The 10 Best Ski Resorts for Terrain Variety in North America

1. Aspen Snowmass, Colorado 

The mountain colloquially known as Aspen is actually four mountains in one. Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Snowmass, and Buttermilk are all a part of the greater Aspen Snowmass Complex. Between all four mountains, there’s a whopping 5,303 acres of skiable terrain and 4,406 ft of vertical drop. A neighbor as the crow flies to another of Colorado’s most challenging resorts, Crested Butte, the Aspen complex features a variety of terrain across all levels and an especially large selection of intermediate terrain.

Snowmass holds the most terrain at 3,339 acres with Aspen Highlands coming in next at 1,040 acres, and both have pretty much any terrain you can think of. Highlands is also known for Highlands Bowl, which has some of Colorado's best steep, big mountain skiing. Aspen Mountain and Buttermilk feature 675 and 470 acres, respectively. Although Buttermilk is the smallest of the four, it's home to the winter X Games, which draws some of the best athletes and musical acts every winter. 

Aspen is on the Ikon Pass, has a season pass available to all four mountains for $3,234, or day tickets available for $264.

2. Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia

Coastal British Columbia’s crown jewel of skiing, Whistler Blackcomb, offers about as wide a variety of terrain in its combined 8,000+ acres of skiable terrain as you could think of. Split into two mountains with a gondola connecting the two, the Canadian resort also holds the title of largest ski resort in North America. Both mountains have a vertical drop of more than 5,000 feet, which means skiers can go from high alpine skiing with exposed chutes and faces to the mega-wide groomers and off-piste freeride zones at mid-mountain and long mellow groomers on the lower mountain all in one run.

Just in case a sampling of basically every type of natural terrain ever isn’t your thing, both mountains also have four terrain parks each, and the Blackcomb side houses a halfpipe and ski/boardercross course. 
 
Whistler Blackcomb is part of the Epic pass or has lift tickets available for $269 CAD.

3. Heavenly, California

With so many ski areas to choose from in the Tahoe area, finding diverse terrain isn’t much of a challenge, but if you had to spend a day at one resort and wanted the most bang for your buck, so to speak, Heavenly would be a solid bet for a variety of terrain, not to mention the stunning views of Lake Tahoe and 300 days of sunshine a year.

Statistics like a vertical drop of 3,500ft and 4,800 acres of skiable terrain should be enough to convince you of all that’s available at Heavenly. The resort's 97 trails are divided into 20% beginner terrain, 45% intermediate terrain, and 35% advanced/expert terrain. For those looking for variety in freestyle terrain, Heavenly is also home to five different terrain parks. With everything from death-defying double blacks to wide-open groomers, Heavenly has a little bit for everyone.

Heavenly is part of the Epic pass. The Tahoe Local Pass provides access to Heavenly and other resorts in the Lake Tahoe area, or lift tickets are available for $185 per day.

4. Vail, Colorado 

It’s not just the Legendary Back Bowls that Vail is known for, although the bowls alone arguably have some of the most diverse in-bounds terrain around. One of the largest ski resorts in North America, Vail boasts more than 5,000+ skiable acres and 278 trails. Although Vail has more advanced terrain than beginner or intermediate, the variety in terrain type is what makes it a standout. More groomed runs than any other resort in Colorado on Vail’s frontside make ideal terrain for both beginners and those looking to drop a hip and ski fast.

The expert terrain Vail has to offer has something to get everyone’s blood pumping. Whether it be steep moguls, tree skiing, narrow chutes, or cliffs, you can find it all somewhere at Vail. Park skiers can also take their pick from three terrain parks, a superpipe, and a halfpipe.

Vail is a part of the Epic Pass or has day tickets available from $295.

5. Big Sky, Montana 

Although known for some of its more challenging runs, Big Sky has a pretty wide variety of skiable terrain. A vertical drop of 4,350 feet and 5,850 acres would indicate just as much. Due to its location and elevation, which is just North of West Yellowstone, Big Sky also has micro climates across the mountain which mean that one section of the mountain might have different conditions from another.

Amongst its 320 named runs, Big Sky claims a 50/50 split between beginner and advanced terrain, with a smattering of intermediate and expert terrain in there as well. 39 lifts provide access to Big Sky’s terrain making it a leading resort when it comes to minimal lift lines as well. Big Sky also has terrain that faces all four cardinal directions, which, along with those microclimates, offer skiers a handful of choices when conditions are variable.

Big Sky is part of the Ikon Pass and has their own selection of season passes available, which start at $1,950 and go up to $2,900, or have day tickets available for $272.

