12 Most Scenic Mountain Towns To Visit This Winter
Want to feel like you’ve just stepped into a fairytale?
Take a trip to one of the most scenic mountain towns in the United States!
Whether you are looking to hit the slopes, learn about the Wild West history, do some leaf peeping, or enjoy the cozy atmosphere of a quaint downtown with Victorian architecture, you can do it in many places listed below.
So, if you’re tired of city life, and can’t wait to spend time in nature, this list is for you!
1. Telluride, Colorado
Telluride is a stunning town in the San Juans mountains, known as a premier outdoor playground, with spectacular hikes in summer and snow-powdered ski slopes in winter. Telluride is a remote mountain town in the Box Canyon surrounded by towering mountains, some reaching up to 14,000 feet of elevation.
Traveling to Telluride takes time and effort because there’s only one road that leads to town, and the local airport has just a few flights per day to Denver, which can get canceled if the forecast calls for a winter storm. The closest major airport to Telluride is Montrose Regional Airport, 65 miles away.
2. Jackson, Wyoming
Jackson is one of the most spectacular mountain towns in the United States, nestled within the Jackson Hole Valley between the Teton and Gros Ventre mountain ranges.
Jackson Hole bills itself as “The Last of the Old West,” and boasts some cool history, which you can learn in the recently opened Jackson Hole History Museum.
The area is home to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and is one of the most popular destinations for outdoor enthusiasts in the west thanks to countless trails for hiking, mountain biking, and skiing in winter. The Jackson Hole Valley is also a gateway to Yellowstone, just 6 miles south of the national park.
But don’t forget to save up some money for your trip. Like Telluride and Aspen, Jackson frequently ranks on the list of the most expensive vacation destinations in the United States.
3. Bishop, California
Bishop is a small town in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. The city lies at the northern end of Owens Valley along the scenic U.S. Route 395. If you are looking for a place that, hasn’t been run by thousands of tourists, Bishop is one of the best mountain towns in the United States.
The town is a gateway to some of the best places in the Eastern Sierras and also boasts the largest hot spring in the Eastern Sierras, Keough’s Hot Springs with amenities and campsites. Visiting Bishop feels like stepping back in time because it has a rugged Wild West feel you won’t find in more popular destinations.
Although Bishop is remote – a drive to San Francisco is almost 6 hours – Bishops is becoming a popular place for hikers, climbers, and mountain bikers who come there to space big cities and enjoy the rugged feel of this corky town with a population of just 4,000 people.
4. Mammoth Lakes, California
Located about 40 miles north of Bishop, Mammoth Lakes is an upscale ski town, popular with Southern Californians who come here to enjoy winter sports and buy second homes.
Whereas Bishop is just getting discovered, Mammoth Lakes has been a mainstay for rich Angelenos and San Franciscans who come here to hit the slopes in winter and enjoy the alpine terrain along trails like Mammoth Rock and Crystal Lake Trail. Mammoth Mountain, one of the most prominent peaks in the area is over 11,000 feet tall, and the area offers some of the best conditions for skiing and snowboarding in the United States.
5. Aspen, Colorado
One of the most famous mountain towns in the Rockies, Aspen doesn’t need an introduction. Aspen is renowned for its luxury ski resorts like Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass, which have skiing trails for all levels.
The downside of this popularity is that Aspen has become the most expensive mountain town in the United States, where most accommodations and restaurants are geared toward wealthy vacationers.
This is a drastic change from Aspen’s rugged history as a mining town. Aspen’s popularity boomed in the 1990s and eventually became the mega-rich playground. It has many cultural venues, restaurants, and an array of, luxury stores that cater to its moneyed audience.
6. Crested Butte, Colorado
Looking for a more down-to-earth atmosphere? Head to Crested Butte, a hidden gem of the Rockies known as “the last great Colorado ski town.” Crested Butte offers some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the state, with varied terrain and challenging slopes, especially for expert skiers.
Unlike Aspen, Crested Butte doesn’t have daily flights from major cities across the country, and offers a more tranquil atmosphere. It has no mega resorts, fancy eaters, or chain fast food – most restaurants in downtown Crested Butte are locally owned, adding to the town’s low-key environment.
Nicknamed the “Wildflower Capital of Colorado,” Crested Butte is surrounded by dramatic mountain landscapes with sprawling wildflower meadows, and you can find colorful alpine flowers blooming along many trails outside of Crested Butte.
