Best in the West 2018: Grooming
The results of our reader-ranked survey of the top 10 resorts for grooming in Western North America.
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No. 1: Deer Valley, Utah
“The grooming is the best anywhere. I think that if you dropped a quarter in a groove at the top of a run it would make it all the way to the bottom in that same groove.”
Photo courtesy of Deer Valley Resort.
No. 2: Sun Valley, Idaho
“Not willing to rest on its historic laurels, this resort continues to offer the best combination of service, grooming, and amenities there is.”
Photo courtesy of Sun Valley Resort.
No. 3: Snowmass, Colorado
“Even when the conditions aren’t ideal, the extensive grooming makes that seem obsolete.”
Photo courtesy of Aspen Skiing Company.
No. 4: Beaver Creek, Colorado
“Outstanding grooming! They leave plenty ungroomed for those that want, but what they do groom each day is superbly done.”
Photo courtesy of Jon Resnick, Vail Resorts.
No. 5: Vail, Colorado
“There really is no better grooming on the planet.”
Photo courtesy of Abby Hein, Vail Resorts.
No. 6: Northstar, California
“The glades grooming makes Northstar the ideal resort on a powder day or when it hasn’t snowed for many days.”
Photo courtesy of Northstar Resort.
No. 7: Whitefish, Montana
“If groomers are your flavor, Whitefish has some of the longest, widest, and most enjoyable runs found anywhere thanks to their great grooming crew.”
Photo courtesy of Whitefish Mountain Resort.
No. 8: Mammoth, California
“Best grooming on the planet!”
Photo courtesy of Mammoth Mountain.
No. 9: Snowbasin, Utah
“The groomers go to great lengths to keep the terrain here nice and buttery and smooth.”
Photo courtesy of Megan Collins, Snowbasin Resort.
No. 10: Keystone, Colorado
“They definitely go out of their way to make sure everything that should be groomed is well groomed.”
Courtesy of Ben Lindbloom, Keystone Resort.
Want to know how these western ski areas and more ended up in other rankings? Check out: