The 25 Best Ski Towns

Categories

Have you been watching the Winter Olympics this year? The talent and skill these athletes have is undeniable, and perhaps it’s inspired you to hit the slopes! Or maybe it’s inspired you to escape to a resort in the mountains where you can sip hot cocoa.

Either way, we’ve broken down some of the best ski towns found around the globe. Here is the top 25, courtesy of National Geographic:

1. Girdwood, Alaska: Best for off-the-beaten-path powder hounds with an aversion to glamour
2. Fernie, British Columbia: Best for adventurous skiers with a hunger for the steep and deep
3. Zermatt, Switzerland: Best for photographers with a taste for old-world culture and never-ending descents
4. Bozeman, Montana: Best for diehard skiers who wear their duct tape with pride (and beginners who look forward to doing the same someday)
5. Chamonix, France: Best for adrenaline junkies who like their mountains big
6. Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy: Best for aesthetically minded skiers who appreciate fine wine
7. Whitefish, Montana: Best for families and groups with disparate skiing abilities
8. Crested Butte, Colorado: Best for families hoping to raise the next freeskiing world champion
9. Aspen, Colorado: Best for well-heeled scenesters and celebrity-stalkers with a love for top-quality skiing
10. Niseko, Japan: Best for powder worshippers with plenty of frequent flyer miles and a taste for hot springs and sushi
11. Kitzbuhel, Austria: Best for intermediate skiing couples with a taste for the cosmopolitan
12. Bend, Oregon: Best for multisport junkies with a taste for microbrews
13. Mont Tremblant, Quebec: Best for croissant-loving skiers and snowboarders looking for European ambiance without the overseas flight
14. Taos, New Mexico: Best for art-loving skiers and boarders with a taste for steep runs and green chilies
15. Park City, Utah: Best for cinephile families with a range of abilities
16. Truckee, California: Best for families with aspiring ski or rider rock star kids; also, ski and rider rock stars
17. Whistler, British Columbia: Best for skiers and snowboarders who want the biggest of everything
18. North Conway, New Hampshire: Best for history-buff families in the northeastern U.S.
19. Banff, Canada: Best for hardy skiers and snowboarders of all abilities who love big views, wild panoramas, and bighorn sheep on the front lawn
20. Steamboat Springs, Colorado: Best for families hoping to groom the next Bode Miller
21. Telluride, Colorado: Best for big-lunged skiers and boarders with a taste for fine wine and the mountain high life
22. Jackson, Wyoming: Best for advanced skiers and riders looking for test pieces and line dancing
23. Wanaka, New Zealand: Best for skiing and snowboarding addicts from the Northern Hemisphere who just can’t let go when winter slips away
24. Stowe, Vermont: Best for patrician eastern U.S. skiers with a taste for fine dining
25. Ketchum, Idaho: Best for hard-carving skiers and boarders who like playing “spot the movie star”