9 Funky ‘Upside Down’ Ski Areas to Put on Your Radar

Nope, this is not a list of ski areas in the Upside Down from Stranger Things. An upside-down ski area is when you pull up to the parking lot for a day of skiing and are already at or near the top of the mountain. For mountains on this list, be prepared to have a sick panoramic view as you eat your parking lot breakfast. Just don’t forget to stretch before dropping in!

Blue Knob Ski Resort, PA

Blue Knob Ski Resort in Duncansville, PA. Blue Knob has 1,072 vertical feet of skiable goodies and 34 trails to keep you busy out east. Blue Knob is Pennsylvania’s highest ski area, and the resort typically receives an annual snowfall of 76 inches.

Jack Frost Ski Resort, PA

For those in the City of Brotherly Love, Jack Frost is about 100 miles straight north. With only 600 vertical feet to shred, Jack Frost makes do with what they have. The ski area averages an annual snowfall of around 50 inches. Jack Frost’s sister mountain is Big Boulder, just a 15-minute drive down the road.

Wintergreen Resort, VA

Wintergreen Resort has just over 1,000 vertical feet of skiable terrain. Wintergreen is one of the largest ski resorts in the southeast and has a run that is 1.4 miles long. Wintergreen receives the least snowfall annually on this list, with an average of 19 inches.

Snowshoe Mountain, WV 

Near the West Virginia and Virginia border is the incredible Snowshoe Mountain. Counting the Western Territory with one lift, the max is 1,500 vertical feet, but for the rest of Snowshoe, you get about 800 vertical feet of skiing. Snowshoe usually receives around 109 inches of snow annually, and it even saw 171 inches during the 2017-2018 season.

Beartooth Basin, MT

If being an upside-down ski area wasn’t different enough, Beartooth Basin is for the summer-only sessions if they open. Beartooth Basin relies on a solid snowpack to build throughout the Winter. The ski area has two Poma lifts that give you access to gnarly lines.

Hurricane Ridge Ski Area, WA 

Hurricane Ridge sits in Olympic National Park, about 17 miles south of Port Angeles, WA. You might not have heard of Hurricane Ridge before, but this little ski area is one of three remaining ski operations in the National Parks. Hurricane Ridge is what some may refer to as “fun size” because the ski area only has one chairlift, but the terrain still packs a punch. The ski area gets an average annual snowfall of over 400 inches.

Blacktail Mountain, MT

Blacktail Mountain sits on the West side of Flathead Lake in Lakeside, MT. With 1,440 vertical feet and over 1,000 acres of forest to explore, Blacktail is a great upside-down ski area to find some trees and see the gorgeous Flathead Lake. If you had $3.5 million sitting around in 2018, you could have bought Blacktail on Craigslist! If you think I’m joking, check it out.

Le Massif de Charlevoix, QC, CAN

Le Massif is the largest Canadian ski resort east of the Rockies, boasting 2,526 vertical feet and seven lifts. Le Massif gets an average annual snowfall of 162 inches. Le Massif has parking lots at the base, and near the summit, so you have the choice of ripping the resort upside down.

Powder Mountain, UT

Powder Mountain offers 2,205 vertical feet and over 8,464 acres of skiable terrain. This puts Powder Mountain as the largest upside-down ski area on the list. Pow Mow sits in the Wasatch Mountains, about 54 miles from Salt Lake City. Powder Mountain has lived up to its name this season with a total snowfall of 410 inches.

Exploring a new mountain is always fun, so if you haven’t yet, try and get out to an upside-down ski area! To read more, check out our other article on upside-down ski areas.