Utah Ski Resort Named Best in North America for Second Season in a Row
Near Salt Lake City, Utah, Snowbasin Resort has claimed top marks in USA Today’s best of ski resort list for the second year in a row, beating out destinations like Big Sky, Montana, and Mammoth Mountain, California.
The list, according to USA Today, was made by consulting subject matter experts who nominated their favorites in the U.S. and Canada. Then, USA Today readers voted to decide on the winners.
“Being recognized as the No. 1 ski resort for the second year in a row is brilliant and a true reflection of the community that has been fostered here,” said Davy Ratchford, general manager of Snowbasin Resort, in a press release.
“For generations, our team and guests have shaped this mountain, and it’s their enthusiasm and support that make achievements like this possible. We’re honored and inspired to keep raising the bar,” Ratchford added.
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Snowbasin also claimed third in SKI Magazine’s reader poll of the 30 best mountains in the West, finishing behind Banff Sunshine, Alberta, and Big Sky, Montana.
One of the many mountains surrounding Salt Lake City, Snowbasin served as a venue for the 2002 Winter Olympics, hosting the downhill, super-G, and combined alpine racing events. It’s home to 3,000 acres of terrain and 13 lifts.
While other Salt Lake City mountains like Alta Ski Area and Snowbird may be better known than Snowbasin, they didn’t crack the USA Today top ten (Snowbird landed in eighth last year).
Utah did contribute another resort to USA Today’s list, though. Deer Valley, in Park City, placed sixth. That mountain is undergoing a massive expansion that’s adding thousands of acres of terrain, including seven new chairlifts for the 2025-26 season.
This is how the rest of the USA Today top ten shook out.
- Snowbasin Resort, Utah
- Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Vermont
- Mount Bohemia, Michigan
- Aspen Snowmass, Colorado
- Killington Resort, Vermont
- Deer Valley Resort, Utah
- Big Sky Resort, Montana
- Palisades Tahoe, California
- Mammoth Mountain, California
- Loon Mountain Resort, New Hampshire
USA Today also surveyed several other ski-focused categories, like the best ski towns and the best après-ski bars. In those groups, New Hampshire’s North Conway and Colorado’s Outer Range Brewing Co. came out on top, respectively.
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