5 Largest Ski Resorts In America (#1 Is Not In Colorado)

Key Points:

• Park City Mountain Resort has been used as a site for the Olympic Games in 2002 and serves as a training site for Olympic athletes training for the winter games.
• Skiers can enjoy seven official bowls, 193 trails, and the famous Riva Ridge, a four-mile run, at Vail Ski Resort in Colorado.
• Big Sky Resort in Montana receives from 360 to 400 inches of snow per year, and the operators make snow in some areas. Over half of the runs are for experts, though there are also places for beginners and intermediate skiers.

Although some people prefer to spend the cold winter months indoors, others want to hit the slopes. Skiing is not only a very fun activity, but it’s also a massive industry that integrates everything from basic ski gear to luxury lodging. This multi-billion-dollar industry has prompted companies to invest in making amenity-laden resorts for skiers to enjoy. Take a look at five of the largest ski resorts in America and see how large they are as well as where they’re located.

The measure of the largest ski resorts in America is based on the size of the skiable area. Keep in mind that these measures can change over time, sometimes suddenly.

1. Powder Mountain Resort, Utah

Powder Mountain Ski Resort is the largest ski resort in America with 13.25 square miles of skiing area for its visitors to enjoy! The ski resort is northeast of Ogden, a city situated near the banks of the Great Salt Lake.

The resort has lodging, stores, places to eat, and places to learn about winter sports. This region receives over 300 inches of snow per year, making it a place with unlimited winter potential!

The resort may not be as familiar as some other names on this list. However, it firmly sits atop the throne as the ski resort with the most skiable acreage in the United States of America.

2. Park City Mountain Resort, Utah

Park City Mountain Resort is one of the largest ski resorts in the U.S. with over 11.4 square miles or 7,300 acres of skiable area. Located in Utah, this resort is loaded with amenities that keep people coming back.

This resort is not the largest overall. In 2014, the parent company that owns the resort, Vail Resorts, connected this one with Canyons Resort with a gondola. That connection allows skiers to go from one area to the other, creating the largest combined area in the U.S.

The Park City Mountain Resort features several peaks, high-quality lodgings, and dozens of lifts throughout the area.

The ski resort has been used as a site for the Olympic Games in 2002 and also continues to serve as a training site for Olympic athletes training for the winter games.

3. Palisades Tahoe, California

Palisades Tahoe jumped up the list of the largest ski resorts in America in December 2022. That is when a new gondola officially connected the former Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows resorts, combining their total skiable area to reach 6,000 acres or 9.37 square miles.

Together, they’re the third-largest ski resort and the largest in California. The resort is open for snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding, and more, including summer activities. Palisades Tahoe has roughly 177 total runs, with about half of them being for advanced skiers. Still, people of all skill levels can find runs at this resort.

The area receives about 400 inches of snow, making it one of the finest places to ski in California as well as an unforgettable summer ski destination. The lift system in this area is incredible, quickly moving large numbers of people to various runs. That includes the Mountain Run, a 3.2-mile course!

4. Big Sky Resort, Montana

The Big Sky Ski Resort in Montana is another very large ski resort in the U.S. According to the resort’s page, visitors can ski on 5,850 acres of land and experience a total vertical change of 4,350 feet!

The resort receives between 360 and 400 inches of snow per year, and the operators make snow in some areas. The resort has extensive lodging, 36 lifts waiting to take visitors to skiing areas, and over 250 runs! Over half of the runs are for experts, though, but there are places for beginners and intermediate skiers.

Big Sky Resort has been one of the largest ski resorts in America for a long time. While the resort has been moved to third place in terms of overall size, the Big Sky Resort 2025 plan seeks to improve much of the area. Renovated lodgings, tram replacements, and a two-stage gondola are just a few of the ways that the resort is set to enhance the experience for its visitors over the next few years.

5. Vail Ski Resort, Colorado

Vail Ski Resort is one of the most popular and largest ski resorts in America. Skiers can enjoy seven official bowls, 193 trails, and the famous Riva Ridge, a four-mile run. Speaking of runs, Vail Ski Resort has about 195 runs available for people to enjoy. The resort features over 30 lifts to help visitors reach different areas of the resort.

The area receives about 350 inches of snowfall per year, so the skiing season can stretch quite long. Not only is the Vail Ski Resort large, but it’s also beautiful. The lodging is quaint and can hold many people. The area is dotted with places to eat and rest as well.

All in all, the Vail Ski Resort is a large, beautiful ski resort with 5,317 acres of land to ski upon! That makes it close to Big Sky in terms of size alone.  

The Changing Order Of The Largest Ski Resorts In America

Due to the frequent combinations and expansions of resorts, this list could go out of date rather quickly. The Palisades Tahoe overtook Big Sky in the space of a year and only because Palisades Tahoe was connected to another large resort.

Also, some controversy exists regarding the placement of resorts on this list. Some resorts, especially Palisades and Big Sky, offer connections to nearby resorts. Thus, the measurements provided by those resorts, the sources for this list, could include land that does not necessarily belong to that resort.

Nonetheless, if a skier goes to those locations, they’ll still have access to the land area listed.  

Summary Of The 5 Largest Ski Resorts In America

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Robert Vincelli/Shutterstock.com

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