Whistler, BC

Welcome to Whistler/Blackcomb, Land of Oz. Like Oz, Whistler is a magical place—especially when the guy behind the curtain lets the sun out. The stats foreshadow the enormity of the possibilities.

Whistler and Blackcomb are separate mountains and were once separate, competing ...

Aspen, CO

Aspen is Colorado skiing at its most fulfilled—epic terrain with plenty of variety, an apres-ski and town scene that pulls celebs and stargazers alike, and customer service that should serve as the benchmark for all North American resorts, including "ski ambassadors" who give complimentary ...

South Lake Tahoe, CA, CA

Heavenly is unique in that it sprawls across state boundaries. Part of the ski area is in California and part is in Nevada, and for my money, the Nevada part is the better part. The fall line is more sustained, meaning that runs tend to be longer.

For novice skiers, Heavenly can be ...

Park City, UT

Appearances can deceive—from the parking lot of Park City Mountain Resort, the main allure appears to be the massive half pipe, which dwarfs the surrounding mountain, a lazy-looking stretch of rolling hills interlaced with lifts. Don't be fooled, however. Hop on the King Con high-speed quad ...

Mont-Tremblant, QU

It wasn't long ago that Tremblant appeared destined for obscurity; then Intrawest, the company that turned Whistler Blackcomb into an elite resort, took over in the early 1990s. The new owners have poured roughly $500 million into Tremblant, turning the base village into a replica of a Paris ...

Breckenridge, CO

Breckenridge is a charming Victorian town with lift-served skiing on four interconnected mountains. There’s easy-street skiing and snowboarding on Peak 9, tough stuff on Peak 10, and splendid backcountry-style skiing on Peak 7—155 trails in total, with a vertical rise of over 3,000 ...

Avon, CO

Vail is the 800-pound gorilla of American skiing. This massive mountain is all things to all skiers and riders—a soothing beginner environment, a nurturing place for small fries to make their first turns, a mountain full of electrifying challenges, and most of all, a huge ski area with ...

Killington, VT

It's difficult to say anything about Killington—because everything applies. This beast of the East is the region's largest resort, and it offers something for everyone. With the recent addition of neighboring Pico, there are now seven distinct peaks to explore. Not only can you find what ...

You could just go to Chamonix for the views; tucked in a steep-walled valley, the resort is flanked by Europe's highest mountains, among them the monumental slab of rock that is Mont Blanc. However, Chamonix is also the Never Never Land of "if you fall, you die" skiing. Needless to say, if you ...

Hunter, NY

Hidden beneath the tumult, the crowds, the singles scene, and the beehive atmosphere lies one fine ski hill. Intermediate trails are plentiful and alluring, and there's enough challenging terrain to keep advanced skiers very happy. High-speed chairlifts have eased the lift-line backups, but ...