In New England, you’ll have a difficult time deciding between the resorts spread throughout Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Sugarloaf in Maine is one of the country's top resorts, renovated in the early to mid 90s, its vertical is one of the biggest in New England --- exceeding Crested Butte, Taos, and Copper out West and competing with those resorts in the terrain game --- it has big bump runs, a dozen glades, and 126 trails over 1,400 acres.

While smaller than some of New England gigantic resorts, Catamount in Massachusetts’s Berkshire region is the perfect weekend getaway for skiers in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Advertising the most varied terrain in the Berkshires, Catamount has wide beginner boulevards, good intermediate areas, and Catamount’s Catapult has one of the most challenging pitches in the region. As an added plus, the resort’s snowmakers cover almost all of the ski and snowboard area so that even if the weather isn’t amenable you can still count on some decent runs.

Connecticut counts six superior ski resorts --- half of them easily accessible from New York area airports. New Hampshire boasts over twenty ski resorts in a very compact space making it possible for the adventurous vacationer to sample slopes from Attitash Bear Park to Wildcat with a minimum of moving around.

Vermont has a justified reputation among skiers seeking a wide range of terrain and resorts -- from bunny slopes to particularly nasty pitches. Open October to June, Killington in Vermont has the longest ski season on the East Coast. The access road to the resort has more than 100 restaurants and nightclubs framing it. Some skiers swear by Sugarbush with its two ski areas; visitors often seek lodging in the nearby valley town of Warren, Vermont. Almost 40 percent of Sugerbush’s trails carry a "most difficult" rating.

In New York and Pennsylvania you’re never far from the slopes, each of these states offers more than 20 resorts with varying degrees of difficulty. New Jersey has three ski areas; even tiny Rhode Island is home to one ski resort.

While West Virginia and North Carolina are famed throughout the southeast for in-season skiing, there are slopes as far south as Georgia where you’ll find Sky Valley just two hours north of Atlanta. Even Alabama is home to Cloudmont Ski Resort. Maryland hosts Wisp and you’ll find quite a few choices in Virginia if you’re anxious to escape DC for a weekend. Even the bluegrass country of Kentucky boasts a ski resort.

Tennessee and Texas are ski country. Lookout Mountain is your Lone Star state option. While in Tennessee Ober Gatlinburg is perfect for folks traveling in packs containing a few folks who don’t ski --- there is plenty to do in the Gatlinburg area off the slopes.

Moving toward the Midwest, you’ll find resorts in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. Crystal Mountain, Michigan is also home to the Michigan Legacy Park, a sculpture collection showcasing Michigan’s history and culture, set along a woodland trail. Many of the Midwestern resorts are open year-round with other activities replacing skiing as the seasons shift.

Illinois, Iowa, and Idaho offer a wealth of choices for the ski seeking. Sun Valley, Idaho is the oldest destination ski resort in the USA; it’s the home of the first chair lift and the first hot tub. Sun Valley is still the resort favored by the rich and famous.

Both of the Dakotas have ski areas; none of them have on-site lodging, so you’ll need to book rooms in nearby towns. Nebraska likewise has two ski areas with all your lodging options off site in nearby towns.

Wisconsin is where it begins to get serious. With over thirty areas for skiing, you won’t go far within Wisconsin without a ski option. Many Wisconsin ski resorts do double duty as golfing destinations the rest of the year and are rich in amenities, including saunas, hot tubs, and gourmet dining. You’ll also find bare bones areas to simply ski if that suits your taste and budget better. Missouri and Minnesota have similar ranges of ski areas with everything to suit the bargain conscious skier as well as some upscale vacation choices.

Go West young skier for the best slopes in the USA. Every American skier wants to ski the Rockies and with cause! From Aspen to Telluride, Colorado has some of the best skinning and most beautiful scenery in the world. Aspen is also a super site for spotting celebs. If you really want to catch a moving movie star on the slopes, Aspen is your kind of town. If you are heading that way this winter, check Lodging.com well in advance for room rental, Aspen is among the most expensive and hard to book destinations in the USA.

Utah offers great skiing and family-style resorts for folks who enjoy wilder slopes and tamer nightlife. Wyoming and Montana offer superior skiing combined with other outdoor activities as well as the chance to sample some isolated bed and breakfasts and scenery that’s radically different from the rest of the USA.

Arizona isn’t just for golf. If you’ve enjoyed the state during other seasons, you have a real reason to journey to Phoenix during the winter. The Arizona Snowbowl near Phoenix has one of the best beginner areas in the southwest with over 50 acres and two lifts in novice territory. New Mexico offers the chance to combine a ski-break with shopping for Native American crafts. Nevada is not only for gambling, you can spend a few days in the casinos then head for the hills -- even Las Vegas has a ski area now!

On the West Coast, you can take a ski break within a longer vacation or sample the slopes after a business trip in style. In California, the legendary Squaw Valley awaits you, as do the many ski areas of Tahoe. Within California’s borders, you’ll find every type of trail and terrain, all of it close to places with jumping nightlife, urban delights, or areas for a romantic weekend.

Of course, Oregon and Washington have their highlights as well. Willamette Pass in Oregon and The Summit at Snoqualmie are only the tip of the iceberg. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, this might be the year you finally decide to make a weekend in another part of the area. Ever skied Mt. Spokane? Hotel rooms throughout ski season are affordable, making it easy to see more than your familiar home-slope.

Our northernmost state Alaska has ample opportunities to ski as well as tour a unique part of the USA. Unless you’re living there it’s a bit of a trip, but there are numerous day trips and tourist treats in store for you if you make the trek. Additionally it really is snow season year round in many areas of Alaska, so you actually can experience Christmas in July.

For the most unusual USA ski trip, you can merge sun and ski in Hawaii. The 22 trails of Mauna Kea, Hawaii aren’t far from Honolulu International Airport. Check out our Pacific state midwinter and you can be a beach bunny one day while hitting the bunny slopes the next.

No matter where you are, from sea to shinning sea, you can easily find a slope to ski on within a few hours.

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