Kelowna, BC

Big White boasts just that: "We use only dry, natural Okanagan Powder," is what their literature says. The village sits at 5,800 feet (the highest base area in B.C.), and the lifts carry skiers up to 7,500 feet. That's the same elevation as Whistler and Blackcomb, but the air and snow are ...

Jackson, Carroll, NH

Just a short trip outside Jackson, Black Mountain Resort—nestled in the Mount Washington Valley—has been revived by new family ownership dedicated to eliminating the most infuriating aspect of skiing: high cost. In business for more than 60 years, Black Mountain is a laid-back, modest ...

Palmerton, PA

Just one hour north of Philadelphia, Blue Mountain boasts 1,082 feet of vertical—the region's largest—as well as some serious skiing ambience.

The trails are serviced by 13 lifts, including the region's only high-speed detachable six-seater. For newbies, Blue Mountain also ...

Boise, ID

Bogus Basin, 16.5 miles from Boise, is much more than you'd expect of a nine-chair mountain so close to a city. And, interestingly, Bogus is a nonprofit, charitable organization as well as a full-service destination resort.

Boise's Amtrak station brings in the destination skiers, and ...

Bolton, VT

Though it sounds impossible, Vermonters have been able to keep the 5,000-acre stretch of pristine wilderness that includes Bolton Valley largely to themselves. The resort is the kind of place that hosts local high school ski-team practices, league races composed of corporate types from ...

Soda Springs, CA

With a vertical rise of just 500 feet, Boreal's emphasis is on terrain parks rather than expansive terrain, a place where snowboarders and new-school trick skiers in particular can get their kicks. But Boreal's real selling point is as a place for first-timers to learn to ski or snowboard. The ...

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 ...

Bretton Woods, NH

Now officially affiliated with the historic Mount Washington Resort, Bretton Woods specializes in keeping families happy. After recent expansions, it has become the largest ski area in New Hampshire with more than 460 acres of skiable terrain. Included in the expansions are ten lifts, snowmaking ...

With the Matterhorn looming above, you'll think you're in Switzerland, but Breuil-Cervinia--offering both something more and something less than you'll get elsewhere in the Alps--is definitely Italy. Most of Breuil-Cervinia's slopes are broad, wide open, and not too steep--ideal conditions for ...

Brian Head, UT

Brian Head has the highest base area of any resort in Utah. At 9,600 feet above sea level, it can be dizzying for the sea-level traveler. Brian Head is located approximately four hours south of Salt Lake City in the spectacular southern Utah canyon country. It is surrounded by Bryce Canyon, ...