The Rockies

Where to Go

• Park City and Deer Valley: about 45 minutes from Salt Lake City airport. Deer Valley is for skiers only, with no snowboarding, and is known for its grooming and service. Park City Mountain is next door, and the old mining town of Park City has a busy Main Street.
• Aspen and Snowmass: four ski mountains on one pass, a real town with good restaurants, and an airport a few minutes away. In summer there is the Aspen Music Festival and hiking around the Maroon Bells.
• Telluride: a Victorian mining town in a box canyon, linked by a free gondola to Mountain Village above it. It is remote, which keeps it quiet.
• Jackson Hole: steep, serious skiing from Teton Village, with an aerial tram to the top. The airport sits inside Grand Teton National Park, and Yellowstone is within reach in summer.
• Banff and Lake Louise: Canada's first national park, founded in 1885, with three ski areas on one pass: Banff Sunshine, Mt. Norquay and Lake Louise.

The Skiing

Rockies snow is usually dry and light, and the resorts are big, with wide groomed runs, open bowls and tree skiing. Lift lines are generally short outside holiday weeks. Ski schools are well run, and many resorts have dedicated children's centers. Most resort bases sit between about 6,000 and 9,500 feet, so plan an easy first day while you adjust to the altitude.

Summer

July to September is hiking, biking, fly fishing and rafting season. Jackson Hole is the base for Grand Teton and Yellowstone, Banff and Lake Louise have lakes and trails in every direction, and Aspen and Telluride have music and film festivals alongside the mountains. Several of the hotels here are open year-round.

Getting There and How Long to Stay

Salt Lake City is the easiest gateway, with direct flights from most US cities and Deer Valley less than an hour away. Aspen, Jackson Hole and Telluride have smaller mountain airports with seasonal direct flights, though winter weather can cause delays. For Banff, fly into Calgary and drive about an hour and a half. We suggest five to seven nights in one resort.

Where to Stay

In Deer Valley, Montage Deer Valley sits at Empire Pass and Stein Eriksen Lodge is mid-mountain at Silver Lake. In Aspen, The Little Nell is at the foot of Aspen Mountain and Hotel Jerome is the historic hotel in the center of town. In Telluride, The Madeline is in Mountain Village. In Beaver Creek, The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch is ski-in, ski-out in the village of Bachelor Gulch. In Teton Village, Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole and Caldera House are both at the base of the lifts. Amangani, above Jackson, has been closed for a major refurbishment, and we will add it once it reopens.

In Banff, Fairmont Banff Springs is the grand railway hotel. At Lake Louise, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise sits on the lakeshore and Post Hotel & Spa is a smaller, quieter choice in the village.

Pairing

Jackson Hole pairs naturally with a summer trip to Yellowstone. Banff and Lake Louise pair with Jasper or Vancouver, and Park City works for a long weekend from almost anywhere in the US. For a comparison with Europe, read The Alps or the Rockies for a Family Ski Trip?