From Maine to Wyoming, start planning that springtime ski trip.
There’s nothing like late-season skiing, when the air is warmer and the days are longer. After spending long days on the slopes, the warmer weather makes it easier to explore the ski towns that surround your favorite mountains and resorts. There are plenty of places in the United States where you can ski until May or even June. Here are some of the country’s most amazing towns for springtime skiing.
Jackson, Wyoming, with its proximity to the Jackson Hole Ski Resort, Snow King Mountain and sweeping views of the Grand Tetons is the ultimate ski town. Snow King usually stays open through March and Jackson Hole is skiable into April, making Jackson a great town for spring skiing, as well. Stay at the Alpenhof Lodge in the village. Hit the Mangy Moose to start your aprés before heading into town to finish up the night at Silver Dollar and the infamous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.
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Mammoth Mountain is an almost-sure bet for late season snow—occasionally open well past spring and into summer months. That makes nearby Mammoth Lakes a great place to set up basecamp for a spring skiing adventure. If you want to stay close to the action, the Mammoth Mountain Inn is, as the name would suggest, located at the ski resort. The nearby Holiday Haus is an affordable alternative in the village. Hit the Lakanuki for some tiki with your aprés.
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Not all of the late season snow is out west—Maine’s Sunday River Ski Resort will keep you schussing well into spring, which makes the nearby village of Bethel (there’s a shuttle available between Bethel and Sunday River) a fantastic town from which to stage your late-season ski fix. Stay at the ski in/ski out Jordan Hotel or at the nearby Riverview Resort in Bethel. Definitely do aprés at the Matterhorn Ski Bar, which has been recognized as one of the best ski bars in the country.
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You may be surprised to learn not only that there is skiing—let alone spring skiing—in the Upper Midwest, but that the region’s premier resort is only minutes away from Grand Marais, recently named “America’s coolest small town.” Because you can ski nearby Lutsen Mountains well into April, Grand Marais is an awesome town for spring skiing. Stay off the mountain and on the North Shore of Lake Superior at Lutsen Resort. For aprés, head to Papa Charlies to get started, then ditch the mountain in favor of the Gunflint Tavern or Wunderbar for food, drinks and live music.
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Just outside of Salt Lake City, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah is home to two world-class ski resorts: Snowbird and Alta. Snowbird is renowned for its steep, north-facing slopes, which means deep, quality snow late into the spring. A stay at the Cliff Lodge gets you close to the great food and awesome 10th-floor views from the Aerie. Head up the canyon to Alta Lodge for aprés at the famous Sitzmark Club.
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Bozeman, Montana is centrally located to both Big Sky Ski Resort and the smaller Bridger Bowl Ski Area, both of which stay open into April. Stay at the Lewis and Clark Motel in downtown Bozeman, putting you within a block of a trifecta of dive bars for your aprés indulgence: Haufbrau House, Scoop Bar, and the Molly Brown.
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Located on the shoulder of Oregon’s Mt. Hood, Timberline Lodge was the location where the iconic thriller "The Shining" was shot; it’s also a great spot for some shoulder season skiing. The nearby village of Government Camp is the perfect place for breakfast before hitting the slopes or aprés at the end of the day. Stay at the Timberline Lodge (leave your axe at home), where you can fuel up at the Wy’East Café before you strap on your skis. Later, amble into town for aprés at the Glacier Public House.
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The town of Breckenridge, Colorado is just minutes from the renowned (no surprise) Breckenridge and Keystone ski resorts—and just a couple miles from Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, which, due to steep slopes and high elevation, keeps the resort open late into the spring. In fact, it is usually one of the last to close among Colorado resorts. This makes Breckenridge an awesome town for spring skiing. Stay at Breckenridge Resort. How could you not go to Aprés Handcrafted Libations for, well, aprés?
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