This resort's close proximity to Glacier National Park affords some downright jaw-dropping views straight from the slopes. And if the towering, craggy peaks of the Flathead Range aren't enough to astound, skiers at Whitefish Mountain Resort will also shred through eerie yet spectacular fields of snow ghosts. A rarity in North America, these "ghosts" are pine and fir trees encased in snow and ice, formed into unusual, looming shapes by wind and sun.

Beyond aesthetics, one of the strongest cards in this ski area's hand is its sheer size. With 3,000 skiable acres, visitors will revel in wide-open spaces and a lack of crowds. An average day here brings 2,600 people to the slopes, a number that boils down to more than one roomy acre per skier.

Even the grizzly bears get some space at Whitefish, which is located about 60 miles south of the Canadian border. The mountain's Hellroaring Bowl, a protected grizzly habitat, closes to skiers each year on April 1 because these creatures begin to come out of hibernation.

Another unique feature: The mountain's peak lays down 360 degrees of skiing all around it; there are three skiable sides to the peak, including the front side, north side, and Hellroaring Basin. Skiers who want to take it all in will have to pocket three different maps and bone up on their navigational skills.

The front side, which faces south and is often sunnier and warmer, has everything from huge, groomed runs to glades, plus green, blue, and black trails. It also serves up some of the steepest and most challenging skiing on the mountain, including the North Bowl, which is densely dotted with black diamond runs.

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This resort's close proximity to Glacier National Park affords some downright jaw-dropping views straight from the slopes. And if the towering, craggy peaks of the Flathead Range aren't enough to astound, skiers at Whitefish Mountain Resort will also shred through eerie yet spectacular fields of snow ghosts. A rarity in North America, these "ghosts" are pine and fir trees encased in snow and ice, formed into unusual, looming shapes by wind and sun.

Beyond aesthetics, one of the strongest cards in this ski area's hand is its sheer size. With 3,000 skiable acres, visitors will revel in wide-open spaces and a lack of crowds. An average day here brings 2,600 people to the slopes, a number that boils down to more than one roomy acre per skier.

Even the grizzly bears get some space at Whitefish, which is located about 60 miles south of the Canadian border. The mountain's Hellroaring Bowl, a protected grizzly habitat, closes to skiers each year on April 1 because these creatures begin to come out of hibernation.

Another unique feature: The mountain's peak lays down 360 degrees of skiing all around it; there are three skiable sides to the peak, including the front side, north side, and Hellroaring Basin. Skiers who want to take it all in will have to pocket three different maps and bone up on their navigational skills.

The front side, which faces south and is often sunnier and warmer, has everything from huge, groomed runs to glades, plus green, blue, and black trails. It also serves up some of the steepest and most challenging skiing on the mountain, including the North Bowl, which is densely dotted with black diamond runs.

The highlights of the north side (also known as the back side) include fun, fast glades like Windowpane and Stumptown. These are usually only accessible from the Bigfoot T-Bar, which only runs on busy days, or via a short hike off Russ's Street run. Long, mellow intermediate runs like Goat Haunt and Gray Wolf feature fun jibs—and the chance to show off.

Hellroaring Basin, which usually opens after and closes before the rest of the ski area due to snow cover on its rocky terrain, is consistently steep and logs some decent vertical. The intermediate Hell Fire run is the only groomer in Hellroaring; at 3.3 miles long, it's a fast and furious way down to the bottom.