The Biggest Ski Resorts in North America

When it comes to ski resort vacation choices, there are plenty of options, from small independent ski areas to mega ski resorts and everything in between. For many skiers, however, they just want access to as much terrain as possible. And if that’s you, then you’re at the right place. The good news is that you can find big ski resorts across North America. However, what counts as a “big” ski resort differs by region. What’s considered a big ski resort in New England and the Midwest is different than the Rockies, the West, and British Columbia. But whatever your definition of big is, you’ll find plenty of terrain in the following guide to the biggest ski resorts in North America.

The Biggest Ski Resorts in North America

Eastern U.S. and Eastern Canada

Killington, Vermont: 1,509 skiable acres, 21 Lifts

Killington is the “Beast of the East” for a reason. Add its nearby sister ski area, Pico Mountain to the totals, and you have access to nearly 2,000 skiable acres and 92 miles of trails. The K-1 gondola takes you to Killington Peak’s 4,241-foot summit, where you’ve got all that vertical on the way down. Killington’s Bear Mountain will give your legs the ultimate bump burn with its Outer Limits run. This is one of the few destination ski resort experiences in New England, since Killington has a village of its own and an access road lined with lodging, bars, and restaurants.

» » Check out lodging options at Killington.

Mt. Tremblant, Quebec, Canada: 755 skiable acres, 14 Lifts

While you may not think of large ski resorts when you think of Eastern Canada, don’t sleep on Quebec and Mt. Tremblant. Mt. Tremblant is the largest ski resort in Quebec, where all four sides of the mountain are accessible to incredible ski terrain, served by a number of chairlifts and gondolas. Its high point is 2,871 feet, with all the skiing and riding below the treeline. Mt. Tremblant’s Pedestrian Village, at the base of the mountain, is so charming and picturesque, giving off all the vibes of Europe’s iconic ski villages.

» » Check out lodging options at Mt. Tremblant.

Midwest

Lutsen Mountains, Lutsen, Minnesota: 1,000 acres, 7 Lifts

The Midwest has lots of ski areas, but on a “big” scale, they don’t compare to the rest of North America’s ski regions. That is, except for the 4-peak Lutsen Mountains Resort in Minnesota that overlooks Lake Superior. Lutsen Mountains boasts Great Lake views and equally great skiing and snowboarding with plenty of skiable terrain. As many Midwest skiers will attest to, Lutsen Mountains is as close to big resort skiing and riding that you’ll find in America’s heartland.

» » Check out lodging options at Lutsen Mountain.

West

Park City Mountain Resort, Utah: 7,300 acres, 40 Lifts

Vail Resorts bought Park City Mountain Resort in 2014, and soon after connected neighboring Canyons Resort (then known as Park West) to it. That made the interconnected combo a 7,300-acre bonanza of skiing and snowboarding terrain and one the largest ski resorts, by acreage, in North America.

Nearby, Deer Valley Resort is just 10 minutes away (though only skiing is allowed here). Deer Valley announced in 2023 that they were embarking on the resort’s largest increase of terrain in history. The 2024-25 ski season saw 300-plus new skiable acres and three new chairlifts. Deer Valley plans to open another 2,000 acres of terrain, served by 9 lifts and a gondola, and nearly 100 new runs for the 2025-26 season. Once the expansion is completely finished, in the next couple years, it will more than double the size of Deer Valley, adding 3,700 acres of terrain across 10 mountains. It, too, will then be one of America’s biggest ski resorts at 5,726 acres of skiable terrain.

» » Check out lodging options in Utah.

Powder Mountain, Utah: 8,484 acres, 8 Lifts

Powder Mountain is one of Utah’s hidden gems, often overshadowed by many of the Wasatch Range’s headlining ski resorts. It recently expanded in 2024 with four new lifts. Paradise and Timberline replaced old lift infrastructure at key sections on the mountain, while Lightning Ridge and Raintree opened up new advanced terrain for lift-accessed skiing and riding for the first time. Note: Raintree is part of a private lift network, serving owners of nearby ski-in,-ski-out homes.

One of the best parts about Powder Mountain is the cat skiing, which can easily be added to your lift pass (for an extra fee). It’s well worth taking a couple of laps on the shuttle to go cat skiing if you crave untouched powder.

