Colorado boasts two of the best ski towns on the continent, says USA Today

When it comes to the best ski towns in North America, Coloradans don’t have to travel far to experience the cream of the crop.

According to USA Today’s recently released 10Best rankings, Colorado is home to two of the top 10 ski towns on the continent. Aspen notched No. 9 on the list for its “stellar restaurants, galleries and boutiques, and après options,” USA Today said. Plus, how can you beat four skiable mountains in a 10-mile radius?

Telluride came in at No. 8, praised for the “old-fashioned Western-chic vibe” that permeates the shops, restaurants and other amenities in town. The free gondola that shuttles visitors between the heart of Telluride and its adjacent ski core in Mountain Village also played into its ranking, the pub said.

While Colorado may be rounding out the bottom of the list, it was the only U.S. state or Canadian territory to notch more than one space on the list. USA Today named Mammoths Lakes in California the best ski town in North America.

Even so, another seasonal list goes to show Colorado is a powerhouse when it comes to skiing destinations. Holidu, self-described vacation rental search engine, recently published a list of the 50 most popular resorts in the U.S. where Colorado landed 15 spots, including No. 1.

Holidu, which aggregates rentals from sites such as Booking.com and Vrbo as well as offers its own bookings, analyzed search data for 100 resorts over the past year and deemed Copper Mountain the most popular skiing destination this season, with an average 86,000 search queries per month.

“With an impressive 10,000 more searches per month than the second-place resort, Copper Mountain is an outright winner,” the website said. “From its world-class skiing and snowboarding terrain to its charming villages filled with family-friendly activities and accommodation options, it’s not hard to see why this is the nation’s must-visit resort.”

Breckenridge Ski Resort ranked the No. 4 most popular, followed by Vail Ski Resort at No. 7.

Other local ski destinations in the top 50 include Winter Park Ski Resort (No. 11), Loveland Ski Area (No. 13), Arapahoe Basin (tied at No. 22), Keystone Ski Resort (tied at No. 26), Telluride Ski Resort (tied at No. 26), Steamboat Ski Resort (No. 28), Purgatory (No. 29), Snowmass (tied at No. 30), Beaver Creek Ski Resort (No. 38), Crested Butte Ski Resort (tied at No. 39), Wolf Creek Ski Area (tied at No. 41) and Eldora Mountain (tied at No. 46).

So, where will you be shredding this season?

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