Mountain Rankings

The Beginner Friendliness ranking is a weighted average of the easiest trails at each resort. It shows how easy it would be to learn to ski on these trails. The color denotes what the easiest trails at a mountain are rated. The longer the bar, the easier the learning terrain is.

The Beginner Friendliness scale is from 0-30, where 0 is a resort with no trails even resembling a good place to learn. The best resorts for beginners have a wide variety of easy terrain, and their scores will be high to reflect that.

  • Beginner
  • Intermediate
  • Advanced
  • Expert
  • Extreme

1. Park City, UT

23.1

2. Afton Alps, MN

22.9

3. Palisades Tahoe, CA

22.7

4. Big Sky, MT

22.4

5. Breckenridge, CO

22.1

6. Steamboat Springs, CO

22.1

7. Bretton Woods, NH

22.1

8. Heavenly, CA

21.9

9. Mammoth, CA

21.9

10. Sugarloaf, ME

21.6

11. Mount Snow, VT

21.5

12. Snowbird, UT

21.4

13. China Peak, CA

21.3

14. Ski Brule, MI

21.2

15. Belleayre, NY

21.2

16. Okemo, VT

21.1

17. Wolf Creek, CO

21.1

18. Cascade Mountain, WI

21.1

19. Telluride, CO

21.0

20. Angel Fire, NM

21.0

21. Mount Rose, NV

21.0

22. Winter Park, CO

20.9

23. Mount Bohemia, MI

20.9

24. Jackson Hole, WY

20.9

25. Ski Santa Fe, NM

20.8

26. Copper Mountain, CO

20.7

27. Vail, CO

20.7

28. Brundage Mountain, ID

20.7

29. Deer Valley, UT

20.6

30. Saddleback, ME

20.5

31. Killington, VT

20.4

32. Stowe, VT

20.4

33. Sunday River, ME

20.2

34. Whitefish, MT

20.2

35. Beaver Creek, CO

20.1

36. Sugarbush, VT

20.0

37. Pico, VT

20.0

38. Bogus Basin, ID

20.0

39. Bristol, NY

20.0

40. Crested Butte, CO

19.9

41. Granite Peak, WI

19.9

42. Homewood, CA

19.8

43. Keystone, CO

19.7

44. Pomerelle, ID

19.7

45. Lutsen Mountains, MN

19.7

46. Jackson Creek, MI

19.6

47. Sugar Bowl, CA

19.5

48. Big Powderhorn Mountain, MI

19.5

49. The Highlands, MI

19.4

50. Mount Bachelor, OR

19.4

51. Timberline Lodge, OR

19.4

52. Powder Mountain, UT

19.3

53. Tamarack, ID

19.3

54. Cannon, NH

19.3

55. Loon, NH

19.3

56. Boyne Mountain, MI

19.2

57. Hunter, NY

19.2

58. Moose Mountain, AK

19.2

59. Purgatory, CO

19.1

60. Schweitzer, ID

19.1

61. Stratton, VT

18.9

62. Waterville Valley, NH

18.9

63. Devil's Head, WI

18.9

64. Mcintyre, NH

18.8

65. Gunstock, NH

18.8

66. Hilltop, AK

18.8

67. Northstar, CA

18.7

68. Ski Cooper, CO

18.7

69. Alta, UT

18.7

70. Eagle Point, UT

18.7

71. Soda Springs, CA

18.7

72. Kelly Canyon, ID

18.7

73. Nub's Nob, MI

18.6

74. Montage, PA

18.6

75. Sundance, UT

18.6

76. Summit at Snoqualmie, WA

18.6

77. Bolton Valley, VT

18.5

78. Welch Village, MN

18.5

79. Showdown, MT

18.5

80. Boreal, CA

18.5

81. Windham, NY

18.4

82. Ski Land, AK

18.4

83. Dodge Ridge, CA

18.4

84. Whiteface, NY

18.3

85. Seven Springs, PA

18.3

86. Timberline Mountain, WV

18.3

87. Mount Spokane, WA

18.2

88. White Pine, WY

18.2

89. Montana Snowbowl, MT

18.1

90. Mount Hood Meadows, OR

18.1

91. Bromley, VT

18.0

92. Sierra at Tahoe, CA

18.0

93. Crystal Mountain, MI

18.0

94. Bridger Bowl, MT

18.0

95. Eldora Mountain, CO

17.9

96. Lonesome Pine, ME

17.9

97. Mount Sunapee, NH

17.8

98. Jay Peak, VT

17.7

99. Arapahoe Basin, CO

17.7

100. Detroit Mountain, MN

