Durango, CO

This friendly resort in southwestern Colorado is a charmer with a reputation for the mildest, sunniest weather, but still with good snow. The beguiling terrain ranges from a separate beginner area to mogul-dotted steeps. The delightful town of Durango offers economical lodging and plenty of ...

Nederland, CO

Close to Denver and just 21 miles from Boulder (you can even get here via Boulder bus), this frills-free area offers unsurpassed convenience. The frontside trails are narrow classics cascading down to a small base complex, while Corona Bowl and the Indian Peaks Area on the backside offer true ...

Alta, WY

If it's powder that you are searching for, Grand Targhee, on the western slopes of the Tetons and an hour's drive from Jackson, is a must-visit. "Snow from heaven, not hoses" is Targhee's mantra. There is not a single snowmaking machine anywhere on the mountain and Targhee still has more snow ...

Calgary, AB

Those who hanker to explore little-known resorts need to try the Kananaskis Valley, site of Nakiska ski area. It was built for the Alpine events of the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games and provides miles of tree-lined trails on a 2,412-foot vertical mountain. Its three high-speed quads, one double chair, and two magic carpets transport skiers to 71 marked trails on 1,021 acres. ...

Lake Louise, AB

Of the Banff-Lake Louise area's three ski resorts, Lake Louise is the biggest, weighing in at a whopping 4,200 acres. It posts some other impressive stats, too, including a summit elevation of 8,650 feet, a longest run of five miles, ten lifts to take you to all corners, plus two mid-mountain ...

Georgetown, CO

Loveland, the ski area that arcs across the east side of the Eisenhower Tunnel along Interstate 70, is one of Colorado's highest areas in terms of both altitude and annual snowfall. Chair 9 takes skiers and riders higher than any other four-passenger chairlift in the world. Loveland's terrain ...

Monarch, CO

This high, snow-blessed resort is a small and casual ski area whose vertical is modest and nearest lodging is three miles down the road, but it also carries a big reputation for excellent snow. In addition to lift-served skiing and snowboarding on a high bowl, Monarch operates snowcat tours for ...

Big Sky, MT

Every good ski area has a split personality—part nurturer, part dominatrix. But no resort behaves more like Jekyll and Hyde than Moonlight Basin, the resort 45 miles south of Bozeman that shares a boundary with Big Sky. First it lulls you, then it tries to kill you.

The lull part: ...

Sandpoint, ID

Schweitzer is big—2,900 skiable acres—and it's coming on big in the minds of destination skiers. Families who have gone to the central Rockies for years for their annual ski vacations are gravitating to the Selkirks at the western edge of the northern Rockies. Arctic air fluffs up the ...

Silverton, CO

The name evokes reverence among even the most extreme shredders. Silverton Mountain, with its legendary powder, steeps, and rocky chutes, is a proving ground for the most experienced skiers and snowboarders. "Even top pros have gotten scared up on the mountain," says Jen Brill, Silverton's ...