USA Ski Resorts Ratings

Everyone has different priorities when deciding on the best place to ski in USA so we've provided ratings (out of 5, where 5 is outstanding) for various factors relating to the USA ski resorts. Our ratings for the US ski resorts are based on our experiences of visiting the western USA ski areas. You can click on the column/s that are most important to you for the best ski resorts in the US, and you can sort the ratings for each state.

For more detailed ratings and definitions on each of the categories see our full Powderhounds ski resort ratings on the best ski resorts in the world page, which also compare the USA ski resorts to those in Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Europe and South America.



USA Ski Resorts
5 = outstanding
Alaska
Alyeska 2.5 3.5 2.5 4 2 4 4 4 2.5 3.5 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 -1 -1 4 4
California
Palisades Tahoe 3.5 4 3.5 5 3 5 5 4 1 1 4 4.5 3 2.5 4 3.5 3.5 2.5 2.5 4 -1 -1 3 4.5
Alpine Meadows 2.5 3.5 3 4 2.5 4.5 3.5 4 2 1 3 3 2 2.5 2.5 0 0 0 3 1.5 -1 -1 3 3.5
Kirkwood 2.5 3 5 5 4 4.5 4 4.5 3 3.5 1.5 2.5 2 3.5 2.5 2 2 3 4 2.5 -1 -1 4.5 4
Sugar Bowl 3.5 3.5 3.5 4 3.5 4.5 4 3.5 2.5 3 -1 3.5 3 3.5 3 1.5 1.5 2.5 3 2.5 -1 -1 3.5 4
Mammoth Mountain 3.5 4.5 4 4 3.5 4 2.5 4 3.5 2.5 2.5 4.5 5 4.5 4 4 3.5 3 3.5 3 -1 -1 4 4.5
Sierra at Tahoe 5 2.5 3 4 5 3.5 2.5 3.5 3 3 2 3 3 4 3 0 0 0 3 2 -1 -1 4 3.5
Heavenly 3 4.5 2.5 4 4.5 2.5 0.5 3.5 3 1 1.5 4 3 3 2 5 5 0.5 3 4.5 -1 -1 3 4
June Mountain 3 2.5 2.5 2.5 3 1.5 0 3 4 4.5 3.5 2.5 1.5 4 2 0 0 0 4 1.5 -1 -1 4 3.5
Northstar 4 4.5 3 2.5 4.5 1.5 0 3.5 2.5 2 2 5 4 4.5 3.5 4 2 2.5 1.5 2 -1 -1 3 4
Homewood 1 4 3 4 5 1 0 3 5 4 0 3 0 4 3 0 0 1 4 3 -1 -1 4 3
Colorado
Crested Butte 3.5 3.5 2.5 4 4 5 5 3.5 4 4 0 3.5 3 4 3 4 3 3 4 3 -1 -1 4 4.5
Silverton 0 0 3 5 4 5 5 4.5 4.5 4 3 1 0 0 0.5 1.5 1 0 4 2.5 -1 -1 5 3.5
Telluride 4.5 4.5 4 4 3.5 5 4 4 3.5 3.5 3.5 4.5 3.5 4.5 5 4.5 3 5 2 3 -1 -1 4.5 5
Aspen Highlands 2 3.5 4 4 3 4.5 3.5 3.5 2.5 3 -1 3.5 0 3 2.5 2 2 3 2.5 2.5 -1 -1 4 4
Snowmass 3 5 3 4.5 4 4.5 4.5 4 2.5 3 -1 4.5 4 5 3.5 3 2.5 5 2.5 2.5 -1 -1 4 4.5
Wolf Creek 3.5 3 3 5 5 4 4 5 4.5 4 2 3 0 4 2.5 3 2 0 5 1.5 -1 -1 5 4
Arapahoe Basin 2 3 3.5 3.5 2 3 2 3 2.5 2.5 3 2.5 3 2 2.5 0 0 0 3 0 -1 -1 3.5 3
Aspen Mountain 0 3.5 3.5 3 2.5 3 2 3.5 2 3 -1 3.5 0 2.5 2.5 5 4.5 2 2 4 -1 -1 3.5 3.5
Beaver Creek 4.5 4 4 3.5 3 3 2.5 3.5 2.5 2.5 -1 4.5 3 4.5 3.5 4 2.5 5 1.5 3 -1 -1 3.5 4.5
Breckenridge 5 4 4.5 4.5 2.5 3 3 3.5 2 1 -1 4 4.5 4.5 3 4 5 4 3 4 -1 -1 3 4.5
Copper Mountain 5 5 3.5 4 3 3 3 3.5 2.5 2.5 4 4 4 5 4 4 3.5 3.5 3 4 -1 -1 3.5 4.5
