1. Deer Valley, Utah
The Lowdown: Groom to Zoom, it's deluxe. There's no better destination resort.
Dan Campbell

The Lowdown: Groom to Zoom, it's deluxe. There's no better destination resort.
Dan Campbell
c'mon steamboat is 2nd rate
Newly open terrain this season, and a new lift on the Bear Creek side of Gold Hill add tremendous "back country" skiing to an already great area. Crowds are virtually non-existent, so be ready to get lots of vertical.
Went there last spring. Totally underwhelmed. The food was great, but I was there to ski!
Love this mountain. Great skiing, alpine slide, lodge and food
Outstanding diversity of terrain, great snow and no lines
Love the terrain. Lots to choose from. A bit confusing in the layout, but well worth it. Plenty of mountain to ski.
Nice mountain, cute town. Lots of great skiing.
a hidden gem, not real far from bozeman airport, no crowds, fantastic skiing, very reasonably priced
fantastic late season skiing in april
We have a week at Marriott's Mountainside every year and have been coming here for over 10 years. Great mountain options and lifts. Family's would love the variety as well.
Deer Valley has great lifts, trees, views of the Jordanelle Lake, and fantastic food. I am not surprised it rated #1.
Be very very quiet...
Open to boarders
Should always be 1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I recently had the chance to come and experience this beautiful mountian, so many trails and slopes to chose from mary mclean virginia
breckenridge is a beautiful place to ski
GIVE ME A BREAK, WHAT KIND OF CREDIBILITY CAN YOU GET WITH A SURVEY PUTTING DEER VALLEY AT THE TOP? tOO BAD YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVEN'T TAKEN THE TIME TO SKI THERE, SAME ON YOU
I don't even know where to start how wrong Deer Valley is as the number 1 pick. I've been there once and I won't be back. Isn't this where the filmed: www.lostpeopleofmountainvillage.com/ I'm pretty sure it is and accurate. Lord, how much did they pay you?
Is this a photo of a little boy peeing on a fake tree?
Vail has it all. Great grooming, fabulous terrain, fantastic lifts & unsurpassed size. It's only problem is that a visit there will put you in the poor house.
Be prepared for a lot of rain.
this place is number 1, Deer valley is cool, but whistler has some of the best access to extreme terrain, better night life, and huge area. Whistler is the place to be. I'll be there 3rd week of Feb.
Winter Park holds a wonderful place in my heart. I learned to ski there from a fantastic ski school and have gone back every year ever since.
SKI is a magazine for posers, not skiers. Skiing magazine has it right - Whistler is #1 and beyond compare. I have skied both Vail and Deer Valley and was bored. But it your idea is skiing is a couple hours on groomers and then going shopping, maybe they have it right.
Maybe the Steamboat base area is 2nd rate, but the snow and tree skiing is amazing.
Deer Valley is def number one. I totally agree 100%. No resort even comes close to being such a full service destination. Between Deer Valleys perfection and Park Citys nightlife and fine dining options down the road, this is a well deserved number one!!!!! The newly expanded terrain really has made amazing skiing for ALL levels. Beaver creek has ALONG way to go to become Deer Valley. ALONG way to go.
Vail is the most overrated ski area in NA. Whistler has horrible weather. Utah really is the best!
Park City really is the best ski town in America. Sundance could be anywhere and they pick Park City because it has so much to offer besides amazing skiing! The best ski town and the most fun! Its also pretty close to Salt Lake City and its international airport. I only wish Telluride were closer to a major aiport that place is the most beautiful in NA hands down
jackson and bigsky/moonlight should be higher in this ranking for sure
I LOVE TELLURIDE!
Yeah, i will give Winter Park some props...mainly because Mary Jane has some awesome bump runs! Oh and when they're soft...its like a little slice of heaven.
Telluride is the place to be! Went there last year with my summer sisters and now they are winter sisters too! Summers in Lake George and winters in Telluride- Life is Good!
