North America — Of all ski resort rankings, none is debated and prized as much as Ski Magazine’s reader’s choice. A longtime ski industry fixture, Ski Magazine’s Top 50 rankings typically favored luxury ski resorts. In recent years, they adjusted their rankings to focus on what matters more to skiers, such as terrain, lifts, and snow quality. This year’s list had some notable surprises, partly due to the lack of snow out west.
While not every pick is agreeable (for example, I don’t think Bretton Woods is the second-best ski resort in the Northeast), it shows which ski resorts guests enjoy most and which hidden gems are about to become less hidden (i.e., Grand Targhee Resort).
Here’s the top ten picks for the best of the West:
- 10. Jackson Hole
- 9. Grand Targhee
- 8. Whistler Blackcomb
- 7. Mammoth Mountain
- 6. Sun Valley
- 5. Big Sky
- 4. Alta
- 3. Snowbasin
- 2. Lake Louise
- 1. Banff Sunshine Village
You can read the Best of the West list here.
Here are the top ten in the Northeast:
- 10. Loon Mountain
- 9. Sunday River
- 8. Jay Peak
- 7. Waterville Valley
- 6. Sugarloaf
- 5. Magic Mountain
- 4. Mad River Glen
- 3. Killington
- 2. Bretton Woods
- 1. Saddleback
You can view the Northeast’s best list here.
Analysis
Out West, last winter’s snowfall played a big part in their success. The top two, Banff Sunshine Village and Lake Louise, had a historically snowy season. Vail saw the biggest drop, from 4 to 24. This can be attributed to their rough season, which saw a late opening of the Back Bowls, and them patching the thin spots together at the end. Other notable drop-offs include Deer Valley (9 to 16th) and Aspen Snowmass (4 to 12). Others that had low-snow winters weren’t impacted that much, such as Snowbasin.
In the Northeast, independent mountains stood out. Waterville Valley made the top ten following the addition of a lower mountain T-Bar. After being unranked for years, Magic Mountain made it to the number five spot. This is partly thanks to its great terrain and new lift arrangement, which has practically eliminated lift lines. Mad River Glen has ranked highly in recent years, including number 4 this go-around. Saddleback once again took the number one spot, continuing its impressive revival. It goes to show what skiers value right now, especially in the Northeast.
Image/Video Credits: Rise & Alpine
