This mostly mellow, mid-size ski area is a haven for families, especially those on a budget—Sunlight's adult ticket prices are $55 a day; multi-day rates are even less. In addition, economical Ski/Swim/Stay packages save you even more. Still, there are several short but genuinely super-steep runs that will intimidate all but the really skilled. Sunlight is also ideal for sometime skiers who want to combine downhill sliding with dips in the famous Hot Springs Pool, strolling around Glenwood Springs' pleasant downtown, and even hopping a low-cost bus to Aspen for a day of shopping and sightseeing.

Where: 157 miles from Denver via I-70, 10 miles outside of Glenwood Springs.

What's There: 2,010-foot vertical drop, 67 trails, 470 acres, one triple chairlift, two doubles, and a snowboard park.