Utah is no longer the best place to ski in the West.
So says Ski Magazine, which on Tuesday released its annual Top 30 Resorts in the West readers’ poll results. Last year, Snowbasin stood atop the proverbial mountain in the poll. The year before that, Powder Mountain rose above all other resorts this side of the Rocky Mountains, including those in Colorado, California and Canada.
Not since 2021 has Utah not placed a ski area in the top two of the poll, which each spring surveys the publication’s readers on the merits of North American resorts. Categories range from snow quality and grooming to the nightlife. Despite landing almost half its 16 ski areas on the list, that’s the case for the state this season.
Snowbasin again took the state’s top honors, but this time it landed at No. 3. Other Utah resorts in the top 10 included Alta Ski Area (No. 6, down from No. 5) and Deer Valley Resort (No. 9, up from No. 14).
The magazine reported that its readers still call Snowbasin a “hidden gem,” despite its recent accolades. They also extolled the size of the mountain and its fast and efficient lifts.
General manager Davy Ratchford was nonplussed by Snowbasin’s slight drop in poll standing.
“Being in the Top-3 for the third straight year is absolutely brilliant,” he said in a statement. “I’m thrilled for the recognition my team deserves with this honor. It’s incredibly rewarding to see our guests recognize the heart and hard work that goes into making Snowbasin such a special place.”
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Members of the International Olympic Committee and U.S. Olympic & Paralympic leaders snap photos of the view, as they visit Snowbasin Ski Resort, on Friday, April 12, 2024.
On the other hand, Powder and Solitude Mountain Resort may be experiencing a bit of whiplash with the rise and fall of their rankings through the seasons.
After claiming the top spot in the 2023-24 poll, Powder fell off Ski Magazine’s list all together last year. That was the first year that skiers could experience first-hand majority owner Reed Hastings’ unique plan to open the entirety of the resort’s terrain to all guests while reserving some lifts for the private use of homeowners. Those who voted must not have hated it, since Powder’s back on the 2025-26 at No. 27 out of 30. But not everyone has bought in.
“Don’t develop for private use at the expense of public skiing,” one survey respondent told the magazine.
Solitude, meanwhile, went from unranked in 2023-24 to No. 8 last year. This season, it’s back near the bottom at No. 26. The main knock against the Alterra Mountain Company-owned resort, the homebase for Ikon Passholders in Utah, isn’t the crowds on the slopes. Rather, it’s the congestion in the parking lot and the reservation system put in place to try to solve it.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Skylodge, a private yurt at Powder Mountain open to Powder Haven homeowners and their guest, accommodates patrons on Friday, March 21, 2025.
“Comments,” according to Ski Magazine, “were filled with complaints about the current system.”
The good news for those folks is that Solitude will drop its parking fee on weekdays (Monday to Thursday) this season. However, paid reservations will still be required Friday through Sunday and holiday mornings. The resort also hopes to build a parking lot across State Route 190, though that effort is in the planning and permitting stage.
Meanwhile, even the bad taste Park City Mountain left in many skiers’ mouths due to its handling of a ski patrol strike over the holidays didn’t prevent it from making the list. In fact, Ski Magazine’s writeup didn’t mention the conflict other than a passing nod to “bottlenecks in the lift network [and] crowding at the base.”
Rather, visitors seemed willing to overlook those shortcomings given the resort’s proximity to the Salt Lake City airport and downtown Park City and its size. At 7,300 acres, it has the most lift-accessed terrain in the United States.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Bridger Mapp, whose dad has been a ski patroller for 23-years, joins the picket line at Park City Mountain during the strike against Vail Resorts on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025.
“I loved the ski-town vibe and the sheer size of the resort,” one respondent told the magazine. “It’s the one-stop-shop of ski vacations.”
It should be noted, however, that Park City Mountain scored the lowest of the 30 resorts when it came to “Likelihood to return.”
So what resort climbed into the top spot? It was Montana’s Big Sky, which shot all the way up from No. 24 to claim the honor for the first time.
Ski Magazine Top 30 Resorts the West 2025-2026
3. Snowbasin (1st in 2024-2025 ranking)
6. Alta (5)
9. Deer Valley (14)
14. Snowbird (12)
26. Solitude (8)
27. Powder Mountain (none)
30. Park City Mountain (29)