Learning to Ski or Snowboard: Beginner-Friendly Destination Resorts
By Steven Reale
In our complementary piece on tips for getting started with skiing or snowboarding, we suggested taking your first lesson locally as the most economical approach. But naturally, this won’t work for everyone. Certainly, driving to a local hill is not an option for those who live in warmer climes or flatter topographies. Or, perhaps a loved one or friend has invited you to travel with them and you want to use the trip as an opportunity to learn.
In this case, we recommend being strategic with your destination of choice. Traveling to a top-tier destination can be quite expensive, and you will not get good value for your money if you spend the entire trip in the learning area of a high-end, expert-oriented resort like Jackson Hole, Alpine Meadows or Snowbird. In this piece, we present a curated selection of 15 mountains to consider for a first-time skier or rider, categorized by 1) resorts with outstanding beginner deals; 2) resorts with decent beginner deals, especially given the size, standing, or location of the resort; and 3) top-tier destination resorts that may not offer a low-cost experience but do offer better-than-average beginner terrain.
Outstanding Deals
The resorts in this category may not be top-tier destinations, but the deals they offer for first-time skiers and riders are truly exceptional.
Cherry Peak, UT
Located just near the Idaho border, and about an hour and forty minutes from Salt Lake City, Cherry Peak opened in 2014. While not the largest resort on offer—with 1,265 vertical feet and 400 skiable acres—it offers some of the best deals for ski and riding instruction we’ve ever seen. First timers can enjoy a full day’s ski pass, gear rental, and a half day lesson for $75. What’s more, the resort offers a five-pack of bundled lessons, gear rentals, and lift passes for both beginners ($375) and intermediates ($399). Completing the five lessons will earn you a pass valid for unlimited access to three of the resort’s four lifts for the next 365 days, and which includes reciprocity benefits at twelve other resorts.
Link to deal: https://www.skicpr.com/learn-to-ski
Lee Canyon, NV
One of Cherry Peak’s reciprocal partners, Lee Canyon, is less than an hour from Las Vegas and offers a similar, though less exceptional package. Their “Discover Lee Canyon” program bundles three weekday lessons, gear rentals, and lift passes for $299, and, upon completion, earns the purchaser a season pass valid on weekdays for the remainder of the season.
Link to deal: https://www.leecanyonlv.com/skiing-and-snowboarding/rental-lessons/discover-lee
Mt. Bachelor, OR
In our review, we described our infatuation with Mount Bachelor’s unique, 365-degree downhill experience, and determined that it would be a good place for beginners—and this is before even considering their “Ski or Ride in 5” (SORI5) program, which bundles five two-hour lessons, five days of lift passes valid on six beginner lifts, and five days of gear rental for $449. Upon completion, the purchaser earns a season pass for the remainder of the season, a voucher for 50% off a season pass for the next year, and a voucher for 25% off a season pass for the year after that.
Link to deal: https://www.mtbachelor.com/plan-your-trip/lessons-rentals/ski-or-ride-in-5
Loveland, CO
One of the highest ski resorts in North America also boasts one of the continent’s best beginner deals. For less than the price of their season pass, which is $649, Loveland’s first-timer 3-pack of lessons and gear rental costs $607 when pre-purchased, and comes bundled with a season pass valid on the beginner “Valley” side of the resort. Upon completing the third lesson, the pass is upgraded to a full season pass that includes a number of benefits, including reciprocity at 17 resorts and Powder Alliance membership.
Link to deal: https://skiloveland.com/newcomers-3-class-pass/
Sugarbush, VT
We found that Sugarbush is not the best option for beginners in Vermont, but if you’re not headed out West and are still looking for an outstanding beginner’s package, you can find one here. For about $590, new skiers and riders can purchase a bundle of three 2-hour lessons, three days of rental gear, and three days of lift passes (day 1 in the learner’s area; days 2 and 3 unrestricted). Upon completion, learners will receive a season pass for the remainder of the season.
Link to deal: https://shop.sugarbush.com/s/ski-ride/adult-camps/p/first-timer-lesson-package
Big White, British Columbia offers solid deals on beginner packages as well as unique, high-alpine novice terrain.
Decent Deals
Many (but not all) of the previous resorts are, admittedly, a bit off the beaten path, and those traveling from afar may find it difficult to actually make use of the season pass freebies on offer. And particularly, if you are traveling with an experienced partner, some of the above resorts might be tough sells for them. Here, we consider some resorts that offer bargains for beginners that are not as significant as those above, but are compelling places to visit in their own right.
Killington, VT
Sometimes called “The Beast in the East,” Killington is known for having the largest skiable footprint east of the Rockies. And, as we write in our review, the resort offers terrain to suit virtually every visitor’s needs, including solid beginner areas.
Killington’s first-time skier/rider package, which includes a two-hour lesson, gear rental, and access ticket to the beginners’ Ramshead and Snowshed areas, isn’t a huge bargain at $225 (when purchased ahead). However, it can become quite compelling when paired with Killington’s “Bring a Friend, ride for free” deal, which provides a lift pass to anyone signing up a friend for a first-time lesson. With daily ticket prices reaching $183, the deal drops the per-person rate for a day’s visit to $112.50.
