We know USA Ski Resorts
The beauty of The United States is the diverse range of destinations across their 50 states. Luckily for us, the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Cascade Mountains are home to high altitude, snow covered peaks and offer ideal terrain to build world leading ski resorts.
The Rocky Mountains stretch from Canada, all the way down to New Mexico, creating a vast range of mountain ranges and therefore ski resorts across Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. These ski resorts will not disappoint offering big mountains, large areas of varied terrain, and dry snow conditions. For international skiers and snowboarders looking for a well-rounded snow experience, this area is a ski dream.
The Sierra Nevada range crossing California and Nevada houses peaks soaring high from the desert and sea level cities below. The Sierras are home to Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America with a depth of over 500m, this spectacular freshwater lake provides an incredible view from the slopes of the surrounding resorts.
Americas skiing history came after mining booms which coincided with the same mountainous areas, leaving lots of the ski towns with unique mining town architecture and a rich history. Today, these ski resorts have been well developed to cater to local and international visitors from around the world.
While 37 of the 50 States have ski resorts, it is the Midwest, Pacific Northwest and California that delivers the goods for international visitors. The resorts on the East Coast resorts are mostly enjoyed by locals on day trips or small vacations, whereas the resorts of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Oregon, California & Nevada boast the highest altitude, and snowfall conditions worth travelling the world for. Most of all, these destinations offer a commercially developed resort base, with on snow accommodation, lift ticket and ski school services, retail and dining, all of which is essential to us long haul travellers from the Southern Hemisphere. Beginner and intermediate through to advanced level skiers and snowboarders will find terrain and off mountain experiences to suit. These resorts pride themselves on offering the best customer service a guest can experience. Don’t be surprised to be approached with advice or directions from a friendly mountain guide or be offered sweet treats in the base village after a day on the slopes, just let them do what they do best!
Colorado offers a wide variety of ski resorts, all with their own individual charm and character. Ski resorts closest to Denver such as Winter Park and Breckenridge will see the highest number of day trip visitors and can therefore be busy over the weekends all winter long. If you’re looking for somewhere quieter, get as far from Denver as you can, like Telluride or Crested Butte. No matter where you choose, each Colorado’s ski resorts high altitude results in dry snow, steep terrain and big mountain riding. There are numerous small airports within Colorado which are close to each of the respective ski resorts, minimising transfer times, and maximising your time on the slopes!
Utah’s famous Greatest Snow On Earth delivers light dry powder snow to the peaks and canyons of this vast and varied terrain. The typical red soil and rock of Utah often peek through the snow-covered peaks. Salt Lake City Airport makes accessing the ski resorts convenient and easy – only taking an hour or two to get to most of the resorts in Utah. Utah is home to the last few resorts in the US that do not allow snowboarding – so make sure you let us know if you’re a skier or snowboarder before you book!
Snowfall usually starts around late November, with most resorts opening sometime throughout December. By late December, villages and accommodations will be in peak Christmas decoration mode and operating at full capacity, in their own winter wonderland. Cold weather, high altitude and good snowfall will keep resorts operating until March or early April. Skiing and snowboarding in the US offers something for all abilities, and budgets from cheap and cheerful ski holidays to luxury experiences. Most resorts all accommodated all types of traveller; from couples and families through to friends and groups. Talk to our team of passionate skiers and snowboarders about which ski resort will best suit you.