There seems to be a number of ‘Top 10 Resorts in North America’ from various publications doing the rounds, all using their own tried and tested secret formula to come to their conclusion. But none of them include what matters most: Radness factor!

A simple, yet acutely accurate equation has been developed by leading industry professionals to create this complex ski resort ranking system:

Rank = [Average Snowfall + Access to Challenging Terrain] x Radness Factor (RF)

#1 – Jackson Hole, WY

– Average snowfall = 475 inches

– Total inbounds terrain = 2,500 acres

– Top elevation = 10,450 feet

– Bottom elevation = 6,311 feet

– Total vertical drop = 4,139 feet

– Trails = 80

– Lifts = 11

– Why Jackson Is Great = The Backcountry Terrain

– Local Quote = “Most would focus on the tram, bringing you up over 4,000 feet in about 9 minutes in winds up to 70 mph. Many could look at the average snowfall, which lays down an impressive 450+” of snow. Some could even point to the fact that our relative isolation keeps crowds far below what they would be at many other resorts around the world. I would say the single factor that makes Jackson Hole stand out from its peers is the terrain- long, steep couloirs, badass open faces, incredible tree skiing…and that’s just what’s immediately around the resort. Add in Teton Pass, Grand Teton National Park, and the surrounding ranges that very few people even visit and you’ve got plenty to keep yourself busy. Finally, Teton fault could always shift and our lines could quickly grow another couple inches…which is, coincidentally, what she said.” – Andrew Whiteford, Jackson Hole Freeride Team member

#2 – Whistler Blackcomb, BC

– Average snowfall = 396 inches

– Total inbounds terrain = 8,171 acres

– Top elevation = 7,494 feet

– Bottom elevation = 2,140 feet

– Total vertical drop = 5,280 feet at Blackcomb (5,020 ft at Whistler)

– Trails = 200+

– Lifts = 38

– Why Whistler is Great = The Size

– Local Quote = “The sheer size and range of riding available at Whistler makes any day with any conditions hold potential to be your best day of the season. Plus, if it is raining, the two dozen bars will give you more than enough options to drink it blue.” – Eliel Hindert, Professional skier & Sweet Grass movie star

#3 – Squaw Valley, CA

– Average snowfall = 450 inches

– Total inbounds terrain = 3,600 acres

– Top elevation = 9,050 feet

– Bottom elevation = 6,200 feet

– Total vertical drop = 2,850 feet

– Trails = 170+

– Lifts = 30

– Why Squaw Is Great = The Terrain

– Local Quote = ”What makes Squaw Valley the planet’s greatest ski area is that we have the greatest snow on earth, an unmatched dump: sun ratio, unsurpassed verticality, perfectly clean, granite cliffs ten feet higher than some in Whistler, and very few iPhone-toting hippies. On top of all this, the general lack of local arrogance is utterly refreshing, which outsiders might find surprising because Squaw is pretty much the center of the universe.” – Scott Gaffney, editor, director, filmer with Matchstick Productions

#4 – Snowbird, UT

– Average snowfall = 500 inches

– Total inbounds terrain = 2,500 acres

– Top elevation = 11,000 feet

– Bottom elevation = 7,760 feet

– Total vertical drop = 3,240 feet

– Trails = 85

– Lifts = 11

– Why Snowbird is Great = The Tram

– Local Quote = “The Tram is the best lift in the world because you get all the goodness of Snowbird all from one lift. You can access almost the entire mountain and ski 3-4 times as much steep terrain in one run as you can at Squaw Valley. Plus it really doesn’t smell as bad as people say”– Daryn Edmunds, long-time Snowbird local

#5 – Revelstoke, BC

– Average Annual Snowfall = 169 inches at Revelstoke Airport, 480 inches at top of Mt. Mckenzie

– Total inbounds terrain = 3,121 acres

– Top elevation = 7,300 feet

– Bottom elevation = 1,680 feet

– Total vertical drop = 5,620 feet

– Trails = 59

– Lifts = 5

– Why Revelstoke Is Great = The Vertical (longest vertical drop in North America at 5,620 ft)

