The 6 Best Ski Resorts for Beginners

If you found this article, odds are you’re thinking about getting into skiing. So, first of all, welcome.

Sliding down snow is a blast and only gets more fun as you improve. You’re going to have a great time. That said, some ski resorts are better suited for beginner skiers than others, whether they offer vast networks of green runs (variety is the spice of life, after all) or first-timer-specific orientations. This list covers six of the best beginner ski resorts in North America.

1. Deer Valley, Utah

• Multi-pass: Ikon Pass
• Percent of terrain for beginners : 30%

Deer Valley, Utah, is a place of superlatives. Best-in-class grooming. Best-in-class service and amenities. Top-notch slopeside lodging . These elements are joined by the fact that Deer Valley boasts numerous beginner offerings, making the mountain the perfect place for first-time or recently converted skiers who seek a smooth transition into snowsports.

Deer Valley does land on the pricier end of the spectrum, though. Even when purchased in advance, lift tickets can vastly exceed $200, depending on the time of year. These sorts of upfront expenses can be sidestepped if you have an Ikon Pass, which grants seven days to Deer Valley.

However, if you’re someone trying out skiing for the first time, this solution may not make sense. Regardless, Deer Valley’s beginner skier proposition is tough to beat and will only be made better as the resort’s vast terrain expansion project gets fully underway.

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

2. Copper Mountain, Colorado

• Multi-pass: Ikon Pass
• Percent of terrain for beginners: 24%

Copper Mountain’s terrain layout simplifies the progression process for skiers just learning the ropes. If you start on the western portion of the resort with the Kokomo Express and Lumberjack Express, you can slowly work your way east, taking on more and more challenging terrain as the days pass.

Relatively affordable first-timer lessons can give beginner skiers a much-needed boost, too. They start at $199 for a half day at Copper.

One word of caution: newcomers to Colorado’s resort scene sometimes struggle with the altitude. Copper Mountain’s base elevation is at nearly 10,000 feet, which, without adequate preparation (bring lots of water!), can do a number on visitors from lower altitude locales. Keep the Excedrin on hand.

3. Sun Valley, Idaho

• Multi-pass: Ikon Pass, Mountain Collective
• Percent of terrain for beginners: 36%

With a bevy of green runs in its Dollar Mountain area, Sun Valley features an entire mountain zone that is entirely beginner-friendly, aside from a few runs.

But if you’re interested in checking out the views from the upper mountain, a vast network of green trails stretches across Bald Mountain, facilitating access to the summit lodges at Seattle Ridge and the Lookout—provided you’re comfortable with longer runs. Fair warning, however, Sun Valley's green runs on Bald Mountain are quite steep when compared to other resorts. Pace yourself, and enjoy exploring.

Once the day is done, Sun Valley’s lively base village offers numerous spots to get your après on.

Related: The Ultimate Ski Trip Packing Guide

4. Brighton Resort, Utah

• Multi-pass: Ikon Pass
• Percent of terrain for beginners: 21%

Mentioning Utah to a crew of diehard skiers often elicits one of a few responses, at least one of which will probably include the name Alta Ski Area. Alta isn’t the only resort in the Beehive State, though, and Brighton—known for its happening snowboarding and park skiing scene—fits the bill for snowsports newcomers.

The Explorer lift serves first-timers, but the rest of Brighton’s piste is studded with several green runs, one of which, Sunshine, snakes from the top of Preston Peak to the base area. Getting your ski boots under you doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t explore the rest of the mountain. Brighton offers cheaper learner-specific tickets that only include access to the Majestic and Explorer lifts, making that initial lift ticket hurdle easier to stomach.

5. Nordic Valley, Utah

• Multi-pass: Power Pass
• Percent of terrain for beginners: 20%

If you plan ahead, Nordic Valley has some of the cheapest lift tickets in the resort industry game—depending on the time of year, you can get one for as cheap as $9 (this program also exists across several Mountain Capital Partners resorts, like Brian Head, Utah, and Purgatory, Colorado).

The slopes of Nordic Valley are small, easy to navigate, and not exceedingly complicated, unlike some larger, labyrinthine destinations. With only a few lifts to keep track of, you won’t have to spend your day staring at a map in the hopes of avoiding an accidental double black diamond encounter.

From the Nordic Express—Nordic Valley’s highest lift—there’s a gentle, beginner run that takes skiers to the base. Nordic Valley also offers free first-timer orientations that explain the basics of skiing, like boot fitting and equipment requirements. Skiing can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.

Related: The Best Family-Friendly Ski Resorts in North America

6. Aspen Buttermilk, Colorado

• Multi-pass: Ikon Pass
• Percent of terrain for beginners: 35%

One of four mountains in the Aspen portfolio, Buttermilk is tailor-made for beginners. While the resort hosts the high-flying Winter X Games—which draws a crowd of elite athletes—a vast portion of its terrain is composed of green runs suitable for those making their first turns.

The only lift to avoid is Tiehack, which serves blues squares and black diamonds. And if Buttermilk gets old, Snowmass, which offers more beginner runs to check out, is just a bus ride away with Aspen’s free intermountain public transportation system. The other two Aspen mountains—Highlands and Aspen Mountain—are better suited for intermediate and advanced skiers.

Honorable Mention: Whichever Ski Area Is Closest and Cheapest

Some of the resorts on this list are “destinations,” meaning, no matter how you slice it, you’ll be paying a reasonably sized (or large, location-dependent) premium to ski there. For enthusiastic lifelong skiers, heading to one of these spots makes plenty of sense, particularly with a multi-pass of some kind in tow.

However, if you’re only trying to figure out whether or not you like skiing, take a pause and weigh your options. For residents of the western United States, odds are reasonably good that there’s a local hill within a day’s drive of your home with cheaper tickets than the industry stalwarts (barring that, keep more humble spots like Nordic Valley in mind for your trip).

Those $200-plus lift ticket price tags at major ski resorts account for all the bells and whistles—gondolas, speedy lifts, loads of expert terrain—many of which don’t apply to beginners. For instance, while enticing for advanced skiers, Big Sky Resort, Montana’s Lone Peak Tram isn’t something you’d want to ride if you’ve only hit the slopes three times in your life.

Therefore, depending on your circumstances and location, you may be better off hitting that lesser-known, cheaper hill to learn the ropes—before graduating to the destination-caliber roster once your skills have improved. Skiing gets a lot of flak for being too expensive (let’s be real, it is pretty pricey), but there are ways to reduce the costs of entry. Do your homework. Go to ski swaps. Don’t fret over buying fancy gear—that hand-me-down jacket from the early 2000s will do just fine despite the Gore-Tex craze.

Related: 3 Reasons to Ski With a Radio: Tips and Best Radios for Skiing

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