Top 7 Ski Slopes in the United States
The United States is home to some of the best ski slopes in North America. With ski areas ranging from the affordable to the expensive, and modest terrain to vast skiable areas, the top 7 ski slopes offer something for skiers of every skill level and preference. With some of the steepest vertical drops and most beautiful scenery, these ski slopes give visitors challenging terrain as well as plenty of exciting things to do off the slopes.
With ski slopes spread out around the country, it is likely you can reach at least one destination by car. This makes bringing your ski equipment with you much easier. Since these ski slopes are all challenging it might not be a terrible idea to make sure you have adequate health insurance, and car insurance while you are at it.
1. Aspen, Colorado
Aspen is possibly the most famous ski resort in the United States, known domestically and abroad as a favorite of the celebrities. Aspen has plenty of intermediate runs as well as hundreds of acres of terrain fit for expert skiers on the backside. Aspen hosts four mountains with over 4,000 acres of terrain. It has 675 skiable acres. The longest run is three miles long.
Since 1947, Aspen has been open for skiing. Be warned, everything about Aspen today is expensive. The ski slopes offer 76 trails and 300 inches of snowfall annually.
2. Stowe, Vermont
Stowe is one of the most popular and picturesque ski destinations on the east coast. Stowe is located in Vermont and includes Spruce Peak and Mount Mansfield. The back end of Spruce Peak connects to Smuggler’s Notch, a nearby resort.
This makes Stowe one of the few resorts in the United States with a lift-link to another ski resort. Stowe’s highest peak is 4,395 ft and offers a 2,160 foot vertical, which is one of the largest in the area.The surrounding area of Stowe has a lot to do besides skiing. There are more than 60 restaurants and 90 shops.
3. Vail, Colorado
Vail opened in 1962 with only five lifts, but today it is the United States’ biggest single ski area with approximately 5,300 acres of skiable terrain. Vail markets itself as “America’s favorite resort.” The ski resort has 193 trails and 31 lifts.
When you are not skiing, you can visit museums and art galleries nearby, or try dog sledding, snowmobiling or ice skating. Vail also has an active nightlife with clubs, piano bars, karaoke and microbrews.
4. Grand Targhee, Wyoming
Grand Targhee has two peaks and 3,000 acres for skiing. Mountain Sports and Living Magazine ranked the area as the #1 Best Resort for space and snow quality. Their logo is “Snow from heaven, not hoses.” It gets more than 500 inches annually.
This resort is a great place to go if you want to get away from the crowds. But if you do decide that you want some crowds and glitz, Grand Targhee is only 42 miles from Jackson Hole resort in the Grand Tetons. At the base of the Grand Targhee Resort is the historic Targhee Lodge. The lodge has economy pricing and clean accommodations. The nearby area has plenty of shopping and dining options.
5. Bridger Bowl, Montana
Bridger Bowl is often overshadowed by nearby resorts, but for affordable skiing, great powder, challenging terrain and some breathing room, Bridger Bowl is the best choice. Locals have been skiing the area since the 1940s. Today, the resort is a non-profit ski area that is locally owned by avid skiers and members of the Bridger Bowl Association. The quality is in the slopes even if the resort may not seem impressive.
The area has two large bowls located to the north and south, which gives skiers variable terrain. You can find chutes, glades, long slopes, gullies and smaller bowls. There are 2,000 acres of terrain, 2,500 vertical feet, eight lift and three lodges.
6. Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is located in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. The area hosted the Olympic Winter Games in both 1932 and 1980. Whiteface resort in Lake Placid has the highest vertical drop on the east coast at 3,430 feet. The peak elevation is 4,867 feet with the highest skiable terrain called The Slides at 4,650 feet.
Whiteface has 86 trails. The longest run is the Wilmington Trail, which is 2.1 miles long. There are 283 skiable acres and 53 acres of tree skiing. In the 2010 to 2011 season, there was 247 inches of snowfall.
7. Mount Hood, Oregon
Mount Hood is home to the world-famous Timberline Lodge, known as the ski slope with the longest lasting ski season in the United States. More than one million people visit Timberline annually. The lodge is located 6,000 feet up on the side of Mount Hood.
Mount Hood is not only known for its impressive ski season, the resort’s exterior was used in the movie, “The Shining.” It was called the Overlook Hotel.
The Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort has a vertical rise of 2,777 feet. It has a skiable acreage of 2,150 acres. It has 85 runs and the longest run is three miles. It has 11 chair lifts and five double chair lifts.
One of these top 7 ski slopes should have something that appeals to you. If not, most of these resorts are located other well-known resorts.
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