– Quote = ”Man, this place is amazing. I’d love to get back up here. On a powder day, it seems like there’s nobody here, and the terrain’s incredible. I gotta get back.” – Arne Backstrom, 2010 Revelstoke FWT Champion & 2010 Overall FWT Champion

#6 – Taos, NM

– Average snowfall = 305 inches

– Total inbounds terrain = 1,294 acres

– Top elevation = 12,481 feet

– Bottom elevation = 9,207 feet

– Total vertical drop = 3,274 feet

– Trails = 113

– Lifts = 14

– Why Taos is Great = The Snow Quality + Terrain

– Local Quote = “There are plenty of great ski areas in the Western US. If you happen to be at any one of them when it snows, that is about the best place you can be. But if you happen to be in Taos for that magic event, you are likely to be enjoying the heck out of things for about a week. We aren’t on the beaten path… A heck of a lot of folks think they need a passport and some shots to visit Taos. Shots yes, passport no. You can’t ski out Taos Ski Valley in a day or a week or a season. It’s complicated and we like it that way.” – Dave Hahn, Taos Ski Patroller, Mountain Guide with 14 summits of Everest, 20 summits of Denali, 30 summits of Vinson Massif in Antarctica

#7 – Big Sky, MT

– Average snowfall = 400 inches

– Total inbounds terrain = 5,800+ acres

– Top elevation = 11,166 feet

– Bottom elevation = 6,800 feet

– Total vertical drop = 4,366 feet

– Trails = 300+



– Lifts = 34

– Why Big Sky is Great = The Steeps

– Local Quote = “Where else in America can you get 4000′ vertical, 4000 acres, 400″ of snow, 56-degree steeps, 320 days of sunshine, and less than a million people?” – Chris Rennau, Big Sky ski enthusiast Big Sky ski enthusiast “Where else in America can you get 4000′ vertical, 4000 acres, 400″ of snow, 56-degree steeps, 320 days of sunshine, and less than a million people?”

#8 – Kicking Horse, BC

– Average snowfall = 295 inches

– Total inbounds terrain = 2,800 acres

– Top elevation = 8,033 feet

– Bottom elevation = 3,900 feet

– Total vertical drop = 4,133 feet

– Trails = 120

– Lifts = 4

– Why Kicking Horse is Great = The Lack of Crowds + Big Terrain

– Local Quote = This place is so new and unfrequented, that we couldn’t even get someone to quote…

#9 – Mount Baker, WA

– Average snowfall = 641 inches

– Total inbounds terrain = 1,000 acres

– Top elevation = 5,089 feet

– Bottom elevation = 3,500 feet

– Total vertical drop = 1,589 feet

– Trails = 31

– Lifts = 8

– Why Mt Baker is Great = The Snow Quantity (world record set in ’98/99 at 1,140 inches”)

– Local Quote = “Baker is great because you have this amazing mixture of constantly deep snow, amazing terrain, and a Mountain Management policy that is more about people taking responsibility for there own actions, and lets people make there own decisions about riding some of the incredibly challenging terrain. Not to mention the limitless backcountry that is easily accessible from the ski area.” – Grant Gunderson

#10 – Silverton, CO

– Average snowfall = 400 inches

– Total inbounds terrain = 1,819 acres. Plus 22,000+acres heli & hike to.

– Top elevation = 13,487 feet

– Bottom elevation = 10,400 feet

– Total vertical drop = 3,000 feet

– Trails = 0

– Lifts = 1

– Why Silverton is Great = The Heli-Skiing Experience at a Ski Resort

– Local Quote = “Silverton Mountain is pretty close to the purest skiing experience one can find today – an epic mountain, bountiful snowfall (the deep and light Colorado kind!), and none of the distractions of other ski areas (crowds!). Silverton is like heli-skiing with a chairlift!” – Chris Davenport, Big-Time Professional Skier, and Mountaineer

Jackson Hole, Squaw Valley, Snowbird, Revelstoke, Taos, and Big Sky are just 6 of the 43 iconic destinations on the Ikon Pass.