I’ve been trying to make strides as a park skier for the past three seasons. As an east-coast native, terrain parks have always been popular at resorts near me. Through ski trips and my time as a student at the University of Denver, I’m always blown away by both the size and diversity of the terrain parks of the West. The quality of these parks, crews, and those who ride them is exceptional. Similar to the way people have different opinions on the best ski resorts, choosing the top terrain park is highly subjective. The following parks are not ranked in any particular order, but this list considers size, diversity of features, accessibility, and popularity.
Woodward Copper, CO
The Woodward parks at Copper Mountain in Colorado are always a balanced mix of quantity and quality. Located in the west village, the Woodward Express chair will lead you to the top of three sections: Pipe Dreams, Peace Park, and Central Park. Adjacent to this lift is a 22′ Superpipe and three to four progression parks, depending on what point in the year it is. At the peak of the winter season, these parks can have up to about 100 combined features. With so many options for riders of all levels all from just one lift, the Woodward Express attracts a wide range of guests. On any given day you can find anywhere from first-time park riders to X-Games athletes getting laps in. Another unique aspect of Copper is its annual summer parks. For 10 weeks, from June to August, it hosts a performance-oriented summer camp that includes access to a terrain park made from snow that is maintained from the previous winter. In addition to this park accessed by a magic carpet, Copper offers a summer hike park.
Three Kings – Park City, UT
The Three Kings and Pick ‘n Shovel terrain parks at Park City Mountain Resort in Utah are a bit smaller in comparison to the list. What these parks may lack in quantity is made up of a strong community of really, really talented skiers and boarders. This lift also includes access to a ’22 halfpipe. While one could find professional-grade riders at any park on this list, Three Kings is particularly popular among some of the best skiers around. Throughout my life, I’ve been here during trips both as a kid and in college. Every ride up Three Kings has been pure entertainment for my friends, family, and myself. There is so much creativity and experimentation among the riders and the features they hit. While the talent alone from the riders is impressive, the park crew has a high standard of catering to the interests of their guests. The “Rail Garden” in Three Kings is known for its creative and challenging builds. Combinations of boxes, tubes, and rails going in every direction. One example was a rail the crew built in the spring of 2023. This rail was: an S, to down, to flat, to down, to flat, to down, to flat. Read that again. An easier name would be an “SDFDFDF” or just a challenge rail. It’s no question that the culture in Three Kings is alive and well and that the community is tightly-knit.
Unbound Parks – Mammoth, CA
The Unbound Terrain Parks at Mammoth Mountain, California, are often boasted as the “mecca” of freestyle skiing. But is that true? Let the numbers speak for themselves. A typical winter season at Mammoth offers 10 parks, 100+ rail/jib features, 50+ jumps, and two halfpipes. That’s about 1,500 acres, all dedicated to terrain parks. There is truly no better place for park progression than at Mammoth. With so many options to work with, there’s a feature for every single rider. It raises the question of why freestyle riders would want to go anywhere else. While, yes, Mammoth is one of the most popular park destinations in the West, many prefer to save it for the spring. The resort typically remains open until late May to mid-June. The legendary 2022-23 winter allowed them to remain open until August! With an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, it’s no surprise that Mammoth is a common favorite for spring and summer skiing.
Woodward Park City, UT
The second Woodward location on the list is Woodward Park City in Utah. This location opened in December 2019 as the first resort in the U.S. entirely dedicated to action sports and skiing. To access its available features, there are two lifts. The Gateway Magic Carpet will lead you up the extra small progression park, while The Hot Laps chairlift leads you to the rest of the features. “Hot Laps” is a fitting name for those looking for quick repetition on jibs and jumps, all day long. Those looking to ski park all day long will find like-minded riders every time they hop on this chair. For the park skiing community in Utah, Woodward Park City has been a huge success.
Brighton, UT
The parks at Brighton Resort in Utah are unquestionably the best in the Cottonwood Canyons. At the base of the resort, right in front of the parking lot, you’ll find two chairs that access all of the available features. The Majestic chair serves as a mid-station for the terrain parks, while the Crest Express will take you to the very top of jib features and jumps that run all the way back to the base. Like many locations, Brighton has a strong community among its park riders. Specifically, the resort is known for its notable amount of snowboarders. As the first official resort in Utah established in 1936, Brighton was also the first in Utah to embrace snowboarding. The resort’s proximity to Salt Lake City also plays a huge role in its popularity. For all the park rats who live near the canyons, it’s hard to not make Brighton their first choice. Another characteristic that makes Brighton’s park experience unique is the availability of night riding. Six days per week, the resort spins four chairlifts until 9 o’clock, including both that access the terrain park. Sun-up to sundown in the park is plenty enough to make Brighton a common favorite, and a worthy candidate for the best in the west.
If you want to up your park game, you can’t go wrong with any of these spots. While yes, there are many other parks in the West deserving of a spot on this list, these are what I find to be the most unique and original. That’s the beauty of skiing park; everyone’s got their preference. Some people are in the park just for fun times with a cool community while others are there to lock in and put down new tricks. I can promise you that whether you’re a full-on professional or it’s your very first time, there’s something for you at any of these places.
I’d replace Brighton with Buttermilk