The Top 7 Ski Destinations to Visit this Winter

Take a winter vacation with Natural Retreats and experience the top ski resorts in North America, as ranked by readers of SKI Magazine.

Natural Retreats vacations are all about making and bringing home memories that last a lifetime. That’s because we offer an array of curated, one-of-a-kind vacation homes and lodges in 7 of the most unforgettable ski destinations across North America. In fact, readers of SKI Magazine recently voted all of these resorts as the top destinations to visit this ski season. We know you’re busy, so we put together some insider intel to help you plan your next vacation. Consider this a working list of premier winter destinations. You can’t go wrong.

Voted No. 1, Deer Valley Resort tops this year’s list. The resort is the “easy-button” of ski resorts, emphasizing world-class service and family conveniences throughout your stay. “It has the best service in skiing,” a SKI reader said. “It’s simply second to none.” Make the most of your stay with 8,000 square feet of living space, private hot tubs, home theater, and ski-in/ski-out access at Natural Retreats’ Deer Crest homes .

And how about Park City Resort, right next to Deer Valley? Well, it’s only the single largest resort in America. Whatever your favorite type of skiing or boarding, you’ll find (lots of) it here. “There’s something for everyone, with an amazing amount of terrain—with no crowds,” a SKI reader said. “And you can literally ski into Main Street. Enough said.” Stay slopeside at Silver Star , or pick a home on Main Street with easy access to the Town Lift. You’ll even find some unexpected amenities like elevators and theater rooms.

Adding to the buzz, the scenic town of Park City has evolved into one of the liveliest ski communities anywhere, with dining, nightlife and cultural options aplenty in, perhaps, the most charming downtown in the mountains. To top it off, this ski hub is only 35 miles from the Salt Lake International Airport, delivering the most convenient mountain vacation on snow.


Sun Valley comes in at No. 2 in SKI’s resort rankings. Opened in 1936, Sun Valley was the first purpose-built ski destination in America, attracting A-list celebrities from the start. Readers appreciate the enduring magic of the place. With classic sustained pitches and one of the top lift systems in the world, Sun Valley just might be the least stressful mountain you’ll ever ski. You can be a non-skier and still be enchanted by Sun Valley’s sense of place, whether it’s strolling the streets of Ketchum or carousing its lively dining and bar scene. SKI readers predict “if you visit here, it will soon feel like your home away from home.” Choose from accommodations that offer sweeping mountain views, fire pits, ski-in/ski-out access, and rooftop hot tubs.

Here are some more top winter-destination picks for this season:

Visit Taos, New Mexico, for an escape from the mundane. SKI Magazine readers laud Taos’s challenging terrain as No. 1 in North America. Installed just a few season ago, the Kachina Peak lift—one of the highest chairlifts in North America—swapped out a famed 45-minute hike for a five-minute ride to some of the most dramatic inbounds runs on the continent, only enhancing the resort’s reputation for spectacular skiing “Taos is a haven for those who wish to ski in beautiful, uncrowded wilderness,” a SKI reader said. “It’s a very special place to ski and be.”


Stay just steps from Big Sky, Montana. SKI readers placed Big Sky in the Top 5 for both Challenge and Terrain Variety. Consider Montana skiing’s last frontier—so you can bank on having the whole mountain to yourself. “Forget powder for days after a storm, this place has powder for weeks after a storm,” a SKI Magazine reader said. “This is an absolutely stunning mountain. Big does not begin to describe this place.”


The numbers add up at North Lake Tahoe: 22,000 acres of skiing and riding; 300 annual days of sunshine; 15 ski resorts; two states and one absolutely stunning lake, which is frequently visible from the slopes. Another heart-warming stat for winter visitors: weather forecasters around here frequently predict snowstorms in feet, not inches. Two world-class options in North Lake Tahoe include Squaw/Alpine Meadows and Northstar-at-Tahoe. Take in lake views or mountain vistas from your getaway.


Part skateboard park, part big-mountain launching pad and all California through and through, Mammoth Mountain just might represent the future of the sport, embracing a colorful diversity in attitudes, abilities and cultures. SKI Magazine routinely ranks Mammoth at the top of its list for Terrain Parks and in the Top 10 for Terrain. “Huge. Huge. Huge. Each part of the mountain has its own character,” a SKI reader reports. “No problem finding challenging runs and awesome terrain parks, along with plenty of groomers to just chill out on.”


No matter what kind of ski adventure you seek, each of our Natural Retreats locations features the convenience of custom travel planning, concierge service, and expert knowledge of each location that can only come from the locals who know it best. A Natural Retreats vacation all comes down to this: You’re able to spend more time enjoying your time on and off the slopes, rather than dealing with all the details. And even after you arrive, we’re here to help.


Ready to book your ski vacation at a Natural Retreats getaway? Call our Xplore Team at 1.888.451.0156, e-mail concierge@naturalretreats.com or book online today!

Deer Valley Resort

Deer Valley Resort

Park City Resort

Park City Resort

Sun Valley Resort

Sun Valley Resort

Jackson Hole Resort

Jackson Hole Resort

Taos Ski Valley

Big Sky Resort

Northstar Resort

Mammoth Mountain