Ski resorts will often boast about having the biggest vertical rise, the highest average snowfall, or the most skiable acres. Individual states can tout how many total ski areas are located in the state.
Related: UPDATED: Which US State Has The Most Ski Resorts?
But what states can say they have the most total skiable acres across all their resorts? More resorts do not mean more skiable acres. Below is a list of the states with the most cumulative skiable acres, along with the number of resorts. Data was compiled from this list of comparisons of ski resorts.
#1 Colorado
- Skiable acres: 43,553
- Ski areas: 31
#2 California
- Skiable acres: 38,484
- Ski areas: 27
#3 Utah
- Skiable acres: 30,947
- Ski areas: 15
#4 Montana
- Skiable acres: 22,669
- Ski areas: 15
#5 Idaho
- Skiable acres: 16,743
- Ski resorts: 16
#6 Washington
- Skiable acres: 15,299
- Ski resorts: 14
#7 Oregon
- Skiable acres: 12,229
- Ski resorts: 12
The Entire List
Acres | # Resorts | Acres | # Resorts | ||
1. Colorado | 43,553 | 31 | 20. Arizona | 1,814 | 3 |
2. California | 38,484 | 27 | 21. Massachusetts | 1,092 | 12 |
3. Utah | 30,947 | 15 | 22. South Dakota | 670 | 3 |
4. Montana | 22,669 | 15 | 23. West Virginia | 425 | 5 |
5. Idaho | 16,743 | 16 | 24. Ohio | 398 | 5 |
6. Washington | 15,299 | 14 | 25. New Jersey | 390 | 3 |
7. Oregon | 12,229 | 12 | 26. North Carolina | 365 | 6 |
8. Vermont | 7,498 | 24 | 27. Connecticut | 308 | 5 |
9. Wyoming | 7,016 | 10 | 28. Illinois | 272 | 4 |
10. Maine | 5,529 | 20 | 29. Virginia | 269 | 5 |
11. New York | 4,863 | 49 | 30. Iowa | 220 | 3 |
12. New Mexico | 4,623 | 9 | 31. Indiana | 165 | 2 |
13. Michigan | 4,508 | 39 | 32. Maryland | 132 | 1 |
14. New Hampshire | 3,887 | 27 | 33. Missouri | 90 | 2 |
15. Alaska | 3,220 | 10 | 34. North Dakota | 40 | 2 |
16. Minnesota | 2,363 | 20 | 35. Tennessee | 38 | 1 |
17. Nevada | 2,300 | 4 | 36. Rhode Island | 36 | 1 |
18. Pennsylvania | 2,067 | 26 | 37. Alabama | 9 | 1 |
19. Wisconsin | 1,954 | 31 |
You have to take skiable acres with a grain of salt. For example Heavenly, CA stated 4,800 acres for years. Now they are more forthright and state 4,800 acres of land and skiable acres of 1,584 acres. 2/3 of their acres are thick trees or other areas you can’t see. Resorts that are mostly above treeline are probably mor accurate with their numbers.
Build more ski areas, the higher the better.