Who: Powder Mountain
What: Voted best overall ski resort in the west in a 2024 SKI Reader Resort Survey
Where: Ogden Valley, Utah
Why: Affordability, crowd control, laid-back atmosphere and that sweet, sweet powder
Both the #1 and #2 best ski resorts are in the same neighborhood. Sorry, Salt Lake and Park City lovers – the party moved to someone else’s backyard this year.
In the 2024 SKI Reader Resort Survey, voters named Ogden Valley’s Powder Mountain as the #1 overall ski resort in the west. The #2 spot went to Ogden Valley’s Snowbasin. And let’s be honest: The Rockies have a well-earned reputation as a skier’s paradise. As Powder Mountain investor Reed Hastings told the Salt Lake Tribune, “We are thrilled to be #1 in the west, which means #1 in the USA.”
Long-time fans will be unsurprised to hear that affordability and crowd control were major factors in Powder Mountain’s win. The resort offers lift tickets at relatively reasonable rates, but also has a cap on the number they sell. One visitor told me her family had entered something similar to a lottery to get a season pass because, unlike other resorts, it’s not a guarantee you can even buy one. “I don’t care how many amenities the other places have,” the skier told me. “It’s so much more relaxing and fun to come someplace where we don’t have to fight the crowds. We get to ski more with less and it keeps the powder fresher for longer, too.” Now that she has secured a pass, she can renew it each year.
People also named other people as one of their top reasons. PowMow’s laid-back atmosphere is well-known. In the rental shop, rental technician Fatima shared how she had come all the way from Peru as part of a university program, specifically to work at Powder Mountain. “There were several options, but I’d heard Powder was one of the biggest and best ski resorts in the country,” she said. Turns out she agrees with the rumor, but it has nothing to do with the resort technically having the most skiable acreage in North America (8,464 acres). “There’s a smile on everyone’s face,” she said. “It’s really the people who make the place.” Her co-worker Haley, a Massachusetts native, agreed. “It’s a tight-knit community,” she said. “People are just happy to be here.”
And while it wasn’t listed as a main reason for its allure, there are still food, beverage and lodging options available.
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