Best Small Towns for Skiing and Winter Sports: Beyond the Big Resorts
Discover charming small towns offering world-class skiing, authentic mountain culture, and better value than mega-resorts.
Published: 10/28/2025
Towns Featured in This Guide
Telluride
Colorado•2,600 residents
Victorian mining town in a box canyon with 14,000-foot peaks all around. Free gondola and world-class film, bluegrass, and ski festivals.
Park City
Utah•8,500 residents
Sundance Film Festival headquarters with Victorian Main Street and Olympic legacy. 7,300+ skiable acres just 35 minutes from Salt Lake City.
Whitefish
Montana•8,000 residents
Gateway to Glacier National Park with its own 3,000-acre ski resort. Pristine lake and 50+ miles of trails meet Montana hospitality.
Ketchum
Idaho•2,700 residents
America's first destination ski resort where Hemingway spent his final years. Sun Valley moguls and mountain arts since 1936.