U.S. ski resorts are having a very good year. Snowpack in California’s Sierra Nevada is now at 100 percent of where it should be and ski areas from the Pacific to the Atlantic are reporting a good season so far. So where should skiers go to catch dream-quality powder in 2019?
It depends on their pocketbooks. A recent survey of average day rates at popular ski resorts around the country shows that Deer Valley in Park City, Utah, takes the summit for top prices.
A study conducted by Cheaphotels.org compared 20 well-known ski resorts based on cost of lodging with the average price for the cheapest available double room projected for the months of February and March 2019. Only hotels ranked at least three stars and located inside a ski resort were considered.
At Deer Valley, guests spend on average $543 per night for the least expensive double room — by far the highest rate among all destinations considered. Colorado's Beaver Creek came in second-highest at $416 per night, and then Alta resort in Utah came in third at a slightly more affordable rate.
Park City Mountain Resort, located just a few miles from Deer Valley, ranks 10th priciest at an average room rate of $243 per night. In California, Squaw Valley is the priciest ski resort, ranking fifth most expensive overall at an average rate of $302 per night.
At a glance, the following list shows the 20 most expensive ski resorts in the United States, with the rates to the right reflecting the average price for the cheapest available double room from Feb. 1 to March 31.
- Deer Valley (UT) $543
- Beaver Creek (CO) $416
- Alta (UT) $413
- Vail (CO) $307
- Squaw Valley (CA) $302
- Breckenridge (CO) $302
- Teton Village (WY) $292
- Aspen (CO) $283
- Northstar (CA) $264
- Park City (UT) $243
- Big Sky (MT) $242
- Keystone (CO) $228
- Telluride (CO) $197
- Snowmass (CO) $195
- Avon (CO) $183
- Steamboat Springs (CO) $176
- Crested Butte (CO) $174
- Mammoth Mountain (CA) $168
- Sun Valley (ID) $166
- Killington (VT) $157
Last year saw an estimated 53.3 million skier and snowboarder visits, down slightly (2.8 percent) from the year before. Ski areas in the Midwest experienced an impressive rebound, as skier visits grew by 17 percent in that region to 6.4 million visits, according to The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA).
The Southeast region had a strong season last year, up 3.6 percent to 4.3 million visits, while the Northeast region held steady at 11.8 million visits, down slightly from the previous season. The Rocky Mountain, Pacific Northwest, and Pacific Southwest regions were down slightly more, ranging between -5 and -14 percent.
Safe Skiing
Because the snowpack this year is that much more inviting in this peak snow season, safety has become that much more of a concern. The NSAA counted 37 reported fatal incidents during the 2017-18 season, the majority of them resulting from collisions with other skiers, trees or man-made objects. Unsurprisingly, 90 percent of these fatalities were suffered by males. The good news is that the number reflects a decrease of 19 percent from the 2016-17 season total.
While avalanches are another danger to skiers, the NSAA reports only eight deaths from these occurrences in the past decade. That said, they are most likely to happen within the backcountry around ski resorts.
The backcountry terrain outside of a ski area’s operating boundary is not patrolled or mitigated for avalanches by ski patrol. Skiers/snowboarders venturing into this terrain should be equipped with some degree of snow safety education and standard avalanche rescue gear (beacon, shovel, probe). Backcountry travelers should always ski/ride with a partner, and should ask ski patrol or the local avalanche center about current snow conditions.
Photos courtesy of Deer Valley Ski Resort.
