When you think of states with great skiing a few jumps to most people’s mind right away. Colorado, Utah, and Vermont have all established themselves as states with robust ski options. But one state that is hardly ever mentioned deserves its due. New York.

The Empire State has more ski areas than any other state (43). Compare that to Maine which has ten or Wyoming which has just eight.

New York also hosted not one but two Winter Olympic Games. Lake Placid hosted the Games in 1932 and then again in 1980. St Moritz and Innsbruck are the only other locations to have twice hosted the Winter Olympic Games.

During the Olympic games, the alpine ski events were held on Whiteface Mountain which has a greater vertical drop (3,430 feet) than Snowbird, Beaver Creek or Vail.

Is backcountry skiing more your thing? Well, New York is home to Adirondack Park, the largest state park in the United States (6 million acres). The park is larger than the entire state of Vermont and has 23 peaks that are higher than Vermont’s tallest mountain Mt. Mansfield.

Another unique aspect of skiing in New York is that there are three destination ski areas that are owned by the State. Whiteface Mountain, Gore Mountain, and Belleayre Ski Resort all serve up great skiing with a vibe and culture that’s more about the turns than the lattes.

So if you are looking for uncrowded slopes with solid skiing and an abundance of nature, put NY on your list.