Snowbird in Snowbird, Utah

Painted in 2006

Snowbird is legendary for good reason. It’s big, it’s got plenty of challenging terrain, and it’s been a hotbed of talent for some of the best skiers in the world for decades. No wonder its tram is iconic. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it’s located in Little Cottonwood Canyon, a classic proving grounds for big mountain skiers, near the bustling metropolis of Salt Lake City. That doesn’t mean that Snowbird only caters to expert skiers though. There’s plenty of more moderate beginner and intermediate terrain, and with an average snowfall of 500 inches per year, things tend to stay nice and soft, both on, and off the groomed trails. Snowbird’s 13 lifts, including the tram, and six high-speed quad chairs make it easy to get around the mountain and stack lap after lap, and its 3,200 feet of vertical mean those laps are nice and long.