Squaw Valley

Area: California

Lake Tahoe is where California goes to play in the winter. The high Sierra Peaks encircling the lake offer great skiing, and a unique style of away-from-the-slopes entertainment.

Originally developed as the host village for the 1960 Winter Olympics, the 21st century version of Squaw is without question one of the finest resorts in North America (skiing and boarding is spread across six huge mountains; with 4000 acres and 33 lifts to get you there, you'll do well to explore every option in one visit).

The beauty of Squaw is it's diversity - from rugged couloirs where bad boys play, to long cruisers where you can show off your turns. Relatively few runs are trail-cut, allowing skiers and boarder to pick their own way down the wide snowfields. Squaw Valley even offers a gentle bowl for beginners, whilst intermediate riders out for a challenge can take Headwall Express, then drop back to the Sun Bowl. This is as good as it gets if conditions are right...as they often are at Squaw.