Sunlight Mountain Resort

Sunlight Mountain Resort is located in Colorado, just south of Glenwood Springs in the White River National Forest. It is a ski resort with a clear local touch that often works just as well for day skiers as for larger groups – but without feeling like a large, polished megaresort.

The ski area has three chairlifts and a vertical drop of just over 2001.3 feet, which provides plenty of skiing when you want to get in a lot of laps. Sunlight opened back in 1966 and grew early with more lifts, including an extension in 1973, so there is a lot of classic "American home slope" feeling at its core.

The terrain is easy to understand and offers a good mix: there are easy beginner slopes, nice cruisers for just grinding turns – and also a section with steeper chutes for those who want a little more challenge. The mountain is located in a northeast-facing bowl below the tree line, where basically everything flows down to a common base, which means that you rarely lose company. From the top you also get nice views of Mount Sopris and the Elk Mountains.