6. Snowbasin, Utah 

At least one of Utah’s many top-notch ski resorts had to make the list, and when it comes to terrain variety, Snowbasin more than deserves a mention. North of Salt Lake City, Snowbasin is home to more than 2,900 acres of skiable terrain over just about the same vertical drop. While intermediate terrain makes up about half the mountain’s runs, there’s still plenty of advanced and beginner terrain for folks to choose from.

The mountain’s three different zones, Strawberry, Needles, and John Paul, all have a distinct character to them. The John Paul Zone is known for its steep tree skiing as well as two of the Downhill courses from the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. In the resort’s center is the Needles zone, which houses much of Snowbasin’s beginner terrain and terrain parks. Lastly, for those in search of wide open bowls and long runs is the Strawberry zone. While it might not be as vast as other mountains on the list, the three zones, world-class grooming, and incredible snowpack of the Wasatch make Snowbasin a must-visit for those looking for all kinds of different skiing.

Snowbasin is on the Ikon Pass and has a season pass available for $1859, or day tickets running at $169 on weekdays and $219 on weekends.

7. Mammoth Mountain, California

Talking about terrain variety without mentioning this Easter Sierra classic would be like talking about ski films without talking about Warren Miller.

Mammoth is made up of an impressive 3,500+ acres of skiable terrain and 3,100 of vert. While Mammoth’s 178 named trails are split pretty evenly across the board as far as difficulty, where it really shines is its terrain parks. Home to 10 different parks with 100+ jibs, if you’re looking to dial in your park skiing, Mammoth is certainly the place to go. In 2024, Mammoth Mountain hosted the U.S. Grand Prix, a halfpipe and slopestyle FIS World Cup event. 

Mammoth is on the Ikon Pass or has lift tickets available for $239 a day.

8. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming

While Jackson Hole isn’t known for having expansive beginner terrain, the sheer variety available both in-bounds, and in the backcountry, lands it a well-deserved spot on this list.

Served by its famous aerial tram, ten lifts, and two gondolas, Jackson’s 2,500 acres of skiable in-bounds terrain has a sampling of the Tetons best for just about everybody, but especially those looking to get a little scared. Runs like Corbet’s Couloir, the Alta Chutes, and Tower Three hold the titles for some of the steepest in-bounds runs in North America, and all have narrow, cliffy terrain for skiers to navigate.

Where Jackson Hole really shines isn’t in the runs that are easy to access, but those you have to work a bit harder for. Hike-to terrain like Headwall and Crags are well worth the sweat on a powder day. Skiers can also experience the challenging and beautiful backcountry terrain in and below Cody Bowl and Rock Springs basin with the help of Jackson Hole Mountain guides. For those looking for a little more contact with their ski edges, Jackson also has a host of top-notch groomers in a range of difficulties across the mid and lower mountain.

You can ski Jackson Hole for seven days with the Ikon Pass Plus, buy a season pass for $1,995, or lift tickets for $269 per day.

9. Winter Park, Colorado 

A bit off the beaten path of their Summit County neighbors, Winter Park and Mary Jane, are some of the best and most underrated ski resorts in Colorado. The mountain, which is split into two areas and a number of smaller zones within them, is very much a ‘choose your own adventure’ style mountain.

The Winter Park side is more known for its beginner groomers, fun tree runs, and excellent terrain parks, but is also home to the resort’s most difficult terrain found in the Cirque and Eagle Wind zones.

The wide-open Parsenn Bowl drops skiers onto the Mary Jane side, which has more of the mountain’s best expert terrain, often characterized by tight trees and steep, off-camber moguls. With 3,081 acres of skiable terrain, a day at Winter Park and Mary Jane is sure to have something for all types of skiers and get the legs burning for those who want it.

Winter Park is on the Ikon Pass, and has a season pass available for $849 (a screaming deal!), or day tickets for $229.

10. Powder Mountain, Utah

The largest ski resort in the United States is bound to end up in the conversation about terrain variety. Although the 8,000+ skiable acres are labeled in favor of intermediate and advanced terrain, with that many acres, it’s a sure bet that beginners will find plenty of suitable skiing as well.

8 public lifts and 3 private lifts, reserved only for those who own real estate and pay annual membership fees in the adjacent housing development to the mountain, service all of Powder Mountain as well as some hike-to terrain.

Powder Mountain’s marketing promises to help skiers ‘Escape the Masses.’ If 8,000+ acres of Utah’s hallmark-good skiing doesn’t have you convinced you’ll have an amazing day at Powder Mountain, the promise of fresh snow, even at the end of a powder day, just might.  Season passes are available for $1,649, or lift tickets for $109 per day with limited availability on dates.

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