Top 3 Epic Road Trips for Hardcore Skiers

The ski road trip might be a dying breed. With the popularity and convenience of flying, loads of snowsports travelers get by with boarding passes and airport shuttles. That’s plenty good, but piling into the car with your best pals, while arguably less practical, will always hold a certain romantic allure.

Maybe it’s that things inevitably get screwed up—while that flat tire during a blizzard might suck in the moment, it’ll make a great story to tell your kids one day. When you fly and head straight to the slopeside hotel, a lot gets left behind, like that funky gas station at milepost 200 that sells antlers, guns, scratch tickets, and, for some reason, live trout. We’d go as far as to argue that driving is the purest form of ski excursion. So, to get the creative juices flowing, here are three epic road trips that’ll satiate hardcore skiers.

But first, a few ground rules. Each one of these trips starts and ends in an area with a major airport. That way, you have the option of renting a car if you’re coming from far afield. Second, these itineraries are light on driving and heavy on skiing. They only have a few hours between each resort.

1. Kamloops to Calgary

Resorts

• Revelstoke Mountain Resort
• Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
• Banff Sunshine Village
• Lake Louise
• Mt. Norquay

Total mileage: 307

Our journey starts up north at the Powder Highway. Technically speaking, the Powder Highway isn’t some mystical stretch of dirt coated in fresh snow—it’s a cluster of resorts in British Columbia’s Kootenay Rockies. With this itinerary, we’ll hit a few of them, relying on the ever-trusty Trans-Canada route.

Kamloops, British Columbia, is the jumping-off point. From there, you’ll head east, eventually arriving in the picturesque Banff, Alberta, but not before making a few pit stops.

Every resort on this journey brings something rugged and unique to the table. Revelstoke Mountain Resort boasts a nearly 10-mile-long run called The Last Spike —make sure you have plenty of poutine on board before attempting this one—and Kicking Horse Mountain Resort features adrenal gland activating steeps . From Banff, you can hit three resorts with one home base: Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, and Mt. Norquay.

Who’s It For?

If you want to ski something you can brag about at the bar, this trip’s for you. At Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, you can hike and ride Ozone, a venue that’s been used by the biggest and best mountain competition circuit in the world, the Freeride World Tour . Banff Sunshine Village offers its own hair-raising big mountain area, Delirium Dive.

The Notable Pitstop

Lake Louise is a ski resort, but it’s also—you guessed it—a lake. Located across the road from the eponymous resort, this glittering blue alpine body of water is the perfect place to soak in the natural beauty of the Banff, Alberta, area. If you want a break from the Airbnb grind and don’t mind shelling out some extra cash, a luxury hotel— Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise —stands on the banks of Lake Louise.

Related: 7 of the Most Scenic Ski Resorts in North America

2. Bozeman to Salt Lake City

Resorts

• Bridger Bowl Ski Area
• Big Sky Resort
• Grand Targhee Resort
• Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Total mileage: 532

Touch down in Bozeman, Montana, and you’re already off to a good start. The famed Bridger Bowl Ski Area is just outside town, so stay for a day or two to familiarize yourself with the local ski scene. Then, it’s off to Big Sky Resort before the real journey begins. This road trip winds into Wyoming—checking off Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort—and concludes in the ski resort-dense Salt Lake City, Utah, an area where, if you want to catch some more turns, you can rip a few days at Alta Ski Area or Snowbird.

Who’s It For?

This itinerary has range. Bridger Bowl is a non-profit mountain. In contrast, Big Sky and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort are heavyweights in the resort industry. They boast massive terrain footprints, thriving base villages, and numerous amenities—Grand Targhee’s somewhere in the middle of the mom-and-pop to destination spectrum.

Think of it this way: hitting Bridger Bowl on the same road trip as Jackson Hole Mountain Resort will help you better understand what you like. It’s a sampling-focused experience that prioritizes variety.

The Notable Pitstop

Skiers tend to like two things: altitude and snacks. Corbet’s Cabin, which stands at 10,450 feet and is easily accessible from the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Aerial Tram, has both. The Cabin is known for its waffles, which come in several varieties and feature toppings like peanut butter, bacon, and Nutella.

3. Bend to Seattle

Resorts

• Mt. Bachelor
• Mt. Hood Meadows
• Mission Ridge
• Stevens Pass

Total mileage: 531

The Pacific Northwest is an oddly slept-on region. Despite its reputation for deep snow, many skiers don’t think to plan ski trips to Oregon or Washington. Maybe it’s the Cascade Concrete—thanks to the maritime weather, Pacific Northwest snowfall often comes in hot and heavy, making for challenging skiing if you don’t know what you’re doing. But that shouldn’t deter you—each pitstop on this trip is more than worth the visit. From the 360 descents available at Mt. Bachelor to the hidden, committing tree zones of Stevens Pass, there’s plenty to write home about.

Who’s It For?

Skiing in the Pacific Northwest is different. As previously mentioned, it can be wet sometimes, and you want to make sure the waterproofing on your coat is solid before heading out—but when it’s good, it’s good. Skiers interested in checking off interesting lines and venturing into unchartered territory will have a gas on this trip.

The Notable Pitstop

Between Stevens Pass and Wenatchee stands Leavenworth, a Bavarian-style town. Depending on who you are, you might find the place strange or endearing—either way, it’s worth checking out. Every building in the town's main area has Bavarian facades, a styling that dates back to the 1960s when town leaders decided to draw visitors by undergoing a visual makeover. Coupled with the inclusion of several events, the strategy worked, and Leavenworth sees millions of tourists each year. Plus, there's a Bavarian-style McDonalds.

Related: 6 Lesser-Known Ski Destinations That Should Be on Your Radar

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