The town boasts some of the best mountain biking trails in the country, including the renowned 401 Trail.
7. Park City, Utah
Park City is a mountain town about 45 minutes from Utah’s capital Salt Lake, renowned for its world-class ski resorts and the annual Sundance Film Festival.
But that’s not everything that there is to this destination: Park City’s Main Street offers plenty of places to shop and dine, and the best news is that you can easily navigate the city on foot, because of its compact size and decent public transportation network that allows you to get from your hotel to downtown.
In summer, Park City transforms into a real outdoor paradise with spectacular alpine trails like Armstrong Trail, Bloods Lake, and the Union Pacific Rail Trail popular for biking, cross-country skiing, and hiking in summer.
8. Whitefish, Montana
Whitefish is a perfect destination for those travelers who want to escape the crowds. Located along Whitefish Lake in Northwest Montana is a scenic town, and is a gateway to Glacier National Park. While summer here can be busy, because of the through traffic, winters are more quiet.
If you are looking for a classic mountain town with superb skiing and a quaint downtown, which lies off the beaten path – you will love Whitefish. Although this place is known as an outdoorsman’s paradise, you won’t find big crowds here, compared to more famous destinations in California or Colorado, where roads can be congested because of winter traffic.
Still, Whitefish has dozens of restaurants and accommodations, and Glacier Park International Airport is about 15 minutes away.
Additionally, Whitefish Mountain Resort consistently gets ranked as one of the best ski resorts in the country, so the secret is out, and it won’t take long before Whitefish is on everybody’s radar.
9. South Lake Tahoe, California
A list of the best mountain towns in the United States isn’t complete without a mention of South Lake Tahoe, a popular ski town along the shores of the second-deepest lake in the United States.
No matter when you decide to visit Lake Tahoe, you will have an amazing experience, because this place looks spectacular at any time of the year. The area offers superb outdoor opportunities for skiing and snowboarding thanks to many ski lifts including Heavenly Gondola, which can transport you from Lake Tahoe Boulevard to Heavenly Mountain.
Downtown South Lake Tahoe is home to many breweries and restaurants, and if you want to gamble, you can cross the California-Nevada border, and try your luck at one of the local casinos.
10. Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a small village in the Adirondack Mountains that is a perfect escape in upstate New York. You can enjoy outdoor activities in Lake Placid throughout the year, but winter is the most magical time when the entire area transforms into a wonderland.
Lake Placid has been a host of 2 Winter Olympic Games, in 1932 and 1980, and you can still visit the historic venue where the games took place, as well as local ice rinks and museums showcasing the local history.
Want to test your stamina? Take on some of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks, or try Cascade Mountain or Mount Jo for a more manageable but rewarding hike. And don’t miss Ausable Chasm, a natural wonder outside of Lake Placid that offers hiking, rock climbing, and white-water rafting and is often called the “Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks.”
11. Stowe, Vermont
It’s hard to find, a better place than Stowe to see the spectacular fall colors.
Nothing can compare to driving along Vermont’s scenic passes when the foliage is ablaze with bright colors. That’s when many travelers come here.
But it’s not just leaf-peeping that draws so many visitors here. Near the foothills of Mount Mansfield, Stowe is nicknamed the “Ski Capital of the East” because of its spectacular slopes. The town is known as the birthplace of alpine skiing in Vermont, so if you love winter sports, you can’t miss this place.
Still, there are plenty of other things to do here from exploring its cozy downtown to diving into the local beer scene and visiting the iconic Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum.
12. Leavenworth, Washington
Even if you have never been to Leavenworth, there’s a good chance you’ve seen its pictures, as the town is easily recognizable thanks to its district architecture modeled after the design of typical Bavarian villages.
In the 1960s, local leadership decided to revamp the town to attract tourism – the initiative has paid off in big ways, as Leavenworth has become one of the most popular getaways from Seattle.
But besides being a close copy of postcard German towns, Leavenworth has its magic. It sits in the middle of the Cascade Mountains and offers fun outdoor activities year-round. It also puts on big Oktoberfest celebrations and offers delicious farm-to-table dining, with many restaurants sourcing only local ingredients.
Where Is Your Favorite Winter Getaway?
If you ask me where my favorite mountain town is, I’d vote Whitefish Montana, I really love it there, but Leavenworth is only a few hour drive and is great fun too. If you ask me where my favorite place to go in the winter is, I’ll say somewhere warm though.
What about you? Where is your favorite mountain town to visit?