» » Check out Powder Mountain Lodging Options

Big Sky Resort, Montana: 5,850 acres, 40 Lifts

Big Sky, located an hour south of Bozeman, is aptly named for “big” terrain beneath those endless blue skies. It comes in at just under 6,000 skiable acres with an impressive vertical drop of 4,350 feet. Big Sky is best known for its signature “big” terrain, like Big Couloir, an expert-only in-bounds run that drops 1,400 feet from the summit of Lone Peak. With so much terrain, Big Sky has a lot for beginner, intermediate, and expert skiers and riders to enjoy.

» » Check out lodging options at Big Sky.

Aspen Snowmass, Colorado: 5,700 acres, 41 Lifts

There’s arguably no ski destination in North America that has the fame and storied history of Aspen. And it has the terrain to back it up. All total there’s more than 5,700 acres across its four mountains—Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass. While they each have vast, varied terrain, none have the terrain of Snowmass, which is larger than Aspen’s other three mountains combined. It clocks in with 3,300 skiable acres, of which 1,000 is expert terrain.

Vail, Colorado: 5,317 acres, 32 Lifts

Vail boasts 5,300 skiable acres with seven legendary Back Bowls spanning seven miles and more beautifully groomed terrain than you’ll find just about anywhere. It’s made a name for itself as an extraordinary upscale winter vacation destination for skiers and snowboarders from all over their world. The resort has hosted two World Alpine Skiing Championships and is the flagship of Vail Resorts. Vail Village’s Bavarian-designed set of condos, hotels, restaurants, shops, and bars make for an unparalleled ski resort village experience.

Far West

Palisades Tahoe, California: 6,000 skiable acres, 29 Lifts

Palisades Tahoe’s Base to Base Gondola was a game changer when it opened in 2022, connecting the two ski areas, Palisades and Alpine. The first of its kind gondola in North America, the Base to Base Gondola transports guests between The Village at Palisades Tahoe and Alpine Lodge; expert skiers and riders have the option to unload mid-station at KT-22. You won’t find more terrain at any single ski destination in California. Plus, you’ll be skiing and riding at a resort that previously hosted the Winter Olympics.

» » Check out lodging options in Lake Tahoe.

Heavenly, California: 4,800 skiable acres, 28 Lifts

Heavenly’s South Lake Tahoe resort at Stateline is so big that it straddles two states, California and Nevada. It features the highest elevation, at 10,067 feet, and the most vertical drop, at 3,500 feet, in the Lake Tahoe region. When the skiing is done for the day, the casino nightlife at the base is just starting.

» » Check out lodging options at Heavenly.

Mt. Bachelor, Oregon: 4,323 acres, 12 Lifts

Mt. Bachelor is the largest resort in the Pacific Northwest, outstripping every other resort by 1,000 acres. It usually opens in November, around Thanksgiving, and runs through May, making for one of the longest ski seasons in the country. With already a fair amount of snow, the runs are bolstered by excellent snowmaking.

» » Check out lodging options at Mt. Bachelor.

Western Canada

Whistler-Blackcomb, British Columbia: 8,171 acres, 36 Lifts

It doesn’t get any bigger in North America than Whistler Blackcomb. Connected by the longest continuous lift system in the world, Whistler’s Peak2Peak gondola ties Whistler and Blackcomb mountains together. Boasting 200 marked runs, 16 alpine bowls, and 3 glaciers, Whistler Blackcomb’s terrain is truly endless on a ski vacation. When you’ve gotten your fill of resort skiing, head out with Whistler Heli-Skiing to access another 432,000 acres of big mountain British Columbia terrain.

» » Check out lodging options at Whistler Blackcomb.

Lake Louise, Banff, Alberta: 4,200 acres, 12 Lifts

Lake Louise is one of three resorts to make up Banff’s SkiBig3. The scenery and views across the mountain are magnificent, with jaw-dropping Canadian Rockies views everywhere you ski. Banff is a truly delightful Western town with everything you need. Your SkiBig3 pass gets you more than 9,000 acres to play in, adding in neighboring Sunshine Village and Mt. Norquay.

» » Check out lodging options in Banff.

Sun Peaks, British Columbia: 4,270 acres, 13 Lifts

Sun Peaks lays claim to the second largest skiable area in Canada, featuring perfectly groomed slopes, powder bowls, alpine trees, steeps, park and backcountry options to suit all styles and abilities. Ski-in, ski-out hotels in the village center provide easy access to the main chairlifts. This really is a massive ski resort ticket that’s your gateway to British Columbia’s interior.

» » Check out lodging options in Sun Peaks.

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