10 Mountains You've Never Heard of but Need to Ski This Winter
Pizza or french fry your way down one of these crowd-free mountains this season.
Nothing says "winter" quite like bundling up and hitting the slopes. Unfortunately, those slopes are often swarming with other powder seekers sharing the same objective. Turns out the key to avoiding crowds while skiing is to opt for mountains you might not know about.
Eschewing the major, high-traffic resorts for lesser-known alternatives doesn't even have to mean compromising on the quality of skiing. Did you know that a resort near Anchorage, Alaska, has longest continuous double-black diamond run in North America? Or that another one in northern Colorado comes with a free snowcat ride to the top? (Take that, overpriced lift tickets!)
Some of the least crowded ski resorts also happen to be the coolest. Here are 10 North American ski destinations you've probably never heard of but should definitely consider for the upcoming ski season.
1. Mad River Glen, Vermont
Find it: 57 Schuss Pass Road, Waitsfield, Vermont
Top elevation: 3,637 feet
This East Coast gem is steeped in history. It opened its doors in 1948 with a single chair lift that still exists today. But, the charm doesn't stop there. The mountain is also part of a co-op founded in 1995, making it one of America's few cooperatively-owned ski areas, and is one of the few skier-only mountains left.
Mad River Glen has plenty of skiing for beginners, with 20% of trails set aside for novice skiers, and features 800 acres of tree skiing access. And the mountain is even unique when it comes to the snow itself. Its bylaws explicitly restrict snowmaking above 2,300 feet, resulting in some of the only natural snow skiing in New England.
2. Le Massif de Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada
Find it: 185 Chemin du Massif, Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Quebec, Canada
Top elevation: 2,644 feet
Le Massif de Charlevoix, located about an hour from Quebec City, boasts the highest vertical drop east of the Canadian Rockies and has more than 400 acres of skiable terrain. Even though Club Med opened its first all-inclusive ski resort in North America (and its first Canadian outpost) on the mountain in December 2021, Le Massive de Charlevoix remains overshadowed by nearby Mont-Sainte-Anne and the farther-away-but-even-more-popular Mont-Tremblant.
Those who head to the Canadian resort can hit the slopes while looking out over the St. Lawrence River as they ski more than 50 different trails (including a four-plus-mile-long run). While 70% of the ski area is groomed, the mountain also has more than nine miles of skiable and rideable backcountry and off-piste terrain appealing to all levels.
3. Camden Snow Bowl, Maine
Find it: 20 Barnestown Road, Camden, Maine
Top elevation: 1,070 feet
This mountain located in coastal Maine is small but mighty with 15 trails that service mainly intermediate skiers and snowboarders, including the mile-long Spinnaker, which starts at an intermediate level but turns beginner-friendly. But the crowning jewel of this mountain is its backdrop: It's the only ski area on the East Coast to boast ocean views.
Beyond skiing itself, winter enthusiasts who head to the Camden Snow Bowl can get a thrill with the mountain's 400-foot-long wooden toboggan chute (the only remaining original, gravity-operated one in the country), where riders are shot out onto a frozen pond.
4. Crystal Mountain, Washington
Find it: 33914 Crystal Mountain Boulevard, Enumclaw, Washington
Top elevation: 6,872 feet
Crystal Mountain may be the largest ski resort in Washington state, but it's also one of the most underrated in the country. It features incredible views of Mt. Rainier, 2,600 total acres, and an average of more than 348 inches of snowfall each year. And the fun extends beyond the slopes with winter RV camping available at the base of the beautiful mountain, conveniently within walking distance of the lifts.
Those who prefer the lodge over the slopes can still take in the views with a scenic ride on the Mt. Rainier Gondola, which takes passengers up 2,400 vertical feet to the summit over about 12 minutes.
5. Brian Head Resort, Utah
Find it: 329 South Highway 143, Brian Head, Utah
Top elevation: 10,970 feet
Brian Head is lesser-known than Utah's other major ski mountains — Park City, Deer Valley, and Snowbird — but it comes with more than its fair share of unique attributes, including the fact that it boasts the highest base elevation in the state. The resort is actually two different mountains — Giant Steps and Navajo — that connect to form 71 runs. Difficulty is very evenly spread among the trails, with 30% of runs considered easy, 35% intermediate, and 35% expert.
