#10 - Park City, Utah -- Photo Credit: PeteysHead [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

From USA Today comes a list of the top 11 ski resorts in North America. The wonderful thing about this list is that right from the start it makes a valid and very good point. The idea of "Best Ski Resort" is a very subjective thing. Everyone has there own way of ranking one hill over the next. However, the issue with this list is that it repeats the same names that are always used for some of the top ski resorts in North America.

Telluride, CO	Jackson Hole, WY
Steamboat, CO	Alta/Snowbird, UT
Aspen Snowmass, CO	Vail, CO
Whistler-Blackcomb, BC	Beaver Creek, CO
Big Sky, MT	Park City, UT
Mammoth Mountain, CA

Now, all of these mountains live up to their reputations most of the time. However, some of these, for various reasons, could be debated right off this list. There is even a Ski Rex fan who has said before Alta might not be all that it is cracked up to be, though she used a couple more swear words.

In any case, it is true, ski resorts are a subjective thing. For some these really will be the best. For others, the best might be a spot that isn't known worldwide, but does have a huge fan base. For this list, all of the information that was used to compile the data is below.

The top 11 ski resorts in North America: Exclusive rankings

Some say that selecting the best ski resort is a subjective mission, one that should be left to travelers themselves. We recognize the spirit of that sentiment. Our simple counter: skiers and snowboarders need to start somewhere. Consider the top 10 (plus 1 more) ski resorts laid out here to be the best places to look at first when planning a ski vacation.