7 Best Snowcat Skiing Operators in the U.S. for Pristine Powder and Insane Vertical

You may be inclined to head to the chopper for an epic heli-skiing experience, but we'd like to make our case for the snowcat skiing.

Climbing out of a heated, reggae-blaring snowcat in Utah's Monument Ranch, we take in a view all skiers and riders crave: a wide-open powder field extending a whopping 2,600 vertical feet to the valley floor far below. It’s a blank canvas, with not a track to be seen—and it’s all ours.

Our head guide, Anna, a Kiwi who's guided all over North America, points out our line and takes off, setting the far right perimeter. Anything left of her is fair game. One by one, we follow suit like ducklings, our wake staying etched in the snow as we make ski turns as wide as our grins. At the bottom, we share high fives and load up to do it all again. Having crossed another guest’s tracks at the very bottom, I vow not to make that unaesthetic mistake again—but not bad for a half-mile of vert.

Related: Powder Paradise: Snowcat Skiing at Colorado’s Purgatory Resort

Welcome to the wonderful world of snowcat skiing. Forget the expense of heli-skiing or cardiac arrest of skinning for powder turns. The Lower 48’s top snowcat operations bring you to the same freshies at a fraction of the cost of using a helicopter, with way more vert than you’d ever get busting a lung.

Throw in expert guides who know the terrain, top-notch skis and avalanche gear, gourmet lunches, and comfy snowcats cranking tunes all the way back up (this time it’s the Stones), and cat skiing should be on every skier and snowboarder's bucket list.

Below are a few of the best snowcat skiing outfitters in the country, all members of Cat Ski U.S., abiding by its rules, protocols, and safety measures.

Best Snowcat Skiing Outfitters in the West

Thanks to a new partnership with Monument, a private, 20,000-acre, ski line-filled ranch adjacent to the resort, Utah’s Powder Mountain has upped its snowcat game. Full-day snowcat tours feature runs tallying a whopping 2,600 feet of vertical. Trips meet bright and early at Sky Lodge, at the top of the mountain, to do a safety talk and dole out avi gear including beacons, probes, shovels, and packs.

Tucked below all the I-70 ski resort traffic out of Denver, Southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains largely remain a hidden secret. Four Corners skiers indulge in epic powder days at off-the-radar gems like Wolf Creek, Silverton Mountain, and Purgatory Ski Resort. Escaping even farther off the beaten slope at the latter is as easy as reserving a seat with cat-skiing pioneer Purgatory Snowcat Adventures, headquartered at the beloved ski area’s base village, where over 300 inches of snow constitute a normal year. One of the largest and longest-running snowcat operators in the West, PSA has been specializing in unforgettable ski days in the glades, bowls, and tilted old-growth spruce woods of San Juan National Forest since the mid-90s.

Montana’s only backcountry snowcat operation, Great Northern Powder Guides runs on more than 20,000 acres in Stillwater State Forest, just 20 miles north of Whitefish. Like the state’s Big Sky Country billing, its snowcats are sizable as well, with a capacity for 14—so bring all your friends (even though there aren’t any on a powder day). Accessing peaks as high as 7,500 feet when conditions allow will yield quad-burning descents of up to nearly 4,000 feet through glades, chutes, bowls, and more.

In Colorado, Wolf Creek Pass down south and Buffalo Pass up north regularly vie for the state’s deepest snowpack, with Buff most often landing in the winner’s corner. This year, it surpassed 600 inches. Luckily, Steamboat Powdercats can take you there with its fleet of plush snowcats, whisking you away for a spectacular day of bliss. Just 15 minutes from downtown Steamboat Springs (aka “Ski Town USA”) where the term “Champagne powder” was also coined, Buff Pass’ undulating terrain is perfect for beginners and seasoned pros alike, with powder pitches of every cardinal direction along the sprawling Continental Divide.

Owned and operated by luxury lodging company Eleven Experience, Irwin Guides runs its snowcat operation near the historic silver mining town of Irwin just 12 miles from Crested Butte, billed as “Colorado’s last great ski town.” With 500 inches of cold-smoke snow a year and 1,300 acres of intermediate-to-expert bowls, glades, and couloirs, it’s one of the state’s best, but also hardest to book. Priority is given to guests staying at Eleven’s Scarp Ridge Lodge in downtown Crested Butte, an old Croatian dance hall remodeled by owner Chad Pike. But if there’s a seat open, it’s fair game for the public and you’ll be rewarded with some of the best skiing and riding of your life amidst views of the Elk Mountains and such high-alpine peaks as Ruby Peak, Mt. Owen, and Purple Mountain—which lives up to its name during the alpenglow hours.

Turns out Idaho is known for its powder as much as its potatoes—and the proof lies in the pristine backcountry terrain of Payette National Forest, accessed by Brundage Mountain Snowcat Adventures. Brundage’s snowcat excursions take place on 18,000 acres of snowy steeps, tree-lined glades, and powdery bowls, topping out at elevations of 8,500 feet. Offering up to 14 runs of 800 to 2,800 vertical feet each, the terrain includes three separate mountain peaks as well as a new area along Six Mile Ridge. All offer views of the surrounding peaks, forest, and marquee Payette drainages, as well as glimpses of Goose Lake and Brundage Reservoir far below. Bring your own skis or board, or rent from its powder-friendly demo flee. After, fuel up on those famous Idaho fries and a Brundage Burger at Smoky’s Bar & Grill.

At about 8.5 percent water—not too light, not too heavy (thanks to the dry-and-dump effect of nearby Great Salt Lake)—Utah’s powder is called “The Greatest Snow on Earth” for a reason. No one puts you in it better than Park City Powder Cats, which has been ushering skiers and riders to the goods beyond resort boundaries for 27 years. Just a half-hour drive from Park City, its snowcats take you to the bowls, chutes, and perfectly spaced glades of 15,000 skiable acres of private terrain in the Uinta Mountains, nestled in northeastern Utah near the Wyoming/Colorado border.