Brand Usa Invites Global Visitors to Experience the Usa’s Iconic and Hidden Gem Skiing Experiences

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From family-friendly slopes nestled amid picturesque villages, to resorts perched on some of the world’s highest mountains, the USA offers a wonderful variety of destinations for skiing and snowboarding — along with stunning landscapes, warm hospitality and fun apres-ski options.

“Whether you’re skiing under sunny skies in the Colorado Rockies, or heading to Utah, where you can get from the airport to the slopes in an hour, the USA is home to some of the world’s finest skiing,” said Fred Dixon, president and CEO of Brand USA, the nation’s destination marketing organization. “Other iconic locales include Lake Placid, New York, which twice hosted the Winter Olympics; charming New England ski towns like Stowe, Vermont, and unique destinations like Taos, New Mexico, known for challenging terrain and an artsy, multicultural community.”

You can ski in 37 of the USA’s 50 states. Smaller, under-the-radar ski areas like Boone, North Carolina, or Canaan Valley, West Virginia, are typically more affordable, family friendly and perfect for introducing kids and first-timers to snow sports — from downhill (Alpine) skiing and snowboarding to cross-country (Nordic) skiing, snowshoeing, snow-tubing, ice skating and snowmobiling.

For skiers who prefer to have the slopes to themselves, the USA has three resorts where snowboarding is not allowed: Vermont’s Mad River Glen and Utah’s Alta and Deer Valley.

Lessons and Private Guides

Most U.S. resorts offer lessons for all ages and skill levels, starting with “bunny hills” for kids and other beginners. Lessons can start at age 3 or 4, but many resorts also offer childcare and “snow play” for their youngest guests. Some places, like Telluride in Colorado, can arrange for multilingual instructors. Others, including Park City in Utah, offer adaptive skiing for guests with disabilities.

Advanced skiers who are up for a challenge might consider hiring a guide for backcountry adventures or even heli-skiing (where helicopters transport you to a mountaintop) in places like Alaska’s Chugach Mountains, home to the Alyeska Resort.

Springtime Skiing

Skiing in the USA is not just a wintertime activity: Many resorts stay open until mid- to late April. Springtime visitors can expect uncrowded slopes, shorter wait times, lower prices, milder temperatures and more daylight. Some resorts end the season in April with festivals, parties and other fun events. One late spring tradition is “pond-skimming,” where costumed skiers race down a slope, then try to glide across a pond without falling in.

Cross-country Skiing

You don’t need a mountain to go cross-country skiing. You just need snow. Cross-country (also known as Nordic) skiing is a great alternative for folks who want an energetic outdoor activity without the thrills of downhill skiing. (It’s usually more affordable, too.) Many mountain regions known for downhill skiing have nearby cross-country trails, such as Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky, Montana; Tamarack in Mammoth Lakes, California; Bretton Woods in New Hampshire; and Aspen Snowmass in Colorado. Snowshoeing is another low-impact way to experience the serene magic of traversing a valley or forest blanketed with sparkling snow.

You can also cross-country ski in a number of national parks, including Glacier National Park in Montana, Yosemite National Park in California, and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana.

Regional Guide to Skiing in the Usa

Here are some details on skiing in the USA by region. Note that snow and ski conditions can vary tremendously due to the weather; check before booking.

Colorado and Utah

Colorado is the USA’s best-known ski destination, renowned for perfect, powdery snow, hundreds of miles of varied terrain, lots of sunshine and clear blue skies. It’s home to more than two dozen ski resorts, including four of the world’s highest: Breckenridge, Loveland, Telluride and Aspen, all above 3,800 meters (12,500 feet) in the Rocky Mountains. Many resorts have shuttle service from the Denver airport. You can also fly direct from various U.S. cities to regional Colorado airports. For example, fly into Eagle if you’re heading to Vail Mountain, or fly into Hayden/Yampa Valley for Steamboat Springs. An Amtrak train runs from Denver to Winter Park Resort through March 31.

Utah has 15 ski resorts, 10 of which are within an hour’s drive of the Salt Lake City airport, where you can rent a car or take a bus or shuttle to the slopes. You could even stay in downtown Salt Lake City and head to a different resort each day. Among them: Park City, the USA’s largest ski resort and host to the 2002 Winter Olympics, and Sundance, the rustic resort founded by actor Robert Redford, where the Sundance Film Festival is held each January. Utah has trademarked the slogan “The Greatest Snow on Earth” to describe its light, fluffy snow.

The Northeast

Skiing in New England isn’t just about getting down a mountain. It’s also about cozy lodges, picturesque towns, historic covered bridges and red barns by the side of the road. Off the slopes, see how maple syrup is made; learn to play cribbage, a traditional card-and-board game, or hire a guide to go ice-fishing on a frozen pond.

Vermont is the Northeast’s premier ski destination, with 25 resorts including Killington, Stowe, Sugarbush, Okemo and Stratton. Many resorts are a three- to four-hour drive from Boston, or fly nonstop to Burlington, Vermont, from more than a dozen U.S. cities. There’s also bus, shuttle and Amtrak train service from New York and Boston. Off the slopes, check out the famed Vermont Country Store, the charming village of Woodstock, and the Trapp Family Lodge, whose family history inspired the classic film “The Sound of Music.”

New Hampshire is home to 18 downhill ski areas, including Cannon Mountain Ski Area, where Olympic gold medalist Bode Miller grew up, and historic Bretton Woods, the state’s largest resort with 63 trails. In Maine, fly into Portland and head to Saddleback or Sunday River. Maine’s beloved Sugarloaf, the largest ski area east of the Rocky Mountains, is the only place in the region to offer above-tree line skiing. En route to the slopes, go shopping in Freeport, Maine, home to the legendary L.L. Bean outfitter and dozens of outlet stores for major brands.

New York State has more than 50 ski areas. They range from Hunter Mountain and Belleayre Mountain, about a three-hour drive from New York City and perfect for families and beginners, to Whiteface Mountain, known for a 3,430-foot (1,045-meter) vertical drop and challenging terrain, including Black Diamond and Double Black Diamond trails. Nearby Whiteface, you can experience Olympic history in the picturesque village of Lake Placid, which hosted the 1932 and 1980 Winter Games.

In the Midwest, consider Mount Bohemia in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, a favorite for backcountry skiing and other adventures; Wisconsin’s biggest and highest resort, Granite Peak;  and Lutsen Mountains in Northeast Minnesota, with four interconnected peaks overlooking Lake Superior.

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