Those who prefer snow tubing will find a 100-foot vertical drop and a 600-foot-long slope at the Giant Steps Tube Hill.
6. Marmot Basin, Alberta, Canada
Find it: 1 Marmot Road, Jasper, Alberta, Canada
Top elevation: 8,570 feet
Alberta, Canada's Marmot Basin sits in Jasper National Park, part of the UNESCO Canadian Rockies World Heritage site and one of the most breathtakingly beautiful spots in North America. An abundance of dry, natural snow makes skiing and snowboarding feel like gliding on air, and with the longest run coming in at 3.5 miles, you can coast along while admiring the view. The mountain also features diverse terrain with 30% of runs for beginners, 30% for intermediate, 20% for advanced, and 20% for experts.
Marmot Basin is certainly the most popular ski resort in Jasper, but most of the crowds flock to the wildly popular trio of resorts in and around Banff — Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise, and Mt. Norquay — instead.
7. Loveland Ski Area, Colorado
Find it: I-70, Exit 216, Dillon, Colorado
Top elevation: 13,010 feet
There are many mountains with great slopes — especially in Colorado — but adventurous skiers and snowboarders can go one step further at Loveland Ski Area. Hop aboard the Ridge Cat, a free 18-passenger snowcat that will take you to unparalleled runs and views along the Continental Divide. Anyone with a season pass or lift ticket can pick up a Ridge Cat Pass free of charge. Perhaps it's the way this mountain is accessed — by foot or snowcat only — and the advanced-level runs that help keep the mountain relatively quiet.
For those less advanced, the mountain has the Loveland Valley, a separate area specifically for beginners with its own lifts and easier terrain.
8. Lutsen Mountains, Minnesota
Find it: 467 Ski Hill Road, Lutsen, Minnesota
Top elevation: 1,088 feet
When it comes to skiing, most flock to the known high points — the Rockies, the Sierras, the Cascades — not usually the Midwest, often mistaken as being totally flat. However, Midwestern powder seekers should know about Minnesota's Lutsen Mountains, which offer stunning views, access to tree skiing, and massive terrain. The resort has four interconnected mountains and features 95 different runs set over 1,000 acres and 60 acres of tree skiing. On top of that, visitors will be awed by the gorgeous views of Lake Superior — and the more than 120 inches of lake-effect snow is just a bonus.
Those looking to get out and explore can also hit up the more than 250 miles of cross-country trails (the area is home to the largest cross-country trail network in North America) or the 450 miles of snowmobile trails.
9. Alyeska Resort, Alaska
Find it: 1000 Arlberg Avenue, Girdwood, Alaska
Top elevation: 3,939 feet
Alyeska Resort, which gets more than 650 inches of annual snowfall, boasts some of the most incredible scenery anywhere on Earth, with both glacier and ocean views. Experts will love heading down North America's longest continuous double-black diamond run or challenging themselves with the available heli-skiing and cat-skiing.
In the evening, you can look for the Northern Lights dancing across the sky as you night ski. Or, take a break from the slopes and hop aboard the winter aerial tram for a scenic ride to the top of Mt. Alyeska.
10. Whitefish Mountain Resort, Montana
Find it: 1015 Glades Drive, Whitefish, Montana
Top elevation: 6,817 feet
Whitefish Mountain Resort is nicknamed the "Big Mountain" because it offers 3,000 acres of skiing and snowboarding, 111 marked trails, and plentiful bowl and tree skiing. Those new to the mountain can sign up for one of the free daily mountain tours to learn all about the terrain. Or, guests can take advantage of a late-day storm with night skiing.
After time on the slopes, take a break and head to nearby Glacier National Park or check out the Summit Nature Center, where kids can sign up to be a Junior Snow Ranger to learn about where animals go in the winter, snow safety, and more.
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