17.7

101. Aspen Highlands, CO

17.6

102. Brighton, UT

17.6

103. Alpine Valley, WI

17.6

104. Great Divide, MT

17.6

105. Monarch, CO

17.5

106. Gore, NY

17.5

107. Loveland, CO

17.4

108. Powderhorn, CO

17.4

109. Mount Abram, ME

17.4

110. Attitash, NH

17.4

111. Cranmore, NH

17.4

112. Grand Targhee, WY

17.4

113. June Mountain, CA

17.3

114. Spirit Mountain, MN

17.3

115. Donner Ski Ranch, CA

17.3

116. Pebble Creek, ID

17.2

117. Greek Peak, NY

17.2

118. Mount Pleasant Of Edinboro, PA

17.2

119. Snowy Range, WY

17.2

120. Brian Head, UT

17.1

121. Mount Baker, WA

17.1

122. Granby Ranch, CO

17.1

123. Red River, NM

17.1

124. Mountain Creek, NJ

17.0

125. Mount Hood Skibowl, OR

17.0

126. Burke, VT

16.9

127. Smuggler's Notch, VT

16.9

128. Aspen, CO

16.9

129. Marquette Mountain, MI

16.9

130. Snowshoe, WV

16.9

131. Alyeska, AK

16.8

132. Lookout Pass, MT

16.8

133. Crystal Mountain, WA

16.8

134. Anthony Lakes, OR

16.8

135. Buffalo Ski Center, NY

16.8

136. Catamount, MA

16.7

137. Laurel Mountain, PA

16.7

138. Sunrise Park, AZ

16.6

139. Alpine Valley, MI

16.6

140. Buck Hill, MN

16.6

141. Wild Mountain, MN

16.6

142. Holiday Valley, NY

16.6

143. Bear Valley, CA

16.6

144. Sugar Mountain, NC

16.6

145. Snowmass, CO

16.5

146. Cataloochee, NC

16.5

147. Mount Shasta, CA

16.5

148. Magic, VT

16.4

149. Black Mountain, NH

16.4

150. 49 Degrees North, WA

16.4

151. Sunlight, CO

16.3

152. Sun Valley, ID

16.3

153. Lost Trail, MT

16.3

154. Canaan Valley, WV

16.3

155. Oak Mountain, NY

16.3

156. Arizona Snowbowl, AZ

16.2

157. Kirkwood, CA

16.2

158. Big Rock, ME

16.2

159. Bear Creek, PA

16.2

160. Camelback, PA

16.2

161. Liberty Mountain, PA

16.2

162. Snow Valley, CA

16.2

163. Tenney Mountain, NH

16.2

164. Andes Tower Hills, MN

16.1

165. Pat's Peak, NH

16.1

166. Blue Mountain, PA

16.1

167. Hermon Mountain, ME

16.1

168. Wachusett, MA

16.0

169. Lost Valley, ME

16.0

170. Giants Ridge, MN

16.0

171. Discovery, MT

15.9

172. Hidden Valley, PA

15.9

173. Stevens Pass, WA

15.9

174. Mad River Glen, VT

15.8

175. Perfect North Slopes, IN

15.8

176. Big Squaw Mountain, ME

15.8

177. Sandia Peak, NM

15.8

178. Snowbasin, UT

15.8

179. Ascutney, VT

15.8

180. Wisp, MD

15.7

181. Snow Creek, MO

15.7

182. Solitude, UT

15.7

183. Spruce Mountain, ME

15.7

184. Jack Frost, PA

15.6

185. Roundtop, PA

15.6

186. Sleeping Giant, WY

15.6

187. Buttermilk, CO

15.5

188. Caberfae Peaks, MI

15.5

189. Taos, NM

15.5

190. Whitetail, PA

15.5

191. Hoodoo, OR

15.5

192. White Pass, WA

15.5

193. Saskadena Six, VT

15.4

194. Pajarito Mountain, NM

15.4

195. Sipapu, NM

15.4

196. Trollhaugen, WI

15.4

197. Mountain High, CA

15.4

198. Jiminy Peak, MA

15.3

199. Otis Ridge, MA

15.3

200. Wilmot, WI

15.3

201. Big Boulder, PA

15.2

202. Hyland Hills, MN

15.1

203. Brandywine, OH

15.1

204. Winterplace, WV

15.1

205. Beaver Mountain, UT

15.0

206. Silver Mountain, ID

14.9

207. Ski Ward, MA

14.9

208. Whaleback, NH

14.9

209. Big Bear, PA

14.9

210. Woods Valley, NY

14.9

211. Massanutten, VA

14.9

212. Peek'N Peak, NY

14.8

213. Pine Knob, MI

14.7

214. Yawgoo Valley, RI

14.7

215. Northeast Slopes, VT

14.6

