If you’re thinking about learning to ski or snowboard but don’t know where to begin, we’ve compiled a list of North America’s best resorts for first timers, thanks to their specialized learning programs, state-of-the-art facilities, accessibility and unique beginner experiences. After a lesson or two with one of the highly trained instructors at the top ski and snowboard schools listed below, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying years of wintertime bliss.
1) Buttermilk
Aspen Snowmass‘ beginner mountain, Buttermilk offers excellent green runs for Level 2 and 3 beginners, and the base area’s magic carpet and beginner lifts deliver skiers and snowboarders to a gentle, dedicated learning zone for first-timers. Kids and parents alike will be impressed with Buttermilk’s Hideout Children’s Center. This innovative 7,500-square-foot facility features custom-designed play features like a playroom and lookout tower and will inspire a love of mountain adventure in children.
Few resorts can boast beginner trails that yield views of Colorado’s famed 14,000-plus-foot peaks, so one of the highlights of learning to ski at Buttermilk is the chance to see Pyramid Peak from the Cliffhouse Lodge. Beginners at Buttermilk can even ski or snowboard next to the world-famous 22-foot-high, 500-foot-long X Games Superpipe and the monstrous jumps that make up the Slopestyle Course.
Where to stay: For ski in ski out access to Buttermilk’s beginner-friendly slopes and convenience to the Hideout, an award-winning children’s ski school facility, stay at the Inn at Aspen.
2) Aspen Snowmass
Kids love learning at Snowmass thanks to the gentle beginner areas, like Fanny Hill and Elk Camp, ski school characters and state-of-the-art facilities. The Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center is a 25,000-square-foot, forest-themed facility that provides a basecamp for hot chocolate breaks, lunch, playtime, arts and crafts and childcare. The little ones tend to learn quickly, and before long they will be able to make turns and stop. Then it’s time to head up the lifts and explore Snowmass’ uber-fun beginner tree trails.
Aspen Snowmass’ Beginner’s Magic makes learning to ski a comfortable and enjoyable experience for adults, too. Knowledgeable rental staff members fit you with proper, comfortable equipment, and there’s an after-skiing shoe service so you don’t have to walk around in your ski boots when you’re done with your lesson. Atop the Elk Camp Gondola at Elk Camp Meadows, professional instructors will teach you the fundamental techniques, how to operate your equipment and mountain awareness—all while you enjoy spectacular alpine views.
Schlepping ski gear and walking in ski boots can be one of the most challenging—and frustrating—aspects when learning to ski. Beginners love Snowmass because 95 percent of the resort’s lodging is located slope-side—it’s easy to get on and off the slopes.
Where to stay: Experience the comfort and stunning vistas of Mt. Daly with a stay at One Snowmass, a haven of midcentury modern architecture. Each residence has spacious living areas, perfect for relaxing with friends and family. Unwind in the infinity rooftop hot tub after a day of bottomless powder, or maintain your fitness routine in the expansive 2,500 square foot gym.
3) Whistler-Blackcomb, Canada
Whistler-Blackcomb brings up images of towering peaks, steep terrain and POWDER. But that doesn’t mean its not a good place to learn how to ski or ride. There is nearly 8,171 acres of skiable terrain split between these two famous peaks – Whistler and Blackcomb. Nearly 20 percent of that terrain is beginner friendly. With multiple learning areas and gentle slopes (be sure and check out Olympic Station at the Whistler base village), its the perfect place to dial in your pizza/french fry or those pesky toe side turns on a snowboard.
The beauty of Whistler (besides those epic views) is it provides the perfect environment to improve. Once you are ready to go a little faster, it’s not hard to step outside of the green zone and try your skills on some gentle blues. Maybe it won’t happen in one trip but eventually you’ll be ripping those peaks! We all have to start somewhere.
Not only is Whistler-Blackcomb the perfect place to learn to ski, it has a village that is beyond fun for a ski vacation whether you are with your family or friends. The après-ski scene is world-class and they are many different lodging options to accommodate different budgets.
Where to stay: For a luxurious and classy stay, look no further than The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler. This property has all the amenities you could want on a ski vacation. The slope side location puts you in the heart of Whistler Village with access to the lively après-ski season right out your door.
4) Steamboat Springs, Colorado
A big part of skiing is enjoying mountain culture; downtown Steamboat Springs, Colorado provides a true Western experience that first-timers won’t soon forget. Even if you don’t fall in love with skiing immediately, you will fall in love with Steamboat’s gorgeous Rocky Mountain views and idyllic cowboy atmosphere.
There’s no shortage of crème-de-la-crème professional ski instructors at Steamboat. The Steamboat Snow School is comprised of certified Professional Ski Instructors of America and American Association of Snowboard Instructors, Winter Olympians, national team members, and more than 550 instructors trained in the latest on-snow teaching techniques.
Steamboat offers excellent programs for all ages, including adaptive learning, and beginner areas feature magic carpets and gentle, flat slopes with a seven to 10 percent grade. The resort has gone to great lengths to enhance the beginner experience by implementing terrain shaping, a new trend in the industry that helps first-timers learn how to control their speed and make turns with snow features. The gentle-grade slopes have small hills and banks that will naturally turn the beginner’s skis or board and help them slow down.
