These US national parks are home to epic backcountry skiing
Many high-altitude through-roads in parks often close in winter, leaving skiers and snowboarders to strap on their skins and earn those turns. The good news is that no matter where you live in the western United States, backcountry turns inside national park boundaries are doable. And these five national parks offer particularly intriguing lines.
Before heading out, dive into Matador’s guide to planning a backcountry ski or snowboard trip for safe trip planning and stock up on the latest ski trip gear.
· Rocky Mountain National Park
· Grand Teton National Park
· Crater Lake National Park
· Glacier National Park
· Lassen Volcanic National Park
1. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
· Season: December through May
· Nearest town: Estes Park, CO
About 90 minutes from Denver, Rocky Mountain National Park offers some of the most accessible touring terrain near the city. Being the alpine sanctuary that it is, RMNP (in local parlance) is loaded with ski lines.
Hidden Valley is the most popular trailhead for backcountry touring in Rocky Mountain National Park. There, you’ll find beginner and intermediate terrain accessible in with as little as 30 minutes of climbing. And there’s a reason the national park’s backcountry skiing is so amazing: it used to be an actual ski resort, lift included. You can still see the wide-open run where the non-backcountry skiers of yore made their turns. You’ll use the same run, or at least the bottom part of it, to return to the parking lot. For a longer and more challenging route, follow the skin track up until after it crosses the highway switchback and ducks into the trees.
Experienced skiers and splitboarders will want to head to the Banana Bowls. If you’re able to commit to a 2-hour hike, your reward is a long 30-degree cruiser that offers unbeatable views across the Continental Divide from from Flat Top Mountain. And skiing in the bowls doubles as a geography lesson. The snow here feeds into the Colorado River (formerly known as the Grand River), which flows from RMNP through Grand County and across western Colorado before cutting through Utah towards the Grand Canyon. You’re literally skiing the snow that feeds the most important river in the American West.
2. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
· Season: December through April
· Nearest town: Jackson Hole, WY
The Taggart Lake trailhead puts you in the Grand Tetons within an hour. It takes just a quick glance at photos of the Tetons for it to be apparent that mellow cruisers aren’t really an option, so tune your edges and be prepared for steep ascents and descents.
From the skin track, turns on 25 Short and Maverick’s are accessible for intermediate and advanced skiers or riders. For a real mountaineering experience, grab the crampons and ice axe and hit the trail early to reach Apocalypse Couloir, Silver Couloir, or the famed Northwest Passage. Guided tours are available and encouraged with reputable operators like Samsara Experience, led by iconic big-mountain athlete Zahan Billimoria. Heads up: expect a $30 fee to enter and park in the lot unless you’re with a tour or in a commercial vehicle. Read More…