Link to deal: https://www.killington.com/plan-your-trip/lessons-rentals/lessons/adult-learn-to?season=winter
Sierra-At-Tahoe, CA
We’d describe Sierra-at-Tahoe as more of a day-trip Tahoe destination due to its lack of onsite lodging, but we found that this lower-key resort offers one of the better beginner experiences of the Tahoe region. Their beginner bundle is reasonable: for as little as $129 midweek for a single day; or $114 per day if pre-purchased as a 3-pack, new riders and skiers can get a 2-hour lesson, gear rental, and a lift ticket limited to the resort’s learning area.
Link to deal: https://www.sierraattahoe.com/adult-first-timer-group-lessons/
Mt. Rose, NV
Across Lake Tahoe from Sierra, and within a 30 minute drive of Reno, we found that Mount Rose also offers a good Tahoe beginner experience, and the first-time package offers a better deal than Sierra-at-Tahoe’s. Offering the same lesson/limited lift pass/gear bundle, but for as little as $79 midweek, Mt. Rose offers not only a better price, but the limited lift pass offers access to a considerably larger terrain footprint than Sierra’s. They also offer a 2-day lesson bundle for as little as $75 per day.
Link to deal: https://skirose.com/first-time-package/
Big White, BC
Big White is not an easy mountain to get to from the United States, which might explain how little known it is on this side of Canada’s border, but visitors who can make the trek will find a lot to like there. In particular, we’ve been impressed with the numerous, diverse options for beginner terrain that can be found throughout the mountain, including very rare green-designated high alpine bowls. Rates for beginner packages are very reasonable: $109 CAD ($80 USD) for a two-hour lesson, rental gear, and learner’s area lift pass; for $31 CAD ($23 USD) more, you can add on a second two-hour lesson.
Link to deal: https://www.bigwhite.com/ski-school/beginner-lessons
Summit at Snoqualmie, WA
Beginners who live or are traveling in Washington State should consider Summit at Snoqualmie, a family-oriented resort about an hour from Seattle. The beginner’s package (2-hour lesson/gear rental/beginner area lift pass) starts at $156 for evening, midweek lessons.
Link to deal: https://summitatsnoqualmie.com/daily-lessons/first-class-beginner-lesson
Telluride, CO
We include Telluride, not because their beginner bundle is exceptionally well priced (although at $295, which includes a lift ticket, gear rental, and a full-day lesson, it still costs less than a recent day pass at Arizona Snowbowl), but because their lesson + lift ticket bundle for skiers and riders of any skill level are a great deal for anyone not visiting on an Epic Pass.
Whereas core-season day passes at Telluride start at $209 (early December tickets can be a bit cheaper), their pass + lesson bundle undercuts the day pass at a fixed $205 per day. Yes, it can be more cost effective to take a lesson at Telluride than not to! Telluride also isn’t a half-bad place to learn, as the Sunshine Express lift provides access to 1,735 vertical feet of long, mellow beginner cruisers.
Link to deal: https://tellurideskiresort.com/ski-school/#ADULT%20GROUP%20LESSONS
Beaver Creek, Colorado is by no means cheap, but it boasts some of the best beginner terrain in the Rockies.
Limited Deals, But Standout Beginner Terrain
If your budget is not your first priority, and/or you (or your traveler partner) are committed to traveling to a top-tier destination for your first ski adventure, you may want to consider one of the following resorts. These mountains are unusual in that they all feature beginner terrain in high-alpine regions, giving new skiers and riders a chance to experience breathtaking mountain views as they make their early turns.
Beaver Creek, CO
Beaver Creek earns its reputation as a family-oriented luxury mountain because of the vast amounts of beginner and intermediate terrain in most areas of the resort. In particular, the Red Buffalo summit area is chock full of green trails with breathtaking high alpine views.
Palisades Tahoe (Olympic Valley), CA
Some logistical complications aside, Olympic Valley’s upper-mountain Gold Coast and Big Blue pods serve as the resort’s primary learning area and provide a number of progressive green and blue options that offer outstanding mountain views, including a few peeks of Lake Tahoe itself.
Sun Valley, ID
There are actually two mountains here, and both offer a compelling beginner experience. The smaller, older Dollar Mountain is more purposefully beginner-oriented, and features a striking bowl-like experience unusual for beginners, even if its vertical drop caps out at a mere 650ft. But the bigger, newer Bald Mountain holds its own as well, with green trails available off of every lift, and the Seattle Ridge pod offering a dedicated pod of high-mountain green terrain (but see our review for a caveat!).
Steamboat, CO
Like Beaver Creek, Steamboat has spent decades cultivating a family-friendly atmosphere, but whereas Beaver Creek exudes luxury, Steamboat’s vibe is distinctly centered around an old West charm. The Sunshine Express pod has long been a beginner’s favorite, due to its high mountain, wide-open groomers; and this season, the new Wild Blue gondola has created a new learner’s area at mid-mountain, nicely removed from its old location at the chokepoint at mountain’s bottom.
Final Thoughts
These fifteen resorts offer some of the best beginner bargains as well as general learning experiences out there, and we hope that visiting them will set the stage for years of exhilaration and thrills as you develop your skiing and riding skills. If our experienced readers know of other great beginner deals we’ve missed, or additional mountains with a great overall learning experience, please share them in the comments below. And if you do visit any of these resorts, we’d love to hear from you about how it went.
For more information on these resorts, check out our full Rockies, West Coast, and East Coast rankings.
