The stunning Banff National Park offers the best powder skiing in the world. Outstanding ski resort, Lake Louise, and its near neighbors, Ski Banff at Norquay and Sunshine Village, cover 7,700 acres with wide open bowls, tree-lined glades and meticulously groomed slopes.

Cruise-perfect mountains, wonderful winter terrain parks and sensational luxury resort villages surround the glittering blue of Lake Tahoe. Basking in 300 days of sunshine, and benefiting from epic snowfall and vibrant nightlife, resorts such as Heavenly, Homewood, Northstar and Sierra make for spectacular stays.

Attractive, Swiss-style Whistler, site of the 2010 Winter Olympics, attracts droves of American, Japanese, German and English skiers. Visitors ski and board down sparkling Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, ricochet around forested curves on snowmobiles, dangle above it all on Ziptreks and have cares soothed away at luxurious Taman Sari spa.

Three ski resorts and Sundance, the world's hippest film festival, have long since turned this mountain town into a premier destination. Stunning snow fall, pure air and bright sunshine entice people to cut fresh tracks at The Canyons, Park City Mountain and Deer Valley resorts.

Skiers, riders and the occasional celebrity, are on top of the world at renowned Vail. Full of international chic, Vail's 5300 acres and 193 trails benefit from 300 sunny days annually. Experienced cross-country skiers tackle former army training ground, the Commando Run, while those who crave pristine runs opt to heli-ski.

Forty miles south of town, Alyeska Resort is by far the largest in the area, with over a thousand skiable acres for all ages and skill levels, including 68 runs, nine lifts and a 2500-foot vertical rise. Arctic Valley is a family-friendly resort just ten miles from downtown. Hilltop is also close to the city.

Breckenridge's proximity to four fabulous mountains means there is terrain suitable for all abilities. The great snow is complemented by the great nightlife and shopping in this 140-year-old Victorian town. Peaks Trail is a fun 10-mile cross-country snow trek between Breckenridge and Frisco.

Whiteface Mountain is just 13 miles from Lake Placid, twice the site of the Winter Olympics. Whiteface boasts the biggest vertical drop (3,430 feet) in the eastern United States, as well as 80 trails totaling more than 22 miles of ski and ride terrain. The longest run, an intermediate, is three and a half miles.

The rustically elegant Aspen, in Roaring Fork Valley, has four mountains on its doorsteps. Aspen Mountain and Aspen Highlands boast steeps, bumps, double-blacks, tree runs and incredible views, Snowmass is an ideal family mountain 13 miles from the cozy town, and Buttermilk offers wide, easy bunny slopes - perfect for beginners.

North Conway's own Cranmore Mountain Resort offers over 200 skiable acres, featuring 43 trails of all levels (the longest running a mile) served by nine lifts, as well as seven glades and three terrain parks. The onsite Arctic Blast Tubing Park is great for families and is the state's top tubing destination.

Locals may call it Purgatory, but its official name is Durango Mountain Resort, and it's less than half an hour north of downtown. Set on 1,200 skiable acres, Durango has 85 family-friendly trails served by ten lifts. Says Ski Magazine, "If a mountain was ever created for families, it's Purgatory."

Set on northern Vermont's Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak, Stowe Mountain Resort has 116 trails serviced by 13 lifts, including the most mile-long lifts of any resort on the East Coast. The recently opened Stowe Mountain Lodge is the first mountainside luxury hotel to debut in the East for half a century.

With close to 150 trails, Mammoth Mountain is one of the largest ski areas in the United States. Its diverse slopes appeal to a broad range of skiers and snowboarders, from novices to experts, and equipment for skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling is widely available for rent and sale.

Of Big Bear's two resorts, Snow Summit is the larger (one of the biggest in Southern California), with 31 runs (the longest a mile and a quarter) on 240 skiable acres. Big Bear's other resort, Bear Mountain, has more terrain features and serves the boarding crowd, boasting Southern California's only superpipe.

There's plenty to do both on and off the champagne-powdered slopes of Steamboat. This small Western heritage town proudly boasts proximity to six parks of groomed cruisers, bumps, steeps, meadows and tree skiing, plus 70 bars and restaurants and the town's namesake mineral springs, all just 150 miles from Denver.

An hour and half north of Montreal, Mont Tremblant is Ski Magazine's multi-time pick as the best resort in eastern North America. Set on 631 skiable acres, Mont Tremblant has 94 runs served by 13 state-of-the-art lifts. Boarders love the 18 acres of ramps, rails and jumps, as well as the Olympic-caliber superpipe.

Northern New Mexico offers a flurry of fine ski options. There is a place in this challenging chunk of the Southern Rockies for ski purists at Taos Ski Valley Resort--a snowboard-free zone with classic alpine skiing. For mixed snow fun, Angel Fire, Sipapu and the Red River are popular.

Eaglecrest Ski Area is the Alaskan Panhandle's only resort, located on Douglas Island just about 10 miles from downtown. Eaglecrest features 31 Alpine runs and three Nordic trail loops set on 640 groomed acres. For the adventurous, thousands more acres of ungroomed area lie on either side of the resort.

Known as Vermont's best skiing mountain, Killington is the biggest ski area in New England. With steep slopes for advanced downhill skiers and several trails that crisscross the mountain for cross-country fanatics, it is no wonder that this is the most popular place to ski in New England.

Laid-back Telluride nestles amid the jagged peaks of the 14,000-foot San Juan Mountains. Offering 1,700 skiable acres, 84 trails and fantastic dining and après ski venues from the bottom to the top of the mountain, Telluride is a peak with considerable personality.

Visitors to Teton Village will find great skiing at Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park. Most tourists stick to the Jackson Hole Nordic Center, which offers great downhill and cross-country skiing, but there are miles of lesser-known trails and black-diamond slopes in the Park for the more adventurous.

Some 400 inches of annual snowfall, 85 miles of named runs and loads of room for every maneuver make Montana's spectacular Big Sky a big draw. Flyfishing and time at Solace Spa occasionally lure those with a prevailing passion for powder off the slopes.

The ultimate ski and snowboard getaway, Crested Butte offers a plethora of parks, pipes and superb slopes. The former 1880s mining supply camp is amply stocked with dozens of bars and restaurants to toast the day's successes. 2005 saw the introduction of a Superpipe.

Northwest of Tahoe City, the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics still seduces ski fanatics to its slopes. Squaw Valley's impressive stats--34 lifts, 6 awesome peaks, 4000-acres of world-class terrain - give winter visitors a major high. High Camp's Olympic Museum provides skiers sights to aspire to.

Expert skiers will love Snowbird, which offers some of the steepest and most exhilarating runs in the United States. However, there are also less intimidating slopes for less experienced skiers, and even those who don't ski will enjoy the mountain's breathtaking views.

Idaho's rugged beauty can be appreciated from Sun Valley. The groomed parks and trails of Bald Mountain glisten with seemingly endless runs, sweeping to the edge of Sawtooth National Forest, while Dollar Mountain, known as the finest teaching mountain in the world, is the ideal place to hone snow skills.