from the slopes.
