Skiing is a big-time draw at many of the nation's winter resorts, although not everyone is eager to hit the slopes. Fortunately, there are plenty of places where non-skiers can have fun, too. Whether you need a ski resort with variety or prefer one where there's no chairlift in sight, we've rounded up 20 resorts that have tons of diversions for people who don't ski.
Sure, there's plenty of skiing at Keystone, but this family-friendly resort has a lot more to offer. There's ice-skating (on a rink and a 5-acre lake), horse-drawn sleigh rides, a yoga and fitness studio, a paint-your-own pottery studio, an indoor tennis center, mountaintop snowcat tours, and a kids' club. Keystone is also only 90 minutes west of Denver's shopping, dining and, the arts.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: Run around the world's largest snow fort in Keystone's Kidtopia. Parents can get in on the action: It's open to all ages.
On the Adirondacks' famous Lake Placid, Whiteface has plenty of off-slope activities, many stemming from its Olympic past. Tour the Lake Placid Olympic Museum, the Olympic Sports Complex, or the Olympic Jumping Complex. Practice shooting skills on the biathlon range, test the ice on an Olympic ice-skating rink, or even try luging. There's also naturalist talks, snow tubing, and gondola rides.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: The Lake Placid Bobsled Experience gives the speed and thrills of bobsledding on a real Olympic course.
Seven Springs offers snowcat and snowmobile rides, snow tubing, sleigh rides, snowshoe tours, bowling, indoor miniature golf, an indoor