Lake Tahoe, California : This beautiful freshwater lake is located on the California/Nevada border, right in the heart of the Sierra Nevadas. The mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe are home to over 7 ski resorts and many more smaller ski areas. During peak season, people from all over the country flock to Lake Tahoe in search of fresh powder.
Aspen, Colorado: The city of Aspen is constantly bustling with residents and tourists taking advantage of the many music, food, and art festivals that are regularly hosted in Aspen. While this quaint town is home to many high-end boutiques and delicious restaurants, Aspen is most widely known for the picturesque slopes that can be found on Aspen Mountain or Bell Mountain. Aspen offers skiing from Winter to Spring, drawing countless people to this beautiful location. Spend a week in Aspen on the slopes and on the town, while calling My Aspen Rental home.
Flickr: Aspen Snowmass
Vail, Colorado: Vail, a swiss-style village, was originally built to accompany the Vail Ski Resort-which is one of the largest in the U.S. This charming town offers a museum, gardens, quaint shopping, and more.
Park City, Utah: Park City is a hub for tourists looking for a great skiing experience. The two major ski resorts that call Park City home were the locations for snowboarding events during the 2002 Winter Olympics. Along with being a good location for winter sports, Park City is the main location for the annual summer Sundance Film Festival.
Jackson, Wyoming: Jackson is a scenic town that is located near multiple national parks, the National Elk Refuge, and three ski resorts. Jackson gets considerably more snow than the rest of Wyoming, making it a destination for skiers from all around the state as well as the country.
Killington, Vermont: Killington is home to the largest ski area in the Eastern United States, Killington Ski Resort. Nicknames the “Beast of the East”, Killington Ski Resort sits atop the second highest peak in Vermont.
Sun Valley, Idaho: Sun Valley, a resort city, sits in central Idaho. Sun Valley is served by Bald Mountain and Dollar Mountain, both of which offer an abundance of different skiing and snowboarding trails that have varying difficulty. Along with snow sports, visitors can enjoy activities such as ice skating, hiking, golfing, tennis, and cycling.
Flickr: Chloé François, Sun Valley Idaho
Steamboat Springs, Colorado: Steamboat Springs, more commonly known as Steamboat, is a destination for winter sports. Steamboat Ski Resort and the smaller Howelsen Ski Area are located on Mount Werner and Howelsen Hill, respectively. An abundance of additional outdoor activities such as rafting, cycling, fishing, tubing, and kayaking.
Mammoth Lakes, California: Mammoth Lakes is a small town located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range that serves the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. This resort, most often referred to as simply Mammoth, is located on the north side of the mountain. Mammoth attracts extreme skiers because of its eight terrain parks and the rare 22ft Super-Duper Half Pipe. With one of the longest ski seasons in the country, Mammoth is open from November to June.
Breckenridge, Colorado: The historic town of Breckenridge was established during the Gold Rush. It is located just below the Breckenridge Ski Resort. This alpine resort is one of the most popular in the Western Hemisphere and spans across the five peaks.
Big Bear Lake, California: As one of the few ski destinations in Southern California, Big Bear Lake is home to two ski resorts: Snow Summit and Bear Mountain. These sister resorts offer a wide range of trails with varying degrees of difficulty. When the weather is less than favorable, Snow Summit has an extensive, multi-million dollar snowmaking system that provides skiable artificial snow.
Flickr: Ian D. Keating, Bear Mountain Resort
Lake Placid, New York: Lake Placid, a village in the Adirondack Mountains, is best known for being the host of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. The ski areas of Lake Placid are primarily located on Whiteface Mountain. As the fifth tallest peak in the United States, Whiteface Mountain has an area dedicated to beginners, but also double-black diamond runs.
Salt Lake City, Utah: As the capital of Utah, Salt Lake City has 8 ski resorts with 50 miles of the city. Many of these resorts are located in the Wasatch Mountains that lie just east of Salt Lake City. In 2002, the city hosted the Winter Olympics.
Ruidoso, New Mexico: While most would not think of New Mexico when thinking of snow, the resort town of Ruidoso is growing in popularity when it comes it winter sports. Located in the Sierra Blanca Mountain Range, this village hosts the Ski Apache Resort. As the only ski resort in New Mexico that has its own gondola lift, Ski Apache has one of the most difficult beginner runs in the world.
Keystone, Colorado: Keystone is a small town that is the home of the Keystone Resort. This resort offers ski areas on three different mountains that are connected by lifts and gondolas. Keystone is the largest operation in Colorado to offer night skiing on up to 15 different trails.
Snowshoe, West Virginia: Snowshoe is a small village that is centered around the Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort, and located on the summit of the mountain. The resort has 244 acres of skiable terrain and is located on Cheat Mountain in the Allegheny Mountains. More recently, Snowshoe Mountain has become a popular destination for summer sports as well as winter sports.
Flickr: Gayle, Snowshoe, West Virginia
Stratton, Vermont: This extremely small town is home to the Stratton Mountain Resort. Located on Stratton Mountain, this resort has 97 trails and 670 acres of skiable terrain. According to Ski Magazine, Stratton Mountain Resort is in the top 10 for snow, lifts, terrain parks, lodging, grooming, and nightlife.
Avon, Colorado: The town of Avon lies just two miles north of Beaver Creek Resort. Beaver Creek Resort is comprised of three different villages and rises to a height of 11,440 ft. Along with being a destination for many avid skiers, Beaver Creek Resort is a regular host of World Cup events in early December.
Winter Park, Colorado: Winter Park Resort calls Winter Park, Colorado home. The alpine resort is located in the Rocky Mountains and spans three different peaks. Winter Park Resort holds one of the world’s first and largest disabled skiing programs.
Windham, New York: Formed from the iconic town of Woodstock, Windham is a small town in upstate New York. It is home to the Windham Mountain Ski Resort, which is located in the Catskill Mountains. With 54 trails and 285 skiable acres, the majority of the snow was generated through the snow-making process that creates artificial snow via water and pressurized air.
