Skiing & Snowboarding

powder to the people
Kelly Canyon
Kelly Canyon

Located near Ririe, Idaho, Kelly Canyon provides the small-town vibe that’s perfect for anyone learning how to ski or snowboard. This family-owned ski area is only 35 minutes outside of Idaho Falls–significantly closer than other resorts in the area. It’s a great place to take the family to learn the basics of skiing or snowboarding, or to simply get out and spend some time on the mountain. The resort is on the smaller side, with only four lifts and 1,000 feet of elevation change, but there’s still tons of fun to be had across the mountain, at a more affordable price than Targhee or Jackson. Kelly’s develops a relatively complex terrain park for their resort size, featuring boxes, rails, and kicker jumps, and they’re also one of the only resorts in the area that hosts night skiing, where light towers illuminate runs for post-sunset fun. For more information about the mountain and available amenities, click the button below.

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Grand Targhee Resort

Grand Targhee Resort is located in Alta, WY, just outside of the eastern Idaho border. It’s nestled right next to the Teton peaks and averages over 500″ of snow every year, which makes for incredible skiing from November to April. The mountain is renowned for having some of the best powder days in the west, with storms dumping heavy amounts of snow frequently. Targhee boasts some of the best views a resort can offer–if you can manage to catch the mountain on a bluebird day. When a break in the storms occurs, views of the Tetons feel so close you can almost touch them, and panoramic landscapes of the Snake River Plains are located downhill. With over 2,600 skiable acres, Targhee has an abundance of varying terrain for all skill levels, at a more affordable price than Jackson Hole or Big Sky. Additionally, there’s an abundance of lodging on site, and in the nearby town of Driggs, where amazing shops, dining, and bars await after a great day on the mountain. 

Downhill alpine skiing in Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming, USA. Winter sports activities for the whole family in powder snow.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

If you’re in the market for an iconic western skiing experience, it’s hard to beat Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. With a famous aerial tram, 2 gondolas, and 9 chairlifts dispersed across the resort, there’s access to nearly every nook and cranny of the resort. Located on the Wyoming side of the Teton range, JHMR receives the same quality and quantity of snow as Grand Targhee, and offers an expansive variety of terrain. If your riding style is more park-oriented, JHMR has teamed up with Burton Snowboards, who designed and developed “Burton Stash Parks” across the mountain. These Stash Parks are tucked away from popular runs, and showcase complex wooden features such as rails, quarter pipes, and transfers. If you’ve got your avalanche beacon, consider venturing through the backcountry gates where incredible powder turns, cliffs, and slalom runs await.

Impressive amenities such as lodging, dining, spas, music festivals, giveaways and shopping emphasize an atmosphere of the perfect alpine getaway. Don’t forget to stop at Top of The World Waffles at the summit of the tram line, where you can enjoy a signature treat before your 4,100 ft descent. Due to it’s renowned status as a world-class resort, lift tickets are pricey, to say the least. However, if an unforgettable skiing experience full of diverse terrain, backcountry, world-class parks, luxury, and infectiously fun vibes are on your bucket list, the price is well-worth the trip. 

Chairlift Sunrise - Sun Valley, Idaho
Sun Valley Resort

Sun Valley Resort is located outside of Ketchum, ID, and has a reputation of providing THE premiere ski resort experience in Idaho. The resort has a historical precedence as being the first destination ski resort in the U.S., and has continued its notoriety through consistent ranking as one of the top resorts in the country. Over 2,000 acres of skiable terrain are available to visitors across two mountains, resulting in over 120 named runs in the area. The resort offers a variety of terrain for all skill levels, including groomed runs, bowls, glades, and steep pitches. Sun Valley has also invested heavily into state-of-the-art lift systems with some lifts transporting riders at 1,200ft per minute.

Technical details aside, Sun Valley offers so much more than just skiing. Unique ski-in, ski-out lodging is available on the mountain, in addition to their luxury mountain homes and hotels. The resort also has a variety of dining options, including several restaurants that offer farm-to-table cuisine and locally sourced ingredients. If you’re looking for even more exploration, fine dining, bars, and shopping opportunities await around every corner in the city of Ketchum. 

Lone Peak at Big Sky, Montana
Big Sky Resort

In 2013, Big Sky Ski Resort purchased neighboring resort, Moonlight Basin. This immense acquisition of land created the basis for their tag line, “The Biggest Skiing in America” with over 5,850 acres of skiable terrain becoming available with one lift ticket. They have since lost their official claim as largest ski area in the U.S. to Park City Ski Resort, but the spirit of big skiing lives on in Big Sky, MT. Located 50 miles outside Bozeman and West Yellowstone, this resort lies in the heart of the Madison mountain range, and to say this resort is big would be an understatement. Along with the acreage, every endeavor pursued at Big Sky is big. The resort’s massive skiable terrain includes over 300 named runs, accompanied by 36 lifts including an 8-person chairlift with heated seats. Lone Mountain towers over the surrounding area with a peak elevation of 11,166 ft, accessible by their new tram installation of 2023. This new tram has panoramic glass windows and flooring for unparalleled views of the area. Big Sky is also heavily focused on sustainability, with a solar panel array, increased-efficiency chairlifts, wind turbines, and a food composting program. The Mountain Village on site also features a variety of lodging options, dining choices, and après-ski activities. Quite simply, if your ski vacation prerogative is to go big or go home, go to Big Sky. 

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