The skiing season is coming up fast and it’s time to start looking at the best ski resorts in the country. The Rocky Mountains offer mountains miles tall with undoubtedly the best skiing in the country. There are a variety of different world-class ski resorts in the western states. This article will cover the top five best ski resorts:
1. Park City
Park City, UT is home to 7,300 acres of skiable terrain, making it the largest resort on this list. With a base elevation of 6,800 feet and a summit elevation of 10,026 feet above sea level, Park City has a staggering 3,226 foot vertical rise. The resort has over 330 trails and plenty of tree skiing available. A system of 40 lifts provides access to the mountainous terrain which receives an average of 355 inches of snowfall per year.
2. Winter Park
Winter Park is located an hour and a half northwest of Denver, CO. With 3081 skiable acres and an average snowfall of 344.6 inches per year, Winter Park is an amazing place to ski. The town of Winter Park is located in Grand County Colorado at an elevation of 9,100 feet. The highest point on the resort is located at 12,060 feet above sea level. This means that there is nearly a 3,000 foot elevation difference between the highest summit and the resort of Winter Park. One thing that makes Winter Park unique is the train. Amtrak runs passenger trains that go right up to the base of the resort. This makes it possible to get to the resort even when the roads are covered in snow.
3. Steamboat
Steamboat is located in northwest Colorado and is easily accessible by plane. With a base elevation of 6,900 feet and a summit of 10,568 feet, Steamboat has 3,668 feet of vertical rise. Steamboat covers a mountain range including 6 different mountains/peaks: Thunderhead Peak, Mount Werner, Storm Peak, Mahogany Ridge, Sunshine Peak, and Christie Peak.
4. Vail
One of the most famous ski resorts of Colorado, Vail boasts 195 trails across 5,317 acres of skiable terrain accessible via 32 lifts. It is the second largest single-mountain ski resort on the continent and receives an average of 354 inches of snowfall per year. The town of Vail is situated in the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 8,239 feet, and has a population of 4,735 people.
5. Breckenridge
One of the most popular resorts in Colorado, Breckenridge boasts 187 different ski trails within its 2,908 skiable acres. Although the acreage of Breckenridge is slightly smaller than Winter Park, its peak is nearly a thousand feet higher at 12,998 feet.
