{"id":2005535,"date":"2026-06-23T01:16:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T22:16:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2005535"},"modified":"2026-06-23T01:16:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T22:16:12","slug":"the-best-ski-resorts-to-visit-to-avoid-crowds-according-to-snowbrains-readers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2005535","title":{"rendered":"The Best Ski Resorts to Visit to Avoid Crowds According to SnowBrains Readers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_390511\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-390511\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-390511 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAFoAQMAAAD9\/NgSAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADJJREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T+3sARQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN3HoAAEwzlS7AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt=\"RED-Red-Towers\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Red-Towers.jpg?resize=640%2C360&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Red-Towers.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Red-Towers.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Red-Towers.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Red-Towers.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Red-Towers.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Red-Towers.jpg?resize=600%2C338&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Red-Towers.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"360\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-390511\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Red-Towers.jpg?resize=640%2C360&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"RED-Red-Towers\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-390511\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Riding up the 1971 Red Double Chair. | Credit: Liam Abbott\/SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-1\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;display: block;clear: both\">\n<!-- GAM 71161633\/SNWBR_snowbrains\/article_hrec_1 --><\/p>\n<div data-fuse=\"article_hrec_1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>With the rise of multi-resort passes in recent years, crowds at the most popular resorts have become unavoidable.<\/strong> This is why we turned to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/snowbrains\/posts\/pfbid024SyZf9bBBntKxsx2GoA4cQv59Pa3ThAGuBJrNUBZtgmq9Mam5vDszC2mm73yBXnol\">Facebook<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Grand Targhee, Wyoming<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_306958\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-306958\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-306958 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHgAQMAAAAPH06nAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAD1JREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20ON6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA4M8Al+AAAUvMG0oAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_0649.jpeg?resize=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_0649.jpeg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_0649.jpeg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_0649.jpeg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_0649.jpeg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_0649.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_0649.jpeg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_0649.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"480\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-306958\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/IMG_0649.jpeg?resize=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-306958\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">View from the top of Grand Targhee. | Credit: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Located 45 miles from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonhole.com\/\">Jackson Hole<\/a>, Wyoming, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grandtarghee.com\/\">Grand Targhee<\/a> offers a competitive vertical drop of 2,270 feet across 97 runs.<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/forest-service-approves-694-acre-expansion-for-grand-targhee-resort-wy\/\"><em>Forest Service Approves 694-Acre Expansion for Grand Targhee Resort, WY<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Saddleback, Maine<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_412991\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-412991\" style=\"width: 1440px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-412991 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHsAQMAAAB43Y7cAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAD1JREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20MH6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOBjm6wAAYtPyIIAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt=\"saddleback, Maine\" width=\"640\" height=\"492\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/saddleback-arial-1.jpg?resize=640%2C492&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/saddleback-arial-1.jpg?w=1440&amp;ssl=1 1440w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/saddleback-arial-1.jpg?resize=300%2C231&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/saddleback-arial-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C923&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/saddleback-arial-1.jpg?resize=768%2C591&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/saddleback-arial-1.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"492\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-412991 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/saddleback-arial-1.jpg?resize=640%2C492&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"saddleback, Maine\" width=\"640\" height=\"492\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-412991\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arial view of Saddlback. | Credit: Saddleback Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-2\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;display: block;clear: both\">\n<!-- GAM 71161633\/SNWBR_snowbrains\/article_hrec_2 --><\/p>\n<div data-fuse=\"article_hrec_2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Nestled in the Northeast corner of the state, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.saddlebackmaine.com\/\">Saddleback<\/a> is a great mountain to visit if you are looking to avoid crowds.<\/strong> Due to the resort\u2019s 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sugarloaf.com\/\">Sugarloaf<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sundayriver.com\/\">Sunday River<\/a>, Saddleback offers a respectable vertical drop of 2,00 feet with little to no lift lines compared to these bigger resorts.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Red Mountain, British Columbia<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_390386\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-390386\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-390386 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAFoAQMAAAD9\/NgSAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADJJREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T+3sARQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN3HoAAEwzlS7AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt=\"RED-Base-Area\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Base-Area.jpg?resize=640%2C360&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Base-Area.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Base-Area.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Base-Area.