On the Wire


Travel
Best Ski Areas in the United States
By Steve Hoenisch
Last updated on January 17, 2008
Copyright 1996-2008 www.Criticism.Com
Table of Contents
1 Overall Ranking
2 Soulful Ski Areas
3 Soulless Ski Resorts
4 Related

1 Overall Ranking

As of December 2007, I've skied at 60 ski areas. Here's a list of them, ranked roughly by preference:
  1. Alta, Utah
  2. Alpental, Washington
  3. Crystal Mountain, Washington
  4. Mt. Baker, Washington
  5. Stevens Pass, Washington
  6. Arapahoe Basin, Colorado
  7. Snowbird, Utah: Photo
  8. Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico
  9. Mad River Glen, Vermont
  10. Sugarbush, Vermont
  11. Solitude, Utah
  12. Jackson Hole, Wyoming
  13. Squaw Valley, California
  14. Stowe, Vermont
  15. Big Mountain, Montana
  16. Powder Mountain, Utah
  17. Tuckermans Ravine, New Hampshire
  18. Ski Cooper, Colorado
  19. Anthony Lakes, Oregon
  20. Jay Peak, Vermont
  21. Sugarloaf/USA, Maine
  22. Engelberg, Switzerland
  23. Aspen Mountain, Colorado
  24. Whistler-Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada
  25. Sun Valley, Idaho
  26. Timberline, Mt. Hood
  27. Sunday River, Maine
  28. Mt. Bachelor, Oregon
  29. Smugglers’ Notch, Vermont
  30. Cannon Mountain, New Hampshire
  31. Wildcat, New Hampshire
  32. The Canyons, Utah (formerly Park West)
  33. Deer Valley, Utah
  34. Mt. Hood Meadows, Oregon
  35. Willamette Pass, Oregon
  36. Ski Bowl and Multipor, Mt. Hood, Oregon
  37. Summit at Snoqualmie, Washington
  38. Attitash, New Hampshire
  39. Gunstock, New Hampshire
  40. Haystack, Vermont
  41. Pico, Vermont
  42. Okemo, Vermont
  43. Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
  44. Loon Mountain, New Hampshire
  45. Waterville Valley, New Hampshire
  46. Whiteface, New York
  47. Belleayre Mountain, New York
  48. Hunter Mountain, New York
  49. Mountain Creek, New Jersey
  50. Camelback Ski Area, Pennsylvania
  51. Shawnee, Pennsylvania
  52. Showshoe Mountain, West Virginia
  53. Windham, New York
  54. Summit Ski Area, Mt. Hood, Oregon
  55. Copper Mountain, Colorado
  56. Park City, Utah
  57. Mt. Snow, Vermont
  58. Breckenridge, Colorado
  59. Killington, Vermont
  60. Stratton, Vermont
Top

2 Soulful Ski Areas

  • Mad River Glen, Vermont
  • Alpental, Washington
  • Alta, Utah
  • Crystal Mountain, Washington
  • Mt. Baker, Washington
  • Arapahoe Basin, Colorado
  • Powder Mountain, Utah
  • Ski Cooper, Colorado
  • Jay Peak, Vermont
  • Anthony Lakes, Oregon
  • Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico
  • Sugarbush, Vermont
  • Tuckermans Ravine, New Hampshire
  • Stevens Pass, Washington
Is it just a coincidence that three of the four ski areas in the United States that do not allow snowboarding -- Alta, Taos, Mad River Glen -- rank high in their soulfulness?
Top

3 Soulless Ski Resorts

These ski resorts rank among the worst I've ever skied:
  • Stratton, Vermont (the worst)
  • Breckenridge, Colorado
  • Killington, Vermont
  • Park City, Utah
  • Mountain Creek, New Jersey
  • Mt. Hood Meadows
Top
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