With the rise of multi-resort passes in recent years, crowds at the most popular resorts have become unavoidable. This is why we turned to Facebook to see which resorts SnowBrains readers recommend visiting to avoid these crowds. While many readers were reluctant to give out their secret spots, we were able to squeeze out some answers.
Grand Targhee, Wyoming
Located 45 miles from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Grand Targhee offers a competitive vertical drop of 2,270 feet across 97 runs. Grand Targhee does not experience many crowds as the resort is considerably smaller than nearby Jackson Hole. Although Grand Targhee may not be the biggest resort, it receives an average snowfall of over 500 inches compared to Jackson Hole, which only averages 465 inches annually. The lift setup at Grand Targhee also helps crowd flow, as the resort is serviced by two high-speed quads, a high-speed six-pack, and two fixed-grip quads.
Saddleback, Maine
Nestled in the Northeast corner of the state, Saddleback is a great mountain to visit if you are looking to avoid crowds. Due to the resort’s remote location, crowds are rare here. The closest city to Saddleback is Bangor, Maine, which is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from the resort. Even though Saddleback might get outshone by bigger resorts in the state like Sugarloaf and Sunday River, Saddleback offers a respectable vertical drop of 2,00 feet with little to no lift lines compared to these bigger resorts.
Red Mountain, British Columbia
Red Mountain is one of the oldest ski resorts in North America, installing the first chairlift in Western Canada in 1947. Today, Red boasts 3,850 skiable acres with a vertical drop of 2,919 feet. Even with this abundance of terrain, Red sees a fraction of the visitors that other major destination resorts in British Columbia see. The lack of crowds is mainly due to Red’s location, as the nearest city is Kelowna, British Columbia, a three-and-a-half-hour drive away.
Sugar Bowl, California
Even though Sugar Bowl is one of the smaller resorts in the Tahoe area, the resort does not see the same traffic that the busier resorts receive. This is mainly due to Sugar Bowl limiting not only season ticket sales but day tickets as well. Since 1939, Sugar Bowl has prioritized an authentic alpine experience over trying to squeeze every dollar out of the resort. Sugar Bowl may not be the biggest resort on this list, but it receives strong snow totals for the Tahoe region and is serviced by plenty of high-speed lifts, which keeps congestion to a minimum.
Pico, Vermont
Pico may be the most overlooked mountain on the East Coast. This is mainly due to Pico’s proximity to Killington, as it sits only 10 minutes down the road from the biggest resort in the east. Thanks to Killington’s notoriety, most people drive right past Pico, making crowds a rarity. Pico boasts a vertical drop of 1,967 feet and 468 skiable acres across 58 runs. Pico may not be a destination resort, but it is a good option if you are skiing in the area and want to avoid the big crowds at Killington for a day.
Sun Peaks, British Columbia
Located just outside of Kamloops, British Columbia, Sun Peaks boasts the second most skiable acres in Western Canada, behind only Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia. Although Sun Peaks is a popular choice for many skiers in Canada, the resort does a good job at dispersing crowds with fast lifts and plenty of terrain. If you like blue cruisers, Sun Peaks is the resort for you, as 58% of the terrain is rated intermediate, and the resort boasts some of the best grooming on the continent.
June Mountain, California
Another resort that is overshadowed by a larger destination resort nearby is June Mountain. With Mammoth Mountain only 20 miles down the road, most skiers opt for the bigger, more well-known resort. June Mountain, however, does not see the lift lines that Mammoth does and offers a good variety of terrain with a sizable vertical drop of 2,561 feet.
Panorama, British Columbia
Panorama sits in the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia and is famous for having the most terrain per skier of any destination resort on the continent. The reason Panorama does not see the crowds other destination resorts see is that it is a three-and-a-half-hour drive away from Calgary, the closest metropolitan area. This causes most weekend crowds to flock to Banff Sunshine and Lake Louise as they are less than a two-hour drive from Calgary. Although Panorama is not the most logical choice for a day trip from Calgary, it is still an excellent choice for a week-long vacation as it boasts a 4,265-foot vertical drop and has 2,975 skiable acres to explore.
Whitefish, Montana
Whitefish Mountain sits in the northwestern corner of Montana in the Northern Rocky Mountains. The resort rarely sees crowds as it is fairly isolated, with the closest major metro area being Spokane, Washington, 260 miles away. The lift setup at Whitefish also helps with crowd flow, as the resort is serviced by 15 lifts with most of the mountain accessible via high-speed lifts. Getting to Whitefish may be difficult, but once you arrive, you have 3,000 acres of skiable terrain to explore with little to no lift lines.
Although it is impossible to completely avoid crowds, these resorts will give you the best chance at it while also providing plenty of terrain to explore.
