The 10 Best Ski Towns In United States: If you ask a skier for the best ski town in the country, their answer will reveal more about themselves than the place itself. This is natural. The United States has many options for skiing. There is the elegance of Beaver Creek in Colorado, and then there is the vibrant nightlife of Killington in Vermont. Each place has its own character.
It is not easy to decide where to go, especially if you are new to planning ski trips. But here are ten good ski towns in the U.S. that can help guide your way.
Explore America’s Top Ski Towns
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Best for Bragging Rights: Silverton, Colorado
Silverton, Colorado, where the peaks touch the sky and the air is thin. Here, the bragging rights are earned, not given. The mountains stand tall and proud, a testament to those who dare to venture. It is a place for the bold, where stories are forged in the chill of the wind and the warmth of shared moments.
The skilled skier can navigate a double black with some luck and patience, given the right conditions. But if groomed runs don’t interest you, make your way to Silverton, Colorado. Silverton Mountain Resort is famed for its backcountry and sidecountry skiing. Here, experts enjoy days filled with helicopter drops and fresh powder, but beginners and intermediates might find more joy at the nearby Purgatory Resort. When the single lift stops, venture into the small town to connect with fellow skiers, who are likely to be at their best. This ski town draws the elite, but don’t let it inflate your ego—if you can’t handle the steep and deep, you’d best find another place.
Best for Nightlife: Killington, Vermont
Whistler and Vail draw the crowds with their bright lights and lively nights. Yet, if you seek a place where the fun begins right after the last run and carries on until the bar closes, go to Killington, Vermont. It is the biggest ski resort east of the Mississippi, pulling in dedicated skiers from places like Boston and New York City.
Après begins at three in the afternoon. On spring days, you might find a spot under an umbrella at the bar, or you could join the crowd at Lookout Tavern on winter afternoons. As the night deepens, head to the Wobbly Barn, Pickle Barrel, or The Foundry at Summit Pond to keep the good times rolling with a couple thousand friends. The only trouble is getting there. Rutland has a tiny airport, but it only flies to Boston. Most skiers will drive in for the weekend. Sleep will be scarce.
Best for Bluebird Days: Truckee, California
If your goggles are as dark as a moonless night, then set your sights on Truckee, California. It sits just north of Lake Tahoe. The town, once a railroad hub, shines under some of the brightest skies in the country. When it’s not snowing, it’s sunny. Clouds don’t linger here. In twenty minutes, you can reach the great resorts—Palisades Tahoe, Northstar, and Sugar Bowl. Heavenly and Diamond Peak lie just a little further.
Reno-Tahoe International Airport lies a short forty minutes from here. It has flights that come in from the big cities of the West, and even from Chicago and New York. If you want to visit, try to come during the week. The weekends get crowded with skiers from San Francisco.
The Best for Luxury Ski Trips: Beaver Creek, Colorado
Beaver Creek, Colorado, is where the luxury seekers go for their ski trips. If you want to be at the front of the line for the lifts and savor a warm chocolate chip cookie along with a Swedish massage by four in the afternoon, this is your place. Just a stone’s throw from Vail, it caters to those willing to spend. You’ll find heated sidewalks and can pay $180 for the privilege of first tracks at dawn—though that doesn’t include the lift ticket. In the evenings, the Vilar Center for the Performing Arts offers ballet and jazz for those who seek culture. For the finest in cashmere, Gorsuch is where to go, though you should prepare to part with a thousand dollars for a sweater.
You can tackle the notorious traffic on I-70 to get to Beaver Creek from Denver in two hours. But many skiers choose to fly into Eagle County Regional Airport, just thirty minutes away. It connects to cities like Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco, and Dallas when the snow falls.