If you get weather like this at Whistler, you should head for Las Vegas right after and pick up your winnings. We had 20 minutes of sunshine in four days and rain at the base, which augurs poorly for conditions at the Olympics in February.
Truly beautiful, terrain for begginers and experts!
Whitefish Mountain Resort just announced they were discontinuing both their Super Pipe and Nordic Skiing for the 2008/09 season--most disappointing
Horrible bumps, no big mountain skiing. Great for beginners!
Aspen is a beautiful place to go with GREAT skiing. One catch...the locals. I don't ski there anymore. I can't stand them.
Gret skiing. Good luck putting up with the locals.
Colorado is over-rated. Utah, Wyoming, Montana, British Columbia and California is where it's at. And I've skied them ALL!
I agree, Colorado is WAY over-rated
Eldora is totally under-rated
If you can afford it, Colorado has some GREAT skiing. Utah, California, Montana and Wyoming have AWESOME skiing as well, but not quite as expensive (especially for family vacations)
I'm guessing none of you have the kahones to ski the East?
Jeff....Sugarloafer since 1977
Our motto for Whistler is "Whistler never disappoints". Sometimes this is challenged - this is the Pacific Northwest and we get a lot of big weather (heard of the "Pineapple Express?) !! :) But even on the worst weather days (warm in village/wet) we always find great conditions somewhere - if you go high enough, pick the right exposure, etc. Flat night is a problem on most mountains in the north - Whistler is no exception. The right goggles are really really key. I ski the Rockies a lot too, but the reason I spend most of the season at Whistler is being the terrain is incredible, the base is deep, the powder frequent, and the denser snow allows you to ski anything (visit in the summer and you will see all the rocky cliffs you are skiing in the winter!).
Jackson Hole #14? Now that is a joke! The best mountain for the money in the Rockies! And a new tram this year.
Blackcomb/Whistler proves itself every year. All the good things you hear are true!!! Skiied all over the world and haven't seen anything that is better. Something for everyone. Steep and deep!
EAGLEEYE
Telluride should be number #1, who wants to go to Utah anyway?
I don't know where you get off saying Deer Valley isn't number one. The terrain, food, and customer service is amazing. Deer Valley should always stay the hidden gem it is, devoid of snowboarders and people who don't enjoy having a good time on the mountain.
This Resort is sleek and sexy. I was there today, looks amazing. It will be a great season.
Mitt Romney's vacation house is a must see if you are at Deer Valley. Why would he want to be president if he had to downgrade to the White House?
Telluride and Deer Valley are the two best in No America. If not world!
RE: Michael Lathrope
I agree with what you say about Deer Valley but you need to get your facts straight. Snowboarders make up 25-30% (Source: madriverglen.com), not around 50/50. DV has almost double the next resort for high-speed lifts in Utah, and rivals the best in North America, losing to such giants as Vail and WB.
PC, Alta and Snowbird would still have gotten the recognition, it just would have taken longer. The Canyons is the greatest disappointment in Utah.
Everyone needs to remember the #1 reason DV is the best, WEATHER. Utah is the greatest place in the world for weather. I just got back and I was skiing in 10 deg C weather in February.
re Findlay - MadRiverGlen's statistics are way off. Considering MadRiverGlen is one of only 3 places left in the country where snowboarding is not allowed - it's pretty safe to say they have a bias. Numbers vary greatly from resort to resort - so if you're skiing at a place that typically has more skiers than snowboarders, the perception is going to vary greatly from Reality. If you sky MRG, Alta, or DV - you'll never even see a snowboarder - Jackson, they're not very common. Squaw Valley, Heavenly, Kirkwood, Northstar - you're going to see a much different ratio.
In terms of Skier Visits Annually - skiers outnumber snowboarders a bit, but in terms of estimates of the number of individuals who actually take part in each sport - it's pretty evenly split.
