Resorts in North America This page is all about ski areas* in North America. You can of course ride a snowboard in many places, but we're focusing here on places that have chair lifts to take you up to the mountain or hill. We make no guarantee that it includes every place in business, but it's close. As a rule (and there are exceptions here and there), only ski areas with a web presence are includedhere. The list includes everything from world-class resorts that are thousands of acres big to tiny, rope-tow-only bunny hills and terrain parks. Note that a handful of places on this list do not allow snowboards. They are noted as such. Please send us any suggestions, comments, corrections or additions. Google Earth for Ski Areas For most states, click on the text labeled "Google Earth" to view a map of that state showing the snow sports areas. You will get a static map (i.e., it can't be manipulated). But thanks to northeastern rider "Reverb", you can retrieve a file that will turn Google Earth into an interactive ski area database. Ranking by Elevation We've put together a list of some of the most notable ski areas, ranking their base elevation from--what else--top to bottom. Ranking by size If you like to point your snowboard down a different lift each time you get off the lift, you'll want to know the location of the ski areas with the most acreage. Our acreage page lets you know. Ski area web sites by region We've grouped ski areas by region. Select from the appropriate page. Canada Snowboard and ski resorts in Canada The U.S. from West to East West Coast Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California Rockies Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming Midwest Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin Great Lakes Indiana, Michigan, Ohio Mid-Atlantic New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania New England Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont Southeast Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia Canada For ski areas in Canada, consult the Canadian Ski Council for an interactive map. Other useful sites for ski area information How can you find information about a ski area for your snowboarding trip? There are several possibilities. Here are a few. Ski Bonk is a good example of what a mash-up can do. It combines information from the several sites to give you a handy way of looking at road maps, weather forecasts, and condition reports from ski areas within a given region. It works like Yahoo Maps or Google Maps in that you can zoom in and zoom out of a part of the U.S. or a specific state. On the Snow gives reviews, news, and a place for readers to submit comments. Snow Country also snow condition reports. Ski Snowboard offers extensive information, but only for "destination resorts." On the upside, the authors offer tips on where snowboarders have to avoid the flats. How to pick a ski area What's acceptable in a ski area depends on a number of factors: your skill level, your budget, the amount of time you have to travel, who will be going with you, and what kind of experience you like on and near the slope. Sometimes you get on an airplane; sometimes you pack up the car for an extended stay, and sometimes you leave home in the morning and return to sleep in your own bed. Follow this link for a discussion of things to keep in mind when selecting a resort. If you live near a mountain that offers a lot of vertical drop and skiable area at affordable prices, be grateful. If you don't, make the best of the situation, by planning extended trips. Progressing in snowboarding is another way to extend the attractiveness of a limited area. Thougho GraysOnTrays.com is a site for snowboarders, it's much easier to say "ski area." We're all for economy of effort. Discussion For more information about ski areas and snowboarding for adults, check out the Grays on Trays discussion board. Return to the home page.