How to Experience the Best Ski Towns in America

Telluride's highlights include some memorable vistas.

When picking the perfect locale for a skiing escape, a fun town can be just as important as the quality of the slopes. Here are a few suggestions for visiting some of America's best ski towns.

Things You'll Need

• A sense of adventure.

Instructions

1. Park City, Utah is an enticing combination of top-notch ski resorts and an enchanting downtown with plenty of cool restaurants and galleries. The Canyons and Deer Valley are two of the best ski lodgings, but if you're on a budget, consider the Park City Marriott or Quail Lodge.

2. Set in a canyon in southwest Colorado, Telluride has superb skiing, but also comes alive in summer with a series of live music extravaganzas. It also boasts a quaint little downtown, which was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1964.

3. Elsewhere in the Rocky Mountain state, Aspen is an upscale little village of about 5,000 that includes celebs like Jack Nicholson, Mariah Carey and Michael Douglas among its part-time residents. The Hotel Lenado, a small property with the feel of a modern alpine lodging, is an excellent choice; and when it comes time to dine -and/or drink!-revel in the Woody Creek Tavern, a fun and funky no-frills dive. Note: Vail and Breckenridge also offer great skiing in the state, but they are more representative of top ski "resorts" and don't really have much "town" to explore.

4. In "Big Sky Country"-or anywhere else-you'd be hard-pressed to find a more likeable town than Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It has three excellent local ski areas-Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Grand Targhee Resort and Snow King Resort-and the downtown is a wealth of cool cowboy taverns and impressive little galleries.

5. Oregon is often overlooked when it comes time to hit the slopes, but visitors to Bend will find top-notch skiing and snowboarding at Mt. Bachelor and an inviting downtown with plenty to do. A vibrant nightlife is bolstered by several good microbreweries and a host of lodgings ranges from quaint Bed and Breakfasts to affordable chain hotels to rustic lodges.

6. Back in New England, Killington, Vermont is a great little ski town in the heart of the state. With a population hovering around 1,000, you won't find all that much to do-but what you encounter will be charming and rustic. When dining, make sure to check out Hemingway's Restaurant on Route 4, with fireside tables and a menu ranging from seared duck breast to Maine lobster risotto.

7. If you're hitting some of the super slopes in western Massachusetts-Jiminy Peak is only one of the solid selections there-try to arrange your lodgings in Lenox, the Berkshire's most inviting town. If you can splurge, Blantyre is a stunning Scottish estate that is simply one of the best lodgings in the state and Canyon Ranch Spa is a heralded haven of pampering and rejuvenation.

8. OK, nobody thinks immediately of the Midwest when the topic of skiing arises, but Harbor Springs, Michigan is a ski bum's paradise. Much of the downhill action revolves around Nub's Nob Ski Area-with 53 slopes and trails spread across three peaks-but you can have just as much fun in the cozy downtown. It's a real throwback-with fudge shops, an old-style soda fountain and a quaint New England atmosphere.