10. Steamboat Springs, CO

Photo Credit: Mike Lane Steamboat Ski and Resort
Photo Credit: Mike Lane Steamboat Ski and Resort

Although Steamboat is known for its classic tree runs and champagne powder (see Shadows and Closets), the northern Colorado ski town has quite the nightlife as well. Starting at the beginning of Skidmas (Read: Skidmas: The Ski Bum Holiday Season), the town really comes alive. Also, look out for the Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival, where skijoring (horse powered skiing) and beer drinking are the two most popular activities.

Don’t Miss: Steamboat MusicFest. Starting January 4th, the resort kicks off the festival’s 31st birthday, bringing folk and Americana bands from all over the country to play for 6 days. It’s a marathon not a sprint.

9. Bend, ORBend

With Mount Bachelor only 28 minutes away and 21 breweries, Bend is a drinking town with a skiing problem. Just watch the IPA intake or else the bar will be uninhabitable in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

Don’t Miss: The Bend Ale Trail. Download the app and collect stamps from 10 different Bend area breweries to receive a special prize that you’ll immediately gift to some lovely man or woman you’ve never met before. The next day walk the Bend Crest of Shame Trail to work off all those IPA’s that are still weighing you down.

8. Sun Valley, ID3582556-Concert_at_Whiskey_Jaques_Idaho

Although Grumpy’s is the iconic ski bum bar in the Ketchum area, Sun Valley is home to a smorgasbord of late night joints that offer anything from dusty Idaho bar scenes to the upscale Hollywood influenced downtown scenes.

Don’t Miss: The Casino. This place is the definition of a dive bar. With the best jukebox in town, cheap beer, and a cash only policy, it’s like jumping in the DeLorean and traveling back to the golden age of ski town bars. Also, kinda reminds me of the venue for the Wet T-Shirt contest in Hot Dog: The Movie.

7. Winter Park, CO

Derailer Bar
Photo Credit: Jack C. via Yelp

Winter Park might have the most underrated nightlife amongst ski towns in Colorado. From ski bum dive bars like the Winter Park Pub to veritable music venues like Ullr’s, every weekend the Denver nightlife moves to its front range, weekend-warrior hideaway and gets wild from Friday till Sunday.

Don’t Miss: SnowBall Music Festival. Happening March 2016, Snowball will return to Winter Park for what is one of the biggest Front Range ski parties of the year. This year’s lineup is TBD.

6. Hunter Mountain, NYhqdefault

If partying with a bunch of Joey’s is your thing, look no further than Hunter Mountain (pronounced “Hunta” for short). This New York ski hill is famous for Slopes, a club that hosts Jersey Shore DJ’s on every one of their three floors. Bottom line it gets ridiculous. Just pray you don’t get into it with some Soprano family member from Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Dont Miss: Slopes Night Club. Try and make it to bar close, which happens at 4am… God speed.

5. South Lake Tahoe, CA/NV

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Photo Credit: Jim G via Flickr Creative Commons

Located directly on the southeast corner of Lake Tahoe is where Las Vegas partying and California skiing meet. Harrah’s Casino, Harvey’s Lake Tahoe, as well as The Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena provide the partying while Heavenly Ski Resort provides the skiing.

Don’t Miss: Opal at Montbleu Resort, Casino, and Spa. Sure, it’s not the local thing to do but every now and again you can skip the brewery and get weird. Do so at Opal where go-go dancers and everything in between stack this Stateline club with all the Las Vegas accessories. However, it’s not Vegas but with the right goggles on it looks damn close.

4. Killington, VTl

Killington is the biggest ski resort in Vermont and the party scene is there to match. From locally brewed Long Trail Ales to The Pickle Barrel for music, Killington has a party scene that is unmatched on the east coast. Also, with the east coast crowds comes the Tinder game to match; Time to start swiping.

Don’t Miss: The Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge. The biggest amateur mogul event on the east coast, The BMMC brings spectators from far and wide to view this mogul mash every spring. Not to mention, the after party at the Pickle Barrel is known for getting particularly loose.

3. Jackson, WY

IMG_3500
Photo Credit: Dave Johnson

Where do I even start. Things have changed quite a bit in the last few years in Jackson (like women living there the entire year) but to this day the nightlife is nothing short of astounding. Even Sunday is a going out night in J-hole and locals aren’t afraid to send it on the weekdays either. Lately, The Local has become the go to watering hole for crusty locals and tourists alike but it’s the Cowboy that has stood the test of time. So saddle up and get turnt.

Don’t Miss: Gaper Day at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Possibly the bestgaper day in the entire world, Jackson locals save up and go huge every year come April 1st. Also, live music normally follows at the Mangy Moose, which is the go to après zone.

2. Park City, UTScreen Shot 2015-08-20 at 1.31.30 PM

Whenever you hear about Park City, the story somehow always leads to the No Name Saloon and Grill. Once voted the best ski bar in the US, the No Name is a place of legend and cements Park City as an après and nightlife powerhouse. Also, events like the Sundance Film Festival brings the Hollywood scene in direct opposition to the local scene, which is a pretty funny thing to watch.

Dont Miss: Sundance Film Festival. You probably won’t get into any of the screenings but who doesn’t want to rub elbows with some Hollywood crazies.

1. Aspen, COfeat2

Aspen… Where the beer flows like wine… where the women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. That said, flock to the Belly Up for the best concerts in all of Colorado (sorry Red Rocks) and hit up Aspen Brewing for some of the best craft beers in the state.

Don’t Miss: The Winter X-Games. Some locals love it and some hate it but if you’re just visiting, it’s a scene to behold. While the world’s best freestyle athletes take the stage, getting debauched among the swaying crowd is a prerequisite to having a good time. So have a good time.

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