Brains
Despite more than 500 ski areas operating across the United States, there are still countless mountain ranges, snow belts, and peaks with incredible ski potential that remain completely undeveloped. At the same time, many popular resorts struggle with crowded parking lots, long lift lines, and tracked-out powder on busy weekends, leaving skiers wondering if there are opportunities for new mountains to help spread out demand. While environmental, financial, and permitting challenges make new ski area development increasingly difficult, it’s hard not to look at certain mountains and wonder, “Why isn’t there a ski resort there?”
To find out which undeveloped ski areas people dream about most, we polled our readers and asked a simple question: Where should a ski resort exist, but doesn’t? The responses ranged from snow-covered peaks with obvious lift-served potential to entire regions that receive impressive snowfall yet have little or no developed skiing. Here are the seven places SnowBrains readers believe deserve a closer look from ski area developers.
#7 North Cascades, WA
The North Cascades are home to some of the most dramatic mountain terrain in North America, yet surprisingly little of it is served by ski lifts. Aside from Mt. Baker Ski Area, which is famous for receiving enormous snowfall totals and offering some of the most challenging and rewarding terrain in the country, much of the region remains untouched by resort development. The combination of rugged peaks, deep snowpacks, and long winters makes the North Cascades a skier’s paradise, and it’s easy to imagine several world-class ski resorts thriving throughout the range. While environmental protections and the region’s remote nature make new development unlikely, the success of Mt. Baker demonstrates just how exceptional the skiing can be when abundant snowfall and steep mountain terrain come together.
#6 Northern Colorado
Much of Colorado’s ski industry is concentrated along the crowded Interstate 70 corridor, leaving northern Colorado with surprisingly few lift-served options despite its abundant mountain terrain. A new ski resort in northern Colorado could provide a convenient alternative for residents of Fort Collins, Boulder, and other Front Range communities, allowing skiers to avoid the notorious weekend traffic jams that plague I-70. The region also sits adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park, an area known for its dramatic peaks, reliable snowfall, and stunning alpine scenery. While federal land protections would make development challenging, a well-positioned resort north of the existing ski clusters could help spread out skier demand while providing easier access for hundreds of thousands of Colorado residents.
#5 Wasatch Mountains, UT
The Wasatch Range is already home to some of the most famous ski resorts in North America, including Alta Ski Area, Snowbird, Brighton Resort, and Solitude Mountain Resort in Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons. Yet despite the abundance of world-class skiing, these resorts can still be overwhelmed by crowds on powder days and busy weekends, leading to traffic congestion, packed parking lots, and long lift lines. Given the Wasatch’s legendary snowfall, steep terrain, and close proximity to the rapidly growing Salt Lake City metropolitan area, our readers made the case that the range could support another ski resort. While environmental concerns and watershed protections make new development challenging, the continued popularity of Utah skiing suggests there would be no shortage of demand for additional lift-served access to the Wasatch’s famous powder.
#4 Alaska
If any state seems overdue for more ski resorts, it’s Alaska. Despite being by far the largest state in the country and home to some of the snowiest mountains on Earth, Alaska has surprisingly few lift-served ski areas compared to ski powerhouses like Colorado and Utah. The state’s best-known destination is Alyeska Resort, which offers world-class terrain and some of the deepest snowfall in North America, but beyond Alyeska, the options are relatively limited. That’s remarkable considering Alaska is home to legendary ski terrain in the Chugach Mountains, around Valdez, near Denali, and throughout countless other mountain ranges that attract skiers from around the world for backcountry and heli-skiing adventures. While the state’s remote geography, harsh weather, and small population make resort development challenging, there may be no place in America with more untapped lift-served skiing potential than Alaska.
#3 San Gorgonio Mountain, CA
If there is one mountain in Southern California that looks like it was built for skiing, it’s San Gorgonio Mountain. At 11,503 feet, it is the highest peak in Southern California and towers above the surrounding landscape, offering extensive vertical relief, broad alpine terrain, and a snow-covered summit that is visible from miles away during winter. Unlike many Southern California peaks, San Gorgonio rises well above tree line and features large, open slopes that could provide a mix of beginner, intermediate, and expert terrain. Its location just a short drive from the Los Angeles, Orange County, and Inland Empire metropolitan areas would place a major ski resort within reach of millions of people.
