This Surprising State Has More Ski Resorts Than Anywhere Else in the U.S.—With as Many as Colorado and Utah Combined

By helitra·November 11, 2026·2 min read

When skiers think of incredible mountains in the United States, the West Coast usually comes to mind. Yet despite the region’s popularity, the state that boasts the most ski areas is actually New York.

The East Coast state has 52 different ski areas in operation, according to the National Ski Areas Association, a nonprofit trade association that represents U.S. ski areas. That’s as many ski resorts as Colorado and Utah combined.

New York’s ski areas are as varied as the state itself. Mountain enthusiasts can hit the slopes just hours from New York City at Hunter Mountain, Windham Mountain Club, or Belleayre Mountain, or head further north to Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid where they can hurtle down Olympic-level runs.

Michigan came in second in the country with 44 in-operation ski areas. The most impressive of these is Mount Bohemia, set on the state’s Upper Peninsula and boasting what the mountain calls the highest vertical and deepest powder in the Midwest with a vertical drop of 900 feet.

More traditionally known for skiing, Colorado came in third with 34 ski areas. Popular options include Vail, Aspen Snowmass, Winter Park, and Keystone, which is often one of the first mountains to open in the country for the season.

In total, there are 492 ski areas spread across 37 different states. The National Ski Areas Association defines a “ski area” as “an operation that provides mechanized uphill transportation for access to downhill snowsports. Mechanized uphill transportation may be provided by aerial ropeways (including chairlifts, gondolas, or trams) and/or surface lifts (including conveyors, rope tows, T-bars, or platter lifts).”

Overall, 53.1 million skiers and riders visited U.S. ski areas during the 2025-26 season, according to data from the group, representing a more than 9 percent drop from the 10-year average thanks to a less-than-stellar snow year out West. About 38 percent of those skiers hit the slopes in the Rocky Mountains, while only about 24 percent skied the Northeast.

This year, however, the West Coast is set for a reprieve with resorts in Colorado, Utah, and California forecast to get walloped by snow due to a “potentially historic, super El Niño.” In Colorado specifically, above-normal snowfall totals are expected to hit both the southern and eastern parts of the state.

This is the total number of ski areas, per state.