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Base-Area.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Base-Area.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Base-Area.jpg?resize=600%2C338&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Base-Area.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"360\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-390386 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/RED-Base-Area.jpg?resize=640%2C360&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"RED-Base-Area\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-390386\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of the RED base area headed up the Red Chair on RED Mountain. Development in the past decade has brought a ski-in\/ski-out hotel, condos, and townhouses to what was formerly sprawling parking lots. | Credit: Liam Abbott\/SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.redresort.com\/\">Red Mountain<\/a> is one of the oldest ski resorts in North America, installing the first chairlift in Western Canada in 1947.<\/strong> 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\u2019s location, as the nearest city is Kelowna, British Columbia, a three-and-a-half-hour drive away.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/red-mountain-bc-report-the-only-of-north-americas-35-biggest-ski-resorts-without-a-high-speed-lift-could-that-be-a-good-thing\/#google_vignette\"><em>RED Mountain, BC, Report: The Only of North America\u2019s 35 Biggest Ski Resorts Without a High-Speed Lift \u2014 Could That Be a Good Thing?<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Sugar Bowl, California<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_404261\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-404261\" style=\"width: 2500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-404261 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,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\" alt width=\"2500\" height=\"1786\" data-src=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6.avif\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6.avif 2500w, https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6-300x214.avif 300w, https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6-1200x857.avif 1200w, https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6-768x549.avif 768w, https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6-1536x1097.avif 1536w, https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6-2048x1463.avif 2048w, https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6.avif 1280w, https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6.avif 1920w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"2500\" data-eio-rheight=\"1786\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-404261\" src=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6.avif\" alt width=\"2500\" height=\"1786\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-404261\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Skiing at Sugar Bowl Resort. | Credit: Sugar Bowl Resort<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-3\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;display: block;clear: both\">\n<!-- GAM 71161633\/SNWBR_snowbrains\/article_hrec_4 --><\/p>\n<div data-fuse=\"article_hrec_4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Even though <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sugarbowl.com\/home\">Sugar Bowl<\/a> is one of the smaller resorts in the Tahoe area, the resort does not see the same traffic that the busier resorts receive.<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/sugar-bowl-resort-village-gondola\/\"><em>Sugar Bowl Resort, CA, Upgrades Historic Village Gondola for 2026-27 Season<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Pico, Vermont<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_412992\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-412992\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-412992 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHlAQMAAABf0t8UAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAD1JREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20JT6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA4GmXUAAXDWhu4AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt=\"Pico Mountain\" width=\"640\" height=\"485\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Pico-mountain-1.jpg?resize=640%2C485&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Pico-mountain-1.jpg?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Pico-mountain-1.jpg?resize=300%2C227&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Pico-mountain-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C909&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Pico-mountain-1.jpg?resize=768%2C582&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Pico-mountain-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1164&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Pico-mountain-1.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Pico-mountain-1.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"485\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-412992 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Pico-mountain-1.jpg?resize=640%2C485&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Pico Mountain\" width=\"640\" height=\"485\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-412992\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pico Mountain is owned and operated by Killington Independence Group LLC, which also owns Killington. | Credit: Pico Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.picomountain.com\/\">Pico<\/a> may be the most overlooked mountain on the East Coast.<\/strong> This is mainly due to Pico\u2019s proximity to <a href=\"https:\/\/killington.com\/\">Killington<\/a>, as it sits only 10 minutes down the road from the biggest resort in the east. Thanks to Killington\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/pico-mountain-vt-to-retire-outpost-double-chairlift\/\"><em>Pico Mountain, VT, to Retire Outpost Double Chairlift<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Sun Peaks, British Columbia<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_289812\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-289812\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-289812 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAGrAQMAAABqgLQIAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADhJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T+1tB6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADgDIcbAAEnbF1FAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt=\"sun peaks resort British Columbia canada\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Nov15_Drone_Web.jpg?resize=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Nov15_Drone_Web.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Nov15_Drone_Web.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Nov15_Drone_Web.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Nov15_Drone_Web.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Nov15_Drone_Web.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Nov15_Drone_Web.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Nov15_Drone_Web.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"427\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-289812\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Nov15_Drone_Web.jpg?resize=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"sun peaks resort British Columbia canada\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-289812\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arial view of Sun Peaks. | Credit: Sun Peaks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Located just outside of Kamloops, British Columbia, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sunpeaksresort.com\/\">Sun Peaks<\/a> boasts the second most skiable acres in Western Canada, behind only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whistlerblackcomb.com\/\">Whistler Blackcomb<\/a>, British Columbia.