Steamboat understands that adults learning to ski have different needs than children and offers two adult-learning zones: the Promenade and Ski Time Square.
Where to stay: For slope side location and high-touch hotel amenities and services, make The Steamboat Grand your beginner basecamp.
5) Beaver Creek, Colorado
Beaver Creek’s Ski and Snowboard School enjoys a reputation of one of North America’s top learning programs thanks to their video analysis program as well as a world-class, slope-side children’s beginner facility, The Ranch, which features a dedicated learning area with a dedicated gondola. Children’s ski and snowboard instructors are hand-selected for their patience and personality. The resort even customizes the learning terrain to facilitate the correct body movements.
When it’s time to leave the learning zone and explore Beaver Creek’s high-alpine green slopes, you can also rest assured that you’re in good hands when learning to ski. Beaver Creek is the recipient of the National Ski Area Association’s Best Overall Safety Award.
Where to stay: For easy access to ski school and the beginner gondola, plus five-star hotel services and amenities, nothing can compete with Park Hyatt Beaver Creek.
6) Grand Targhee, Wyoming
Grand Targhee Resort is a “come as you are” mountain with one of the best mom and pop feels you can find. Grand Targhee is where the true spirit of skiing continues to live on. This mountain is as low-key as they come meaning its the perfect place to focus on learning. The crowds are minimal and the snow was plentiful. You can still find stashes of powder days after a storm hits.
The ski school at Grand Targhee is excellent, with teachers that are deeply passionate about passing their love of skiing to others. There are usually smaller classes, meaning more time for one-on-one attention.
There is a dedicated learning area north of the base area, allowing ample opportunity to link those turns. Once you’re ready to explore green trails, the Shoshone lift offers tons of green runs to explore. There are groomed trails as well as fun and playful trails through trees that your kids (and you) will love to explore.
Where to stay: The base area is filled with low-key and affordable lodges that make you feel like family. Our Mountain Travel Experts’ personal favorite is the Teewinot Lodge. This charming mountain lodge is just steps from the chair lifts and is perfect for big families or groups of friends.
7) Deer Valley Resort, Utah
From its complimentary ski valet and parking shuttle to plush lodges and world-class on-mountain restaurants, Deer Valley Resort is all about personalized attention for every guest.
So it should come as little surprise that the resort goes above and beyond to make beginners feel comfortable when learning. Nearly 30 percent of Deer Valley’s perfectly manicured slopes are green runs. Every green run is marked “slow skiing” and the resort limits the number of lift tickets sold daily, so beginners don’t have to worry about crowds of more advanced skiers zooming by.
Deer Valley ski school instructors provide an incredible, customized experience in both their acclaimed private lessons and “Max 4” lessons, which never exceed four people, so you can learn the basics at your own pace.
Where to stay: Deer Valley epitomizes luxury, and the Montage Deer Valley stands out as the pinnacle of opulence. The resort welcomes families with engaging activities like their unique “Camping Experience,” where the staff transforms your guestroom into an enchanting tent, igniting your children’s imagination and play. Additionally, the Montage’s Paintbox program offers daycare services, catering to the needs of your youngest family members.
8) Keystone, Colorado
Offering a designated learning area with gentle slopes, a magic carpet, and a beginner lift, Keystone Mountain provides a private, divided setting for beginners. Keystone’s Ski and Ride School offers some of the areas best instructors and the opportunity to learn in either a group setting or with private lessons. You’ll be cruising down the green runs in no time at all!
If you’re a family with children ready to learn to ride or ski, then look no further than Keystone. The resort continually outshines the rest with its commitment to a year-round focus on families, with winter activities that are fun for the whole family. During Kidtopia, they offer a wide variety of exciting activities, such as the ‘Giant Snowball Launch’ and the ‘Bigfoot Adventure Walk’ in the forest – all free and designed to entertain kids of all ages.
A season favorite at Keystone is the giant Snow Fort on Dercum Mountain. For the 2023/2024 season, they’re constructing two of the WORLD’S LARGEST snow forts! This exciting feature is easily accessible from the slopes. That means you can hit ski school in the morning, snow for for lunch then show off your new skills the rest of the afternoon. These are the kind of memories that turn young ones into lifelong snow enthusiasts.
Where to stay: For the ultimate ski-in, ski-out experience, choose Timbers Condominiums. With effortless lift access and a short stroll to the village, convenience is at your doorstep. Enjoy the fitness center, steam rooms, indoor/outdoor pool, and outdoor hot tub. Each condominium features a fully equipped kitchen and in-unit washer and dryer, perfect for extended stays.
9) Okemo, Vermont
Renowned as a family favorite of East Coast skiers, Okemo offers a lot for beginners to love. Okemo is accessible from several major Eastern hubs, including Boston and New York City.
The new Jackson Gore Base Area lodge offers a Learning Center and beginner-friendly trails. Once the basics have been ticked off, beginners can enjoy 32 percent of Okemo’s terrain. Beginner skiers can even experience one of Okemo’s newest updates: a heated, six-person bubble chairlift will keep the New England cold out while transporting skiers to the Summit Lodge, where there are many green runs to enjoy.
Where to stay: Offering unrivaled beginner skiing access, the Jackson Gore Village is a prime-time spot. Plus, the property offers an indoor pool, hot tub and water slide.
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