216. Mont Ripley, MI

14.6

217. Tyrol Basin, WI

14.6

218. Bald Mountain, ID

14.5

219. Little Ski Hill, ID

14.5

220. Campgaw, NJ

14.5

221. Hunt Hollow, NY

14.4

222. Kendall Mountain, CO

14.3

223. Berkshire East, MA

14.3

224. Pleasant Mountain, ME

14.3

225. Wildcat, NH

14.3

226. Tahoe Donner Downhill, CA

14.3

227. Dartmouth Skiway, NH

14.2

228. Mission Ridge, WA

14.2

229. Badger Pass, CA

14.1

230. Howelsen Hill, CO

14.1

231. Teton Pass, MT

14.1

232. Black Mountain, ME

14.0

233. Red Lodge Mountain, MT

14.0

234. Ski Bluewood, WA

14.0

235. Mount Peter, NY

14.0

236. Soldier Mountain, ID

14.0

237. Shawnee Mountain, PA

13.9

238. Tussey, PA

13.9

239. Powder Ridge, CT

13.9

240. Mount Jefferson, ME

13.9

241. Hesperus, CO

13.8

242. Titcomb, ME

13.8

243. King Pine, NH

13.8

244. Pine Creek, WY

13.8

245. Ski Butternut, MA

13.7

246. Crotched Mountain, NH

13.7

247. Nordic Valley, UT

13.7

248. Frost Fire, ND

13.6

249. Mad River, OH

13.6

250. Ski Sundown, CT

13.5

251. Lee Canyon, NV

13.5

252. Mount Brighton, MI

13.4

253. Wintergreen Resort, VA

13.4

254. Hogadon, WY

13.4

255. Willamette Pass, OR

13.4

256. McCauley Mountain, NY

13.3

257. Echo Mountain, CO

13.2

258. Elk Mountain, PA

13.2

259. Big Bear Mountain, CA

13.2

260. Mount Lemmon, AZ

13.1

261. Mount Southington, CT

13.0

262. Maverick Mountain, MT

13.0

263. Ski Apache, NM

13.0

264. Veterans Memorial Recreation Area, NH

13.0

265. Beech Mountain, NC

12.9

266. Ragged Mountain, NH

12.8

267. Diamond Peak, NV

12.7

268. Snow Summit, CA

12.6

269. Ski Bradford, MA

12.5

270. Cherry Peak, UT

12.5

271. Snow King Mountain, WY

12.5

272. Blue Knob, PA

12.5

273. Cochran's, VT

12.4

274. Mohawk, CT

12.4

275. Chestnut Mountain, IL

12.4

276. Terry Peak, SD

12.4

277. Royal Mountain, NY

12.4

278. Snowhaven, ID

12.3

279. Thunder Ridge, NY

12.3

280. Mount Baldy, CA

12.3

281. Alpental, WA

12.3

282. Snow Ridge, NY

12.3

283. Arctic Valley, AK

12.1

284. Magic Mountain, ID

12.1

285. West Mountain, NY

12.0

286. Bottineau, ND

11.9

287. Willard, NY

11.8

288. Lyndon Outing Club, VT

11.8

289. Turner Mountain, MT

11.6

290. Ferguson Ridge, OR

11.6

291. Appalachian Ski Mountain, NC

11.5

292. Hatley Pointe, NC

11.5

293. Plattekill, NY

11.4

294. Bousquet, MA

11.3

295. Boston Mills, OH

11.3

296. Ober Gatlinburg, TN

11.0

297. Blue Hills, MA

10.9

298. Abenaki Ski Area, NH

10.8

299. Sitzmark Ski Area, WA

10.7

300. Middlebury Snow Bowl, VT

10.6

301. Mount Ashland, OR

10.6

302. Ski Cloudcroft, NM

10.6

303. Meadowlark, WY

10.6

304. Powderhouse Hill, ME

10.5

305. Eaglecrest, AK

10.3

306. Storrs Hill, NH

10.3

307. Alta Sierra, CA

9.7

308. Cooper Spur, OR

9.5

309. Nashoba Valley, MA

9.3

310. Hurricane Ridge, WA

9.3

311. Badger Mountain, WA

8.8

312. Dry Hill, NY

8.8

313. Campton Mountain, NH

8.8

314. Echo Valley, WA

8.7

315. Brantling, NY

8.7

316. Cottonwood Butte, ID

8.6

317. Kanc Recreation Area, NH

8.4

318. Hickory, NY

8.2

319. Camillus Ski Hill, NY

8.0

320. Bryce Resort, VA

7.6

321. Mount Eyak, AK

6.9

322. Loup Loup Ski Bowl, WA

6.9

323. Arrowhead, NH

6.4

324. Meany Lodge, WA

6.2

325. Granlibakken, CA

3.1

326. Silverton, CO

2.2