I am an intermediate skier that started the sport at the age of 46 (only when rich enough to afford it). I have tried Park City, Canyons, Lac Louise, Breckenridge, Sainte Anne (unfortunately did not do Deer Valley but visited) and other smaller resorts and Utah/Colorado skiing rules. I am not a powder fanatic but if you want powder....Utah and Colorado are the places to be. Our Eastern ice hills are totally blown away by theses fantastic conditions. Our (Canada) weather conditions are unstable from one year to the next while these states have incredible conditions. If not for the poor exchange rate, I would return every year.
Can anyone rate European sites ?
Go Canada go....Vancouver 2010
Deer Valley is only rated #1 based on resort experience, the criteria is conditions, services and amenities. This resort is known for their groomers and lazy skier atmosphere.
Locals know where the best snow is! We know that these rankings are a marketing gimmick aimed at attracting lazy, wealthy skiers to a posh resort that is more akin to a country club than a ski resort. Most of Deer Valley-goers are fair-weather skiers who are more interested in convenience; so let them have #1, it just leaves more good stuff for the rest of us!
For those of you who want to ski instead of lay in lawn chairs go to Alta.
How is Snowbird #25? Jason is right, this rating system seems to work well for keeping lazy skiiers with fat wallets off the mountains where you can truely get a unique skiing experience. Of course, that is assuming those lazy skiiers are also ignorant enough to base their decision on where to ski solely on this list. When I drop my hard-earned money on a skiing trip, I spend time on the mountain, not in the spa or shopping. They need to make a list that rates mountains based on what should really matter: quality of terrain (i.e. powder vs. groomed, I prefer powder), annual snow fall, average temperature, annual attendance, number of lifts...etc. That's what matters the most to those of us looking for the best skiing/boarding mountains. That's not to say that the top 30 mountains listed here aren't all good choices in some respect. They're just rated with regards to off-mountain amenities for which I couldn't care less about when trying to decide what mountain will provide me with the most unique and challenging SKIING experience. I would keep that in mind before planning your next ski trip based on this list alone. And that's all I have to say about that.
How are The Canyons AND Soltude above Alta and The 'Bird? Deer Valley is a nice resort, but not No. 1 and certainly not above Whistler-Blackcomb in terms of between when you get off the lift and back on...
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Tops overall? No, not even close. Not even the best in Utah. However, it is a great mountain with underrated terrain (including good tree skiing), and needless to say great groomers. The snow isn't nearly up to Alta's or Snowbird's standards as it's not quite as high, nor is the scenery comparable. The facilities, while top-notch, aren't even in the same ballpark as Snowbasin (the new gold standard for facilities), but as a whole, Deer Valley is a good place to spend a day, especially if you're looking for groomers or it hasn't snowed in quite a while... but #1 overall??? C'mon!
I have been to all 4 SLC resorts and all 3 PC resorts...and I just got back from Alta....best resort in utah hands down. DV is good, but Alta blows it out of the water. That said, I'd rather ski than sit in a lounge chair tanning and drinking beer, so what do I know? Snowbird is also great unless you're a beginner anda few too many out of control snowboarders. The Canyons is the worst resort of the 7. My list goes Alta, Snowbird, DV, Brighton, PC, Solitude (could be higher but I had bad weather when I was there), and The Canyons.
We skied at Deer Valley in late February, and although I had the best lunch ever at a ski resort, I would rate Deer Valley as good, with lots of high speed lifts, and good terrain.
The grooming is UBER grooming. Very deep, and very good from edge to edge. After skiing at Beaver Creek in December, I think Deer Valley was much better groomed.
Although we didn't ski any blacks during our two days, the blues and greens were great, but they are short compared to most western resorts.
We did get more skiing in at Deer Valley than anywhere else by the vertical feet during our trip, it didn't seem like it because the lifts were so fast and you never waited.
I agree that better snow can be found at any of the cottonwood canyon resorts, but not the grooming, excellent food and service.
If you are in Park City, pay the extra and you will be well rewarded. Park City Mountain will suck after Deer Valley, so if you must ski PCM, do it first on a weekday. The Canyons is good for strong green or at least easy blue skiers, but it is huge and can overwhelm some.
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