Brains
Who doesn’t love an old-fashioned road trip, be it solo, with friends, or family?
That’s why SnowBrains has rounded up some of the best areas where one can boot around multiple resorts within a week. If you still haven’t planned your winter vacation yet and are looking for some flexibility, you can’t go wrong with these scenic spots.
Powder Highway (BC, Canada)
The “Golden” Standard
Road-trip route: Revelstoke → Kicking Horse → Panorama → Fernie → RED → Whitewater
Total driving time: 12 hours
Taking the top spot on this list is the renowned Powder Highway, which runs through four distinct mountain ranges: the Selkirk Mountains, the Canadian Rockies, the Purcell Mountains, and the Monashee Mountains. This route doesn’t just orbit a hub of small mountains; you’re moving across distinct ranges and regions set in Interior British Columbia and the Kootenays.
These mountains are no joke–those with younger ones may want to stick to more family-friendly resorts such as Whistler Blackcomb or Big White. All mountain resorts give you more advanced terrain than you’ll know what to do with, big drops, plentiful dry powder, and way less crowds than you’d expect. Visitors may find accessing this route a bit more difficult with Calgary (YYC) being the only major airport nearby and smaller ones located in Kamloops (YKA) and Kelowna (YLW), but the riding experience will be more than worth it–you’ll just have to take my word for it…
This monstrous route will take you up to 12 hours, and visitors could easily spend 1-2 weeks trying to cover all this terrain. Revelstoke, Panorama, and RED Mountain are all on IKON Pass, while Kicking Horse and Fernie are Partner Resorts for Epic Pass holders. Whitewater Mountain isn’t on either of the aforementioned passes. The best times to visit are January and February.
Heaven in Hokkaido (Hokkaido, Japan)
“The Last Place to Ski on Earth”
Road-trip route: Sapporo → Kiroro → Niseko → Rusutsu → Furano
Total driving time: 2.5 hours
If you’re an avid skier or rider, then you’re undoubtedly familiar with JaPOW’s famous terrain. The snow is considered some of the best in the world, if not the best, due to its dryness, with heavy dumps regularly occurring. Lower prices and fewer crowds are often available compared with the overpriced, overcrowded slopes common in many resorts across the USA today.
Not only is Japan famous for its tree-skiing heaven, but also for the onsens that riders can soothe their muscles in after a long day of many laps. Some of the best snowboarders in the world today hail from Japan, and its world-class terrain has undoubtedly contributed to their peak performance.
Niseko and Furano are on the IKON Pass, and Rusutsu is a Partner Resort for Epic Pass holders. Passes for Kiroro must be purchased separately. Ideal times to visit are between January and February, but one can expect excellent conditions throughout the season due to Japan’s famed dumps!
Fun fact: Japan’s Hokkaido region is expected to be among the last reliable venues for Winter Olympic events due to climate change, which has made snowfall less predictable over the years.
Utopia in Utah (UT, USA)
“America’s Largest Terrain”
Road-trip route: Salt Lake City → Park City → Deer Valley → Solitude → Brighton → Snowbird → Alta
Total driving time: 2.5 hours
Utah is famed for having some of the best snow in the USA. Known for its dry and light powder and plethora of resorts, riders living in Salt Lake City can drive to nearby mountain resorts in less than an hour. Furthermore, all resorts are within a 2.5-hour drive of Salt Lake City. This gives you the most skiing and boarding with the least driving.
Alta and Deer Valley are both ski-only resorts, with Alta having great advanced terrain and Deer Valley being luxurious. Fun fact: Park City boasts the most lift–serviced terrain in the USA. Snowbird has huge vertical drops, Brighton is great for snowboarders, and Solitude has a solid mix of everything.
Snowbird, Alta, Brighton, Solitude, and Deer Valley are available to IKON Pass holders, while Park City is available for Epic Pass holders. The best times to visit are generally around January and February. The best times to visit are January and February.
Cruisin’ Colorado (CO, USA)
“Mile High What?”
Road-trip route: Denver → Keystone → Breckenridge → Copper Mountain → Vail → Beaver Creek → Aspen
Total driving time: 5 hours
Not that you dirty dog…
Denver is known as the Mile-High City and is home to the best sports teams in the USA at the moment.
But perhaps better known as an outdoor lover’s paradise and for its 14ers (mountains over 14,000 feet in elevation), Colorado contains world-class resorts, maybe only rivalled domestically by its neighbour, Utah.
Starting in Denver, riders will reach their first resort, Keystone, in an hour and a half, then can make their way to Breckenridge, Copper, Vail, and Beaver Creek within a 1.5-hour drive. If a bit of luxury is desired, Aspen is only an additional 2 hours away.
Aspen and Copper are available to IKON Pass holders, while Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail, and Beaver Creek are available to Epic Pass holders for the 2025-26 season. The best times to visit these resorts to avoid highway traffic and crowds on the slopes are during the week from January to March, as the proximity to Denver and the nearby mountains make them very popular weekend spots.
Sierra Snow Circuit (Lake Tahoe, USA)
“A tech bro’s playground”
Road-trip route: San Francisco → Sugar Bowl → Northstar → Palisades Tahoe → Kirkwood → Heavenly
Total driving time: 6 hours
If you’re from the Bay Area of California, you’re likely already familiar with Lake Tahoe. A year-round destination for outdoor lovers, this special region of California ranks 5th on this list for its variety of terrain and as a solid spring break destination for friends and family.
Only a few hours away from San Francisco, Lake Tahoe is loaded with resorts all within an hour’s drive of each other. Want epic views? Go to Heavenly. What about some raw terrain? Kirkwood’s a good bet. Want something a bit quieter? Check out Sugar Bowl. If you’re looking for some great all-around spots, check out Palisades Tahoe, Alpine Meadows, and Northstar. Being a lake shaped like an oval, visitors can relish in the views via the scenic byway that makes up the Eastern half of Lake Tahoe while hitting a new resort every day if they so choose to.
Northstar, Heavenly, and Kirkwood are all available to Epic Pass holders, while Palisades Tahoe and Alpine Meadows (now technically considered the same resort) are available to IKON Pass holders. Sugar Bowl isn’t currently available on either pass. February–April are generally good times to visit, given the existing snowpack, and to avoid early-season crowds.