- Related: Is Los Angeles, CA, a Ski Town?
#2 Major Cities via Indoor Ski Areas
One of the most overlooked opportunities for growing skiing in the United States may be indoor ski centers located near major metropolitan areas. Despite having one of the world’s largest ski industries, North America currently has just a single true indoor ski area, Big SNOW American Dream, while countries such as China, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Germany have embraced indoor skiing as a way to introduce new participants to the sport. Indoor ski centers give millions of people access to skiing without requiring a long drive to the mountains, making them ideal for population centers such as Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, or Atlanta. While they will never replace the experience of skiing real mountains, indoor facilities can provide year-round training, affordable lessons, and a convenient entry point for new skiers and snowboarders.
#1 Ruby Mountains, NV
Often called the “Swiss Alps of Nevada,” the Ruby Mountains may be one of the most obvious places in America where a ski resort could exist but doesn’t and was the most mentioned location by our readers for a new ski area. The range features dozens of peaks above 10,000 feet, abundant north-facing terrain, dramatic alpine scenery, and an average of roughly 300 inches of dry Great Basin snow each winter. The area has long been known among backcountry skiers and heli-skiers as one of the hidden gems of the West, offering terrain that many believe rivals better-known destinations in Colorado and Utah.
That potential nearly became reality in recent years when a proposal was put forward for a public ski resort near Elko. While that plan was ultimately denied because of zoning, infrastructure, and environmental concerns, a scaled-back private ski area has since received approval and is moving forward.
Honorable Mention: Olympus Mons, Mars
One of the most common reader responses wasn’t even on Earth. While obviously not realistic (at least not in our lifetimes) many readers nominated Olympus Mons on Mars as their dream location for a ski resort. The largest volcano in the solar system rises roughly 14 miles (24 km) above the Martian surface, making it nearly three times taller than Mount Everest, and is so massive it would cover an area comparable to the state of Arizona. While endless cruising runs on the biggest mountain in the solar system sounds pretty appealing, future skiers will have to solve the minor challenges of a thin atmosphere, extreme cold, and traveling 140 million miles from the nearest ski shop.
What stands out from these reader submissions is less about any single mountain and more about a shared theme running through them all. Across regions, climates, and even planets, skiers keep circling back to the same idea: there is still a surprising amount of untapped terrain and unrealized potential in and around the sport. Whether it’s expanding into underused mountain ranges, rethinking how close skiing can be to major population centers, or even reimagining what a ski area could look like in the future, the conversation reflects a sport that is still evolving. Not every idea here will ever become reality, and some shouldn’t, but they highlight just how much terrain remains outside the current ski landscape.
Back in the 1930s and 1940s, a few developers actually attempted to build a ski resort on San Gorgonio but we’re defeated by the Sierra Club and other conservationists. And yes plenty of snow accumulates at the upper 2500 feet.
Your lead photo is incorrect, that is nearby Charlton Peak, topping out around 10,800′. The San Gorgonio Wilderness will hopefully remain as is for many generations to come. EYT!
It’s San Gorgonio, not Gorgonia, & even IF it were not in a wilderness area as another poster mentioned, it doesn’t receive enough natural snow, & wouldnt have anywhere close to enough water nearby to support operations…
San Gorgonio is in an officially designated wilderness area, therefore, no motorized vehicles, etc. With millions of people in Southern California, there is a need for wilderness areas where people can get away from all the hustle and bustle of civilization and enjoy nature in its purest form. A ski area there, with all the development that would go with it, should never happen.
I’m curious as to where people think a new ski area could go in the Central Wasatch (BCC, LCC). Only the top of the canyons get 500″+, and we just saw a warm winter can bring the snowpack below Snowbird and Solitude to unskiable levels. Solitude was the last developed ski area, and it looks like they had to settle for terrain; the fall line is awful.