Monarch 2.5 2.5 2 3 3 3 3 3.5 3 4 3 2.5 2.5 4 2 2 1 0 4.5 2 -1 -1 4 3.5
Keystone 2.5 5 4 4 4 2.5 0 3 2 1.5 5 4 5 4.5 2 4 4 1 3 3 -1 -1 3 4
Vail 3 3.5 5 5 3.5 2.5 0 4 2.5 2 3 4.5 4 3 5 5 5 2.5 2 5 -1 -1 3.5 4.5
Purgatory 4.5 5 2.5 2 2.5 2 1.5 3 2.5 3 2 3 3 5 4 2 2.5 4 4 2.5 -1 -1 3 4
Steamboat 3.5 4.5 4 3.5 4 2 2 4 2.5 3 2 3.5 4.5 4.5 3 3.5 3 3.5 2.5 3 -1 -1 3.5 4.5
Buttermilk 4.5 3 2 2 2 1.5 0 2.5 4.5 3.5 -1 4 5 4 2.5 1 1 1.5 2.5 1 -1 -1 3 3.5
Powderhorn 2.5 3 3 3 3.5 1 1 3 4 4.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 4 2.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 5 3 -1 -1 4 3.8
Idaho
Schweitzer 2.5 4 4.5 4 4.5 3 2 3 4 4 4 3.5 3 4 3.5 2.5 2 4 4 2.5 -1 -1 4 4.5
Sun Valley 3 5 4 3 3.5 2.5 1 3 4 4 2.5 4 3 4 5 4 3 0 2.5 2 -1 -1 4 4.5
Montana
Bridger Bowl 4 2.5 2 4 3 5 5 3 3 2.5 2 2.5 2 4 2 0 0 0 4.5 2 -1 -1 3.5 4
Big Sky 4.5 4 4 3.5 2.5 4 4 3 3 3 2.5 4 3 4 2 2.5 2 3.5 3 2.5 -1 -1 3.5 4.5
Snowbowl 1.5 2.5 3 4 4.5 4 1.5 2.5 5 4 2 2 1 2.5 3 0 0 1 5 2 -1 -1 4 3.5
Whitefish 4 5 4 3 4 3 2.5 4 4 4 2 2.5 3 5 4 3 2 4 4 4 -1 -1 4 4.5
New Mexico
Taos 2.5 3.5 3 4 2.5 5 5 3.5 3.5 4 0 3 2 3.5 4 4 3 5 3.5 4 -1 -1 4 4.5
Oregon
Mt Hood Meadows 4 4 2 4 3 4 3 3.5 3 2.5 0 4 3.5 4 4 0 0 0 4 3 -1 -1 3.5 4
Mt Bachelor 4.5 4.5 4 5 5 2.5 1.5 4 4 3 1 4.5 4 4 2.5 0 0 0 4 3 -1 -1 4 4.5
Travel Guides
Utah
Alta 4 3.5 4.5 5 4 5 5 5 4 3.5 4 3 0 4.5 3.5 4 2 4.5 3 3 -1 -1 5 5
Snowbird 2 2.5 5 5 4 5 5 5 2 3 4 4 1.5 3 4 3 3 2.5 2 3.5 -1 -1 4 4.5
Snowbasin 2 3.5 5 4 3.5 4.5 4 4 3 3 4 4 2.5 2.5 5 0 1 0 3.5 1 -1 -1 4 4
Solitude 3 4 4 4 5 4.5 3.5 5 3.5 3 4.5 3.5 0 4 3 3 2 3 3 2.5 -1 -1 4.5 4.5
Park City 3.5 5 5 3.5 4.5 3.5 2.5 4 2.5 2.5 3 5 5 4.5 4 5 4.5 3.5 2 3 -1 -1 3.5 5
Powder Mountain 3 3 3.5 5 5 3 1.5 4.5 4.5 4 4 2.5 3.5 2.5 1.5 0.5 0 3.5 4 3 -1 -1 4.5 4
Sundance 3 3 3 4 3 3 0 5 5 4 1 3 0 5 4 5 2 2 3 2 -1 -1 4.5 4
Brighton 3.5 3.5 2.5 4 3 2.5 2 5 2.5 3 5 4 3.5 4 2.5 0.5 0.5 2 4 3 -1 -1 4 4
Deer Valley 3 5 3 2.5 3 2.5 1.5 4 2.5 3.5 0 4 0 4.5 5 4 2 5 1 2 -1 -1 3.5 4
Eagle Point 3.5 3 3.5 1 1.5 2.5 0.5 4.5 4 4.5 2.5 2 2 3 2.5 2 1.5 3.5 5 1 -1 -1 4 3.5
Brian Head 4.5 3 2.5 2.5 2.5 2 1 4.5 4 4 2.5 2.5 2.5 4.5 2.5 2 1.5 1.5 4.5 1.5 -1 -1 4 4
Nordic Valley 3.5 4 2 1 0 0 0 4 3 4 0 3 3.5 4.5 3 0 0 0 5 0 -1 -1 3 3
Vermont
Washington
Crystal Mountain 4 3.5 4.5 5 3.5 5 3.5 4 4.5 3 4 4 1 3.5 3 1.5 2 1 3.5 4 -1 -1 4.5 4.5
Mt Baker 2 1 2 3 2 5 5 4 1 1 4 3 0 1 4 0 0 0 3.5 1 -1 -1 3.5 3.5
Stevens Pass 4 3 3 5 3 4 2 4 3.5 3.5 4 3 0 3 5 0 0 0 3.5 1 -1 -1 4.5 4
Wyoming
Jackson Hole 2.5 3 5 5 4 5 5 4.5 1.5 2 5 4 2.5 3 3 4 2.5 4 2 4.5 -1 -1 3.5 4.5
Grand Targhee 3.5 4 5 4.5 3 2.5 2 5 4 4 5 3.5 2 4 3 2 1 4 4.5 3 -1 -1 5 4.5