The Best for a Quick Ski Trip: Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City stands tall as Utah’s largest city, yet it embraces the spirit of a ski town. Just a short drive from the airport, places like Park City, Snowbird, and Deer Valley await, all within a 45-minute reach. A morning flight can have you on the slopes by noon. The city boasts an abundance of hotels and restaurants, keeping prices reasonable, unlike many ski towns. If you choose an evening flight home, you can carve out a full day on the mountain before leaving. With direct flights from nearly every major city on both coasts, your time in the snow is maximized, and the journey is quick.
The Best for Small Crowds: Sandpoint, Idaho
Serious skiers have likely mapped out their journeys along Canada’s famed powder highway. Yet there is no finer place to begin a road trip of fresh snow than Sandpoint. This quiet ski town receives as much snow as its Rocky Mountain neighbors to the north, and at nearby Schweitzer Mountain, the tree skiing and cat skiing are enough to test your endurance before you head to the bigger resorts across the border. Many skiers fly straight to Calgary, overlooking Schweitzer entirely. Because of this, Sandpoint remains less crowded than the more popular destinations to the north and south.
Sandpoint lies a short drive from Spokane, less than ninety minutes. It is the finest ski town in America for those who need to shop for groceries, get their skis ready, enjoy a decent meal without waiting, and return to their lodgings before the dawn breaks. You can do all this without battling heavy traffic.
The Best for Beer Aficionados: Bend, Oregon
Bend, Oregon, is a place for those who love both the mountains and the beer. The slopes of Mount Bachelor are wide and welcoming, perfect for skiers of all levels. But for the connoisseurs of craft beer, Bend is a treasure. The Bend Ale Trail winds through more than thirty breweries, with favorites like Deschutes and GoodLife leading the charge. And that’s not all; there are also seventeen distilleries, wineries, and cideries to explore. Be sure to visit the brewery at The Old St. Francis School, a repurposed 1936 Catholic school that now features a lively atmosphere, a hidden speakeasy, and an indoor soaking pool. To get there, fly into Redmond airport, just seventeen miles away, or make it part of a longer journey from Portland, three hours to the west.
For those who seek the slopes not for revelry but for the richness of culture, Taos, New Mexico, is the destination. It stands as the finest ski town in America, steeped in art and heritage. Fifty galleries showcase everything from modern works to Indigenous crafts, and the San Francisco de Asis Church, painted by Georgia O’Keeffe, rises among them. Eight museums tell stories of the past, including the home of Kit Carson and the old Martinez Hacienda from 1804. Here, the snow meets the spirit of the land.
The Best for a Peaceful Ski Weekend: Taos, New Mexico
Taos Mountain Resort attracts skiers with its slopes, but for those looking to rest, there are other pursuits. They might wander through the Earthship neighborhood, where guided tours reveal the art of biotecture, or seek solace at the Native Roots collective, where healing flows from the earth. For true relaxation, the Black Rock Hot Springs beckon, warmed by the heat of the earth, a place to sink into the water and let the world fade away.
The Best Budget-Friendly Ski Town: Kalispell, Montana
Kalispell, Montana, is a place often thought of by hikers and backpackers as a costly spot, especially in the summer when tourists flock to Glacier National Park. But when winter arrives, the prices fall, and Kalispell becomes a solid base for those heading to Whitefish Mountain Resort. Just twenty minutes from the resort, where a day ticket for an adult costs a mere $89, Kalispell offers more reasonable rates for hotels and food than Whitefish itself. The town has better motels and is a little nearer to the Missoula airport, which lies about two hours to the south.
The Best for Western Cowboy Culture: Durango, Colorado
Durango, Colorado, stands unrefined and proud, a true gem of a ski town in the heart of the West. While Wyoming flaunts its cowboy insignia and Jackson Hole claims its fame, Durango’s roots dig deep into the gold rush of the late 1800s. It holds onto that spirit of freedom and grit. In winter, it rewards those who venture off the main paths. The best places to stay are often small, independent hotels nestled in old buildings that once welcomed prospectors chasing their fortunes, or perhaps losing them over a game of chance.
