Buttermilk Mountain

Buttermilk is praised as the friendliest of the Aspen mountains: wide open trails, unhurried traffic and almost no crowds outside the X Games. The ski school is rated among the best around, with professional instructors who place children accurately by level. The terrain parks are the other point of pride, good enough to host the X Games themselves.

Size against price is what draws criticism: the hill is small and served by three main lifts, yet the pass costs the same as it does for all four Aspen Snowmass mountains, and lessons and rentals carry a clear premium too. Expert terrain is almost nonexistent, and advanced skiers call the layout bland next to other Colorado destinations. There is barely any lodging at the base, so most people ride the bus in from Aspen.