Ski Resorts

Top 5 Best Ski Resorts in North America

The following is a list of the Top 5 Best Ski Resorts in North America:

1.  Aspen CO – with 4 mountains all with their own unique personalities, Aspen offers diversity to appease beginners and experts alike.  Buttermilk Mountain caters to beginners and also plays host to the X Games each year where some of the best snowboarders in the world come to compete each winter.  Snowmass offers large terrain along with wide variety that is ideal for families.  Highlands has traditionally been the locals hidden gem.  And Aspen Mountain is the crown jewel for those liking glitz and glamor.  The town of Aspen feels almost European with its quaint and luxurious shops.  Gourmets find the restaurant scene a pure delight.  Fine dining is available at a vast array of selections that have everything from local game to fresh seafood flown in from the coast.  It does come with a price though.  Some of the most exclusive luxury real estate anywhere in the world is to be had here.  Even modest homes start at several hundred thousand and go up to the tens of millions for a well appointed and desirable ski in / ski out home.  (If you can afford, it is however worth it probably in our opinion!  Aspen Colorado has it all!)

2.  Deer Valley Utah – takes service and customer satisfaction to a level unlike any other.  You’d swear that if you asked someone to paint your nails as you skied down the mountain, that they’d ask what color you wanted.  Snowboarders aren’t allowed here at the resort (sorry!).  But if you enjoy skiing on perfectly groomed slopes with the pinnacle in service, you simply can’t go wrong with Deer Valley.  And if you are skiing on a budget, it is located in Park City which features some homes and real estate that fall in line for more normal persons (that aren’t jet setting across the globe).

3.  Vail CO – if you like BIG terrain, lots of action and have the money to back it up, Vail is a tough act to follow.  It offers some of the best powder skiing anywhere in the United States.  But it does have 2 costs to go with it:  crowds, and price.  The big skiing draws a large number of persons to the resort.  And prices make all but the most wealthy go “Ouch” at least a little when they are there.  But if you are one of the first to make it up to the back bowls, you will definitely say its worth it.  Real estate prices here can make you say more than “ouch” as well.

4.  Killington VT – has stood the test of time and is the big ski destination for much of the northeast.  Has a charming old school feel to it from the days of yesteryear.  Expect it to be more crowded than what you’d expect from some of the bigger places out west, but it is definitely one of the tops in the eastern USA.  Real estate and home prices are typically what you’d expect for a place in the northeast, but the properties generally aren’t in the same price stratosphere as some of its cousins out west.

5.  Whistler-Blackcomb Canada – features 2 of the largest amounts of snow covered terrain in North America.  If you enjoy B-I-G skiing, skiing here is a must.  These mountains have trails that last for miles, as well as a recently opened mountain to mountain gondola that makes getting from one to the other a breeze (and provides some spectacular views as well!).  The skiing here can be more challenging than in other venues, and probably caters to those that are in the intermediate or expert category than those beginners first starting out.   There is some groomed terrain, but it snows VERY frequently here – so even if a run was groomed, its likely you’ll be skiing on powder of some sort anyway.  But once the weather clears and you are swooshing down the mountain, you will definitely feel you are on top of the world.  If you are diligent, there are opportunities to ski here on a budget, but as with many ski resorts, things can get pricey if you aren’t careful.  Ski homes and real estate generally fall into the middle ground as well relative to other comparable top tier resorts.