<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>June Mountain, California<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_266177\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-266177\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-266177 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHiAQMAAABC1++sAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAD1JREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20JT6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgL8BmIIAAZNBcuwAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"482\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PXL_20230516_194009289.jpg?resize=640%2C482&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PXL_20230516_194009289.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PXL_20230516_194009289.jpg?resize=300%2C226&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PXL_20230516_194009289.jpg?resize=768%2C579&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PXL_20230516_194009289.jpg?resize=600%2C452&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"482\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-266177\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PXL_20230516_194009289.jpg?resize=640%2C482&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"482\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-266177\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">June Mountain provides great views of the surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountains. | Photo Credit: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Another resort that is overshadowed by a larger destination resort nearby is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.junemountain.com\/\">June Mountain<\/a>.<\/strong> With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mammothmountain.com\/\">Mammoth Mountain<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Panorama, British Columbia<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_412995\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-412995\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-412995 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHgAQMAAAAPH06nAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAD1JREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20ON6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA4M8Al+AAAUvMG0oAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt=\"Panorama, BC\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0289-1.jpg?resize=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0289-1.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0289-1.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0289-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0289-1.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0289-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0289-1.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"480\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-412995\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0289-1.jpg?resize=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Panorama, BC\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-412995\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Panorama boasts the seventh biggest vertical drop in North America. | Credit: Brett Currie\/SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.panoramaresort.com\/\">Panorama<\/a> 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.<\/strong> 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skibanff.com\/\">Banff Sunshine<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skilouise.com\/\">Lake Louise<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Whitefish, Montana<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_412996\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-412996\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-412996 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAGrAQMAAABqgLQIAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADhJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T+1tB6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADgDIcbAAEnbF1FAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt=\"Whitefish, Montana\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/whitefish-1.jpg?resize=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/whitefish-1.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/whitefish-1.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/whitefish-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/whitefish-1.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/whitefish-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/whitefish-1.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"427\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-412996 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/whitefish-1.jpg?resize=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Whitefish, Montana\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-412996\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Whitefish averages almost 300 inches of snow every year.\u00a0| Credit: Whitefish Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/skiwhitefish.com\/\">Whitefish Mountain<\/a> sits in the northwestern corner of Montana in the Northern Rocky Mountains.<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>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.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_412997\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-412997\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-412997 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHgAQMAAAAPH06nAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAD1JREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20ON6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA4M8Al+AAAUvMG0oAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt=\"Panorama, BC\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0258.jpg?resize=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0258.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0258.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0258.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0258.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0258.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0258.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"480\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-412997\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0258.jpg?resize=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Panorama, BC\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-412997\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view up the lift line of the Summit Quad at Panorama, BC. | Credit: Brett Currie\/SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Riding up the 1971 Red Double Chair. | Credit: Liam Abbott\/SnowBrains 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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-2005535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2005535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2005535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2005535\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2005535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2005535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2005535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}