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The Best Slopes for Every Type of Skier

Ski trips to wow every type of winter sports enthusiast

Jurriaan Teulings
Scenset travel expert
For the cross country skier: Skiing with bison in Yellowstone
Bison grazing near Yellowstone hot springs in winter
Bison grazing near Yellowstone hot springs in winter

Yellowstone’s winter landscapes are a cross-country skier’s paradise. Trails glide along hot springs, geysers, and wildlife – if you’re lucky, you might even catch the sight of bison enjoying a steam bath. Bison, elk, bighorn sheep, and wolves all take refuge in the lowest elevations where it’s warmer, which means spotting them is actually far easier than in the summer.

For the off-piste skier: Head to Chamonix for the ultimate off-piste challenge
Getting there is half the fun — and 90% of the effort
Getting there is half the fun — and 90% of the effort

They say life is all about the journey and not about the destination, but a trip up – and then down – Mont Blanc shows both can be pretty incredible. The three-day climb is well worth the effort for the unreal snowboarding at the other end – although there's also a quick 30-minute helicopter ride to a drop zone at 4000 meters available if you're not feeling the hike.

For the après skier: A glamorous getaway to the Great Camps of the Adirondacks
The library at Mirror Lake Inn, Lake Placid
The library at Mirror Lake Inn, Lake Placid

Half a day's drive from New York City, Lake Placid is the oldest ski resort in the United States and the site of the Winter Olympics of 1932 and 1980. Nestled in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York, the small lakeside village has been a retreat for affluent New Yorkers since America’s Gilded Age. Visitors can also take part in Gatsbyesque dinner parties; The Point hosts black-tie dinners twice a week inside the one-time camp of William Avery Rockefeller, Jr.

For the sustainable skier: Organic architecture in the French Alps
A car-free haven in the French Alps
A car-free haven in the French Alps

Avoriaz 1800 is a car-free ski resort, where apartments, chalets, and amenities are intertwined with skiable paths. Dreamed up in the 1960s by the architect Jacques Labro, his clever solutions for a sustainable future were built-in from the very start. The town’s southern exposure providing natural daylight is a significant energy saver (and means skiers can enjoy the sunshine for longer!)

For even more ski inspiration, reach out to our expert Travel Curators by filling out a trip request below.

Cover Image: Juana Nunez/Shutterstock. Image 1: The Sturdy Table/Shutterstock. Image 2: Tourism Chamonix. Image 3: Joseph Rector/Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa. Image 4: Frank Walter/Shutterstock

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Jurriaan Teulings
Jurriaan dreamt of becoming an astronomer or a circus clown but got a law degree before settling on travel writing and photography instead. As such, he spent two decades spreading the gospel of Dutch stroopwafels across 100 countries, picking up awards of plexiglass, bronze, and beads along the way. Recently, he planted the first rainbow flag on the North Pole. Next stop: Antarctica.