I’ve spent my life skiing across Canada, from Manning Park (where I grew up making turns) to Whistler Blackcomb, Revelstoke, and every little hill in between. But this season, I set my sights south of the border. Armed with an Ikon Pass, an Epic Pass, and a ski bum van full of gear, I decided to check out some of the most legendary ski resorts in the United States.
Over the course of my road trip, I skied 16 different resorts across Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Washington. And because you all loved (and fought about) my Canadian rankings, I decided to do the same here, ranking them from worst to best.
If you would prefer to watch the video version of this blog post, which is way more detailed I’ll leave the YouTube video linked here. I’m honestly not sure if anyone is even reading my post these days.
Table of Contents
Disclaimers
Before the debates blow up in the comments, here are a few disclaimers:
- This is based on my personal ski style and experience.
- I’m ranking these resorts as if they were all having their best day ever—powder, full terrain open, no closures.
- I paid for everything myself. Nobody sponsored me.
- If a resort isn’t here (Taos, Palisades, Bridger, Targhee, Bachelor, Sun Valley, etc.), it’s because I haven’t skied it yet. One day.
- Lastly: skiing is skiing. Every single resort on this list is incredible in its own right. Just because something ranks lower doesn’t mean it’s bad—it’s just how I experienced it.
Alright. Let’s get into it.
16. Park City, Utah
Bigger doesn’t always mean better.
At 7,300 skiable acres, Park City is the second largest resort in North America (after Whistler Blackcomb). On paper, that sounds like heaven. In practice, I felt more like I was trying to navigate a subway system than ski a mountain.
I spent most of my day traversing from chair to chair, trying to piece together a flow. Once I found the sweet spots like Jupiter, Ninety-Nine 90, McConkey’s Express, and Apex Ridge on the Canyons side, I had fun. But a common theme here is runs that flatten out halfway down, forcing you to glide instead of ski fall line.
There are cool touches, like the old mining buildings scattered around, and the groomers are massive. For a beginner or intermediate, Park City is a dream playground. But for an expert chasing sustained steep vert? It trends too flat.
Pros: Huge, great groomers, fun expert pods once you find them.
Cons: Traverses everywhere, flattening runs, lack of flow.
15. Breckenridge, Colorado
Breck is legendary, and not just for skiing.
This place is home to the highest chairlift in North America (Imperial Express) and also some of the rowdiest après-ski town crowds in Colorado.
The bottom of the mountain is flat and mellow, making it a paradise for beginners. But don’t be fooled, the upper peaks go from zero to gnarly real quick. Peaks 6 and 8 are loaded with fun lines, and I loved hiking into the Lake Chutes and Wacky’s. Bootpacking above 12,000 feet will test your lungs, but the views are worth it.
The E-Chair side delivered some great tree and mogul skiing, and there’s legit alpine bowl skiing on Horseshoe and Imperial.
The downsides? Crowds. Lift lines. Wind. And when the weather’s bad, the upper terrain shuts down, leaving you stuck on the flats.
Pros: Big variety, gnarly alpine bowls, fun bootpacks.
Cons: Crowded, flat base, weather-dependent.
14. Vail, Colorado
The most famous and infamous ski resort in the US.
Vail is sprawling, luxurious, and absurdly polished. The Back Bowls are iconic, offering endless open faces. But while they look incredible, they’re not very steep, and the terrain can feel repetitive.
Blue Sky Basin is the steepest, most fun zone on the mountain, while the front side delivers perfectly groomed corduroy. But overall, Vail is a master of everything and king of nothing.
Then there’s the village. Lion’s Head and Vail Village look like Disney set pieces, corny, overbuilt, but oddly charming. Parking is $40 a day, which is… not charming.
Pros: Huge terrain variety, Back Bowls, fun for intermediates.
Cons: Expensive, crowded, soulless vibe.
13. Aspen Snowmass, Colorado
Snowmass gave me the best groomer of my entire season! The first chair on Coney was fresh corduroy and pure carving bliss.
This place is massive, with terrain leaning toward intermediate and advanced skiers. The Cirque Headwall is the marquee expert zone, accessed by a T-bar, and Hanging Valley is a labyrinth of steeps that’s way bigger than it looks on the map. I loved getting lost back there.
AMF was my favorite run on the mountain, long, steep, and sustained. Long Shot, on Burnt Mountain, is one of the best intermediate tree runs anywhere, giving me Whistler Peak-to-Creek vibes.
Amenities here are next-level: heated chairs, fancy lodges, free coffee at the base. And amazingly, they actually allow overnight van camping in the transit lot. Big win.
Pros: Best groomers in America, varied terrain, vanlife friendly.
Cons: Pricey, requires multiple lifts for expert laps, feels overly polished.
12. Mt. Baker, Washington
The birthplace of freeride snowboarding and a true cult classic.
Baker is raw, gnarly, and spiritual on the right day. The terrain is legendary, the slackcountry access is endless, and the snow totals can be jaw-dropping.
But it’s coastal. You might get blower pow or you might get soaked in cement. The lifts are slow, and with more PNW and BC skiers flocking here, crowds are growing.
That said, I grew up making road trips from Manning Park to Baker, and it’ll always have a place in my heart. I’ve had spiritual powder days here that I’ll never forget.
Pros: Steep, raw terrain, freeride culture, huge snow totals.
Cons: Variable snow, slow lifts, growing crowds.
11. Snowbasin, Utah
This was my sleeper hit of the trip.
Snowbasin is a bit further from Salt Lake than the Cottonwood resorts, which keeps crowds down. The lodges are jaw-dropping (those golden toilets are real), and the vibe is more local and family-oriented.
The terrain blew me away. Strawberry has fun steeps, but the real gold is Allen Peak. The tiny tram takes you to epic laps, including the “No Name” bootpack—a top-to-bottom powder run that became one of my season highlights.
It also hosted the 2002 Olympic downhill, and skiing Grizzly Downhill was a blast.
Pros: Hidden gem, Olympic history, less crowded than LCC.
Cons: Smaller extreme terrain footprint.
10. Aspen Highlands, Colorado
Aspen Highlands is small but mighty.
Most tourists are here for champagne showers at Cloud Nine, but the locals know this place is all about Highland Bowl and Deep Temerity.
Hiking the Bowl is lung-busting, but the views and the lines are phenomenal. Temerity serves some of the steepest, best tree skiing in Colorado, and the laps flow perfectly.
This mountain is steep, challenging, and rewarding. If I lived in Aspen, this would be my home hill.
Pros: Highland Bowl, steep trees, phenomenal views.
Cons: Small compared to the rest of Aspen.
9. Crested Butte, Colorado
A gem of a ski town and a mountain that punches way above its weight.
Crested Butte’s expert terrain is ridiculous. There are massive chutes off the Peak, cliffs and pillow lines in Teocalli and Spellbound. It’s the kind of terrain that makes you feel like you’re in the backcountry.
The blues and groomers are fun too, but let’s be real, the extreme terrain is why you come here.
The biggest downside? Snowfall. On a big snow year, this place is untouchable. On a lean year, a lot of the peak terrain stays closed.
Pros: Extreme terrain, authentic town vibe, less crowded.
Cons: Lower snowfall than other Colorado resorts.
8. Silverton, Colorado
Old-school magic frozen in time.
Silverton has one lift. No groomers. No frills. Almost everything requires a bootpack and a shuttle back to the base. For most casual skiers, that sounds like hell. For me, it was heaven.
The terrain is steep, wild, and exposed. Most of the season is guided only, which slows your day but guarantees you fresh snow and keeps things safe in a high-avalanche zone. Later in the year, it goes unguided, but the experience is unique either way.
Bonus: you can add on a single heli lap to your day ticket, making heli-skiing accessible without selling a kidney.
Pros: Pure, raw skiing. Old-school vibe. Guided pow stashes.
Cons: Less vert skied, slow logistics.
7. Big Sky, Montana
Big Sky is a mixed bag for me.
Lone Peak is legendary, with the Big Couloir and exposed chutes in every direction. The Headwaters bootpack is gnarly, and Challenger has great laps.
But here’s the kicker: if you don’t buy a day ticket or season pass, you have to pay extra just to ride the tram—even with an Ikon Pass. That ruins the flow, since all the best terrain is off Lone Peak.
Without the tram, the mountain feels disconnected. With it, Big Sky could be top 5. Without it, it drops to 7.
Pros: Lone Peak, extreme terrain, huge variety.
Cons: Tram access fee, overdeveloped, weird vibe.
6. Solitude, Utah
Big Cottonwood Canyon’s best-kept secret.
Solitude feels like a small locals’ hill, but it hides some of the best terrain in Utah. Honeycomb Canyon is incredible, Fantasy Ridge is wild, and Evergreen Peak offers endless hidden stashes.
I spent most of my time lapping Honeycomb, ripping Parachute and Milk Run, and feeling like I had stumbled into my own secret powder playground.
The snow here is as good as Little Cottonwood Canyon, but with fewer people, at least midweek. The downside is traffic on weekends, when BCC turns into a gong show.
Pros: Honeycomb Canyon, small-mountain feel, epic snow.
Cons: Weekend traffic.
5. Arapahoe Basin, Colorado
A-Basin stole my heart the second I pulled into the parking lot.
It feels like Manning Park with better terrain and a wilder tailgate scene. Locals grilling in the lot, skis leaning against trucks, everyone just stoked to be there.
The Pallavicini chair is legendary, with steep trees and gnarly lines. Zuma Bowl is wide and alpine. The Steep Gullies are exposed and scary in the best way. And the East Wall opens when conditions allow, giving access to huge alpine lines.
It’s high, it’s long-season, it’s rowdy. If I lived in Denver, this would be my home mountain.
Pros: Steep, varied terrain. Soulful vibe. Epic parking lot scene.
Cons: Smaller than others, limited beginner terrain.
4. Alta, Utah
Alta. Allllta. Fine—I’ll say it right.
This is skiing, pure and simple. No snowboarders (which is dumb, honestly), almost no groomers, and snow so light it feels fake.
I had one of my deepest runs of the season in Devil’s Castle. Baldy Chutes were phenomenal. Catherine’s was aesthetic and playful. Everything off the High Traverse was gold—Alf’s High Rustler, Stone Crusher, Eddie’s High Nowhere.
The terrain is endlessly fun, but the traverses are brutal. ALTA stands for Another Long Traverse Ahead. And instead of bootpacks, they make you sidestep up walls like Devil’s Castle, which is just bizarre.
Still, the snow quality and terrain are unbeatable.
Pros: Legendary snow, incredible terrain, authentic vibe.
Cons: No snowboarding, endless traverses.
3. Telluride, Colorado
Telluride is one of the most stunning places I’ve ever skied.
Driving into town felt like entering a Western movie set, with the San Juans towering around me. The Revelation Bowl was incredible, and lapping the Revelation lift made me feel like I was skiing on another planet.
The Gold Hill Chutes are gnarly, with weird goat paths and staircases to access them. Palmyra Peak is even crazier—over 13,000 feet, with a bootpack that’ll make even confident skiers nervous.
The town vibe is unmatched, and the backcountry access is legendary. Locals told me you can even ski routes back into town when conditions allow.
Pros: Jaw-dropping scenery, extreme terrain, authentic town.
Cons: Hard to access, expensive, less snowfall than others.
2. Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Everyone knows Corbet’s. But Corbet’s is just a distraction from how good the rest of Jackson is.
The single best resort pow lap I’ve ever had was here: tram to the top, Rendezvous Bowl, then the Hobacks—perfect pitch, wide, open, and nearly 3,000 feet of vert. Unreal.
The geology here is wild. Tower Three Chute, Alta Chutes, the Headwall, Casper Bowl—it’s all steep, funky, and amazing.
And then there’s the slackcountry. Rock Springs, Cody Bowl, Granite Canyon—all avalanche-prone, all insane, and all spitting you back into the resort. But you need gear, partners, and experience, because it’s deadly.
Pros: Best pow laps in skiing, endless expert terrain, unmatched slackcountry.
Cons: Expensive, crowded, stormy weather.
1. Snowbird, Utah
If I had to pick one mountain to ski for the rest of my life, it might be Snowbird.
This place skis way bigger than its 2,500 acres. Everything is steep, sustained, and fun. Mineral Basin is sunny and playful, the Cirque is gnarly and exposed, Baldy offers pow hunts, and every tree line feels three times longer than it should.
The tram and lifts let you rack up insane vert. And the snow—thanks to Little Cottonwood Canyon’s microclimate—is consistently light and perfect from top to bottom. Unlike Whistler or Revy, you’re not just skiing the top third of the mountain—you get quality all the way down.
The downsides? Traffic, insane crowds, rich folks buying “first tram” access. But the skiing itself? Perfection.
Pros: World-class snow, steep fall lines, insane terrain variety.
Cons: Traffic, lift lines, rich-person passes.
Hope you enjoyed this list.
If you want to learn more about each resort go check out the Rise & Alpine YouTube Channel.
