Ski Every State West of The Mississippi On The Ultimate Road Trip

Here is my itinerary to ski every state west of the Mississippi River. Scroll all the way to the bottom of this post to see the trip totals.

*I plan on driving an RV or similar vehicle to cover lodging*

*I will reference the map above for details. Resort letters correspond with points on map*

Day 1: Afton Alps, MN (A)

First on the list is the great state of Minnesota. While Minnesota isn’t home to gigantic mountains, the state boasts a rich skiing history. Athletes such as Lindsay Vonn and the legendary Jamie Pierre call Minnesota home.

Stats: Vertical: 350′, Skiable Acres: 300

Day 2: Travel. 7.5 Hours to Huff Hills, ND

Day 3: Huff Hills Ski Area, ND (B)

Huff Hills is one of The United States’ newest ski resorts. The resorts first started turning lifts only in 1993. While not a huge hill, the resort is the largest you’ll find in North Dakota.

Stats: Vertical: 450′, Skiable Acres: N/A

*TRAVEL TO TERRY PEAK, SD (5.5 HOURS) NIGHT OF DAY 3*

Day 4: Terry Peak, SD (C)

Terry Peak is surprisingly larger that you’d think for South Dakota. The resort boasts more than 1,000′ of vertical, and the highest peak elevation east of the Rocky Mountains (7,100′).

Stats: Vertical: 1,100′, Skiable Acres: 450

Day 5: Travel. 8.5 Hours To Jackson, WY

Day 6: Jackson Hole, WY (D)

You already know about Jackson Hole. Just know that I haven’t skied there yet, and I plan to change that with this trip.

Courtesy of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Stats: Vertical: 4,139′, Skiable Acres: 2,500 (inbounds)

*TRAVEL TO BIG SKY, MT (~3.5 HOURS) NIGHT OF DAY 6*

Day 7: Big Sky, MT (E)

Again, I probably don’t need to say much about Big Sky. It’s kind of a no-brainer that I’d make my way through here during the trip. I also haven’t skied here, yet!

Stats: Vertical: 4350′, Skiable Acres: 5850

Day 8: Travel. 7.25 Hours to Schweitzer, ID

Day 9: Schweitzer Mountain Resort, ID (F)

Schweitzer is somewhat “unknown” when it comes to skiing in Idaho. The resort is located way up in the state’s northern panhandle. Schweitzer is only 80 miles from Spokane, WA. It looks like a hell of a time to me.

Stats: Vertical: 2,400′, Skiable Acres: 2900

*TRAVEL TO CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, WA (6.5 HOURS) NIGHT OF DAY 9*

Day 10: Crystal Mountain, WA (G)

Crystal is on my list due its proximity to Seattle. It’s also a legendary resort that has been on my bucket list for years.

Stats: Vertical: 2,602′ (lift accessible), Acres: 2,600 (inbounds)

*TRAVEL TO MT. HOOD MEADOWS, OR (2.75 HOURS) NIGHT OF DAY 10*

Day 11: REST (will be much needed)

Day 12: Mt. Hood Meadows, OR (H)

An absolute juggernaut in the PNW, Mt. Hood Meadows will be sick! Bring on the steeps!

Stats: Vertical: 2,777′, Acres: 2,150

Day 13: Travel. 9.5 Hours to Heavenly, CA

Day 14: Heavenly Mountain Resort, CA + NV (I)

Why not kill two birds with one stone? Heavenly conveniently stretches into both California and Nevada on Lake Tahoe.

Stats: Vertical: 3500′, Skiable Acres: 4,800

Day 15: Travel. 9 Hours to Brian Head, UT

Day 16: Brian Head Resort, UT (J)

I’ve skied everything in the Salt Lake City Area. That’s why I figured checking out what southern Utah has to offer could be fun! Brian Head also offers the highest base elevation of any Utah ski resort at 9,600′!

Stats: Vertical: 1,320′, Skiable Acres: 650

*TRAVEL TO ARIZONA SNOWBOWL (5 HOURS) NIGHT OF DAY 16)

Day 17: Arizona Snowbowl, AZ (K)

Did you think Arizona was just filled with sand, cactus, and old people? Think again. Arizona Snowbowl is a legitimate ski destination located near Flagstaff, AZ.

Stats: Vertical: 2,800′, Skiable acres: 777

Day 18: REST

Day 19: Travel. 7.5 Hours to Taos Ski Valley, NM

Day 20: Taos Ski Valley, NM (L)

Taos is known to have some of the steepest inbounds terrain in all of North America. Did you know that Taos still banned snowboarding as recently as 2008?

Taos Ski Valley- Matt Lorelli/Unofficial Networks

Stats: Vertical: 3,281′, Skiable Acres: 1,294

*TRAVEL TO WOLF CREEK, CO (2.75 HOURS) NIGHT OF DAY 20*

Day 21: Wolf Creek, CO (M)

Wolf Creek boasts the most snow in Colorado, and sometimes competes with A-Basin and Keystone for the earliest opening resort in the state.

Stats: Vertical: 1,604′, Skiable Acres: 1,600

*TRAVEL TO DENVER, CO (4 HOURS) NIGHT OF DAY 21*

Day 22: Rest in Denver, CO

Day 23: Travel. 12.5 Hours to Sundown Mountain Resort, IA

Day 24: Sundown Mountain Resort, IA

We started small and we’re going to end small for this journey. Sundown Mountain Resort lies just west of the Mississippi River, and therefore, it makes the list! I guess it’s just the completionist in me.