11 of the Best Backcountry Skiing Areas in the North America
Backcountry skiing is kind of the secret form of skiing/snowboarding. Most people who are new to the sport or who have been doing it for years, still don’t know what backcountry skiing is, and have never done it before. Skiing in the backcountry is where you hike up a mountain and then ski down it. To do this, you need VERY specific gear, trail maps/routes or guides, weather appropriate clothing, food, water, and more. You can find a better detailed list, here.
A main reason people backcountry ski/snowboard is to get first tracks, or fresh snow. The backcountry ski season is usually at the mid-later ski season, so the snow can build up and develop. Thus, depending on how much snow there has been, January to March/April (again depending on snowfall and location) are the better months to go. In this post, you will find awesome places to backcountry ski/snowboard at.
Here you will find 11 of the best backcountry skiing areas in North America. Specifically, you will find the best backcountry skiing in New Hampshire, Vermont, the Adirondacks, Colorado, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Washington, Canada, Banff, and Alaska.
This post is all about backcountry skiing.
Backcountry Skiing:
1. Backcountry Skiing New Hampshire
Okay, if you are unfamiliar with the east coast or the state of New Hampshire in general, you might be surprised to know, that it is one of the BEST backcountry ski areas throughout the entire northeast. Mount Washington, standing at 6,288 feet, is the tallest mountain in the east. It’s also one HELL of a mountain to backcountry ski at, specifically at, Tuckerman’s Ravine.
Most people ski Tuckerman’s Ravine in the spring, when the snow is more stable, because it’s prone to avalanches. It is a 3.1 mile hike up the ravine with massive weather changes from the base to the summit. The base of the mountain can be anywhere from 10-40 degrees warmer than the summit. Thus, on some days, it could be raining at the base and snowing on the summit. So, ALWAYS bring MULITPLE different layers and types of clothing.
Some other great places for backcountry skiing in New Hampshire are Tuckerman’s Ravine and Sherburne Ski Trail, Mt. Cardigan via Alexandria and Kimball Ski Trail, Tuckerman Ravine → Left Gully, Pipeline Gully, Franconia Notch, and much more, that you can find here. And a great organization that works to maintain the ski trails and glades (and hosts different backcountry events) is the Granite Backcountry Alliance.
* Please REMEMBER * There is VERY specific gear you need when backcountry skiing/snowboarding, thus DO NOT backcountry ski if you do not have the appropriate gear, such as skins, the right kind of boots, the right skis, poles, avalanche protection gear, and more, that you can find here. Also, many people hire guides for their first time backcountry skiing in the White Mountains, or anywhere in general.
{Related Posts : Ski Resorts in New Hampshire & Best New England Weekend}
2. Backcountry Skiing Vermont
One of the most prestigious places to backcountry ski in Vermont (the Green Mountains) is Mount Mansfield. It is a HUGE backcountry skiing area in the Green Mountains. Again, with the above statements for New Hampshire, bring the right gear and PREPARE for ALL KINDS of weather. In addition, Stowe does connect with Mount Mansfield, because of this, Stowe offers a lot of backcountry skiing tours.
Some other great backcountry skiing places in Vermont are Braintree Mountain, Brandon Gap, Willoughby State Forest, Moose Haven and Kirby Ridge, The Bolton Backcountry, Ascutney, and more that you can find here.
Again, a lot of people hire guides to tour the backcountry of Vermont, because of this there are A LOT of choices to pick from for guides. In addition, Vermont also offers a lot of different backcountry ski lessons, which is a GOOD idea to take before you try ANY of these areas listed. Just getting use to the different gear and packs you will carry while backcountry skiing, can be tricky, let alone the terrain you will encounter. So, it’s a good idea to hire a guide and or take some backcountry courses before you try it, ESPECIALLY avalanche protection courses.
{Related Posts : Ski Resorts in Vermont & The Most Afford Ski Towns in the World}
3. Backcountry Skiing Adirondacks
If you don’t know, the Adirondacks are located in upstate New York, about 4-6 hours NORTH of NYC in Lake Placid. Lake Placid offers some great backcountry ski areas in the Adirondacks. A great program for backcountry skiing beginners to start at, is the the Uphill Program, at Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, NY. This program allows you to “skin” or hike up the Whiteface access road (Whiteface Memorial Highway), then ski down it.
For more Whiteface backcountry skiing and advanced backcountry skiers, the slides at Whiteface will be perfect for you. These slides are located beyond the top of the Summit Quad, where you will have to hike up to access. They are only open when Ski Patrol believes they are in good enough condition, or considered safe. They are for EXPERT skiers/snowboarders only.
Here are some more places to backcountry ski in the Adirondacks, Garnet Hill Lodge, Avalanche Pass, Adk Lodge, Kilburn Slide, and Mount Marcy. A great company for backcountry guides/tour in Lake Placid is High Peaks Cyclery.
{Related Posts : Whiteface Mountain}
4. Backcountry Skiing Colorado
Colorado is truly SPECTACULAR, well anywhere out west is pretty epic, especially the backcountry! One of the most noteworthy places to go is Rocky Mountain National Park. Skiing in Rocky Mountain National Park is unlike anything else. There are MULTIPLE peaks standing over 13,000ft tall, THAT ARE STEEP, and FULL of snow!
Some other great places for backcountry skiing in Colorado are Crested Butte (if you want steeps), Vail Pass (Vail backcountry skiing), Aspen, Berthoud Pass, Loveland Pass, Hoosier Pass, Red Mountain Pass (near Silverton), Cameron Pass (near Fort Collins), Monarch Pass, Bluebird Backcountry, Indian Peaks and Geneva Basin.
Colorado has MANY different backcountry guides that you can choose from. Some great companies are Paragon Guides, Peaked Mountain Guides, Vail Powder Guides, and many more. Some great companies that offer beginner backcountry ski lessons are Aspen Skiing Company and Monarch Mountain.
5. Backcountry Skiing Utah
In addition to Colorado, Utah, also has AMAZING backcountry skiing!! Specifically, in the Wasatchs Mountains. The Wasatch Mountains are about an hour from Salt Lake City Airport and offer SO MANY peaks and SNOW. Park City backcountry skiing is situated in the Wasatch Mountains, which makes it a great place to stay, if you wish to ski/snowboard the Wasatch Mountains.
Also, Solitude is not too far from Park City, with awesome backcountry terrain. Specifically, Silver Fork Canyon, Honeycomb, Silver Spoon, Meadow Chutes and Brad’s Line, are all great! They are accessible from Solitude’s lower lot by skinning/bootpacking up. Also, on the resort, Fantasy Ridge is a great place to go, however you will have to go to the resort and hike past one of the ski lifts to access the ridge.
Similarly, Alta and Snowbird have great backcountry skiing areas in addition to their mountain resorts. Grizzly Gulch is a great place for beginners, Catherine’s Pass, Sunset Peak, Mount Tuscarora, Pioneer Peak, Flagstaff Mountain, and Upper Days Fork, are all great places as well. The places to go in Snowbird are Temptation Ridge and the Temptation Chutes, Birthday and Tri Chutes, White Pine, Glacier Bowl, and the West Pass.
Lastly, Cottonwood Canyon, Mount Superior, Hogum Fork, and La Sal Mountains are all great backcountry ski areas too in Utah.
6. Backcountry Skiing Montana
Another EPIC place to backcountry ski or snowboard at is, Montana. Some great places are Goose Creek Meadows (great for beginners to backcountry skiing), Beehive Basin to Bear Basin South Bowl, History Rock, Mount Blackmore, Hyalite Peak, and much more.
In addition, there is a ton of backcountry skiing near Big Sky and Bell Lake Yurt. Some more popular areas are Beehive Basin, Telemark Meadows, and Yellow Mountain Meadows. Similarly, some great places to backcountry ski near Whitefish, Montana are Glacier National Park and Stillwater State Forest.
Also, have you ever heard of Montana yurt skiing? Well, it entails sleeping outside (kind of) with up to 8 of your closest friends/family members (sometimes more) in a tent with bunk beds and a fire place. Also, the yurts (huge tents) are located right at the base of the mountains you will hike up. If you are familiar with “glamping,” yurt skiing is basically the glamping of backcountry skiing, but with a little less glamor.
If you are interested in some backcountry skiing and great wild adventures to be had in Montana, you can find some here. Some great Big Sky companies with backcountry guides are Montana Alpine Guides, Beartooth Powder, and Great Northern Powder Guides (in Whitefish).
7. Backcountry Skiing Wyoming
Backcountry skiing in the Tetons is truly BREATHTAKING! Pretty much anything in the western US holds some of the best skiing in the world. And yes, the yurt skiing is back! Wyoming, also, has TONS of yurt skiing.
Some great places for backcountry skiing in Wyoming are Teton Pass, Teton Glacier, Beartooth Pass, Three Waters Mountain, Sunlight Basin, Medicine Bow, Togwotee Pass, and more. In addition, Grand Targhee is unlike any other resort, it is much like Alta and Snowbird, where there is little to no grooming, mostly just NATURAL snow, with only 5 chairlifts, more than 90 trails, and over 2,600 acres of skiing, it is truly unlike any other resort.
Now, this next run is not considered backcountry because it is apart of Jackson Hole Ski Resort, but I HAD to write about this EPIC run at Jackson Hole, which is, Corbet’s Couloir. It is an expert ski run where all the adventure seeking skiers and snowboarders go to either show off or epically fail. Because if you don’t hit one of the first turns, you are FALLING the ENTIRE way down, as you can see from this video. Also, Grand Targhee is about an hour away from Jackson Hole, so if you wish to ski at both resorts, it is totally possible.
{Related Post: 25 of the Best Ski Resorts Out West}
8. Backcountry Skiing Washington
Alright, now onto the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Washington has INCREDIBLE mountains, SO MUCH different from the Rockies, Wasatch, and Tetons. The Cascade Mountains of Washington are DENSE forests, with HUGE pine trees and endless dark greens, that are truly beautiful.
Some great places for backcountry skiing in Washington are Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, Snoqualmie Pass, and Crystal Mountain. Mazama Bowl is a great place to ski/snowboard at Mount Rainier, as well as at Mount Baker, Herman Saddle and Table Mountain are great places to go. Stevens Pass is also a great place for backcountry skiing but it is also a resort, so there are chair lifts and actual named runs.
Similarly, Washington’s neighbor, Oregon, has AWESOME backcountry places as well. Mount Hood is notorious for their INCREDIBLE backcountry. Some great places at Mount Hood to go to are Vista Butte, Tumalo Mountain, Todd Lake Rim, and Kwohl Butte.
9. Backcountry Skiing Canada
Alright, now onto our neighbors of the North, Canada, specifically the Canadian Rockies. You can ski at a lot of the different National Parks in Canada, such as, Banff, Glacier, Jasper, Kluane, and many more. Some other great places for backcountry skiing in Canada are Rogers Pass, Chic-Chocs, Golden (the Columbia Mountains) Icefields Parkway, Lake Louise, and more.
Some places at resorts for the backcountry are Whistler and Whitewater Ski Resort. Specifically, in Whistler the areas to ski are Flute, Oboe, Cowboy Ridge, and in Blackcomb, DOA, Circle Lake, Spearhead Glacier, Husume & Corona, and Decker, are all great places to go. Then, in Whitewater some great areas to go are Ymir Bowl, Kututle Bowl, Evening Ridge, and more.
Some good guides for the backcountry are Altus Mountain Guides, Whistler Ski Guides, and Summit Mountain Guides. Also, hut to hut skiing in Canada is very popular (very similar to yurt skiing, just like it sounds, ski from one hut to another).
{Related Post: Ski Resorts in Canada}
10. Backcountry Skiing Banff
To add onto the best backcountry skiing places in Canada, Banff is HIGH on the list as well! Banff and Lake Louise are located in Alberta, Canada, about 30 minutes from the town of Canmore. Banff, Lake Louise, and Sunshine are the three mountains that makeup Banff ski mountain resort.
In the backcountry of Banff the spots to hit up are Wapta Traverse, Bow to Yoho Traverse, and Kananaskis. Some great backcountry skiing guides in Banff are Alpine Air Adventures, Yamnuska Mountain Adventures, Sawback Alpine Adventures, Discover Banff Tours, and many more.
11. Alaska Backcountry Skiing
Alright, finally, onto our LAST place in the North America with the BEST backcountry skiing, Alaska. Many people tend to forget about Alaska BUT DON’T count it out. Alaska has AMAZINGLY IMPRESSIVE mountains to be seen and skied. The main mountain ranges for backcountry skiing in Alaska are Kenai, Talkeetna, Chugagh, and the Alaskan Mountain Range.
The best places to go in the Kenai Mountain Range are Turnagain and Summit Pass, which is great for beginners. In the Talkeetna Mountains, the best place is Hatcher Pass. The best place in the Chugaghs is Thompson Pass (Valdez). And lastly, the best place in the Alaskan Mountain Range is Denali National Park.
Some great Anchorage backcountry skiing guides are Alaska Backcountry Access, Alaska Alpine Adventures, and Alaska Wild Guides. Some of the best companies for backcountry guides all throughout Alaska, are Denali Backcountry Guides, Traverse Alaska, and St. Elias Alpine Guides.
{Related Posts: Alaskan Ski Resorts}
And that wraps up our list of 11 of the best backcountry skiing areas within North America. I hope you found some AWESOME new places to ski and or snowboard at this season. As you can see, North America is fortunate to have SEVERAL AMAZING places to ski/snowboard and to see in general, which I hope we can all enjoy one day. Thank you so much for reading, I hope you learned something and enjoyed reading this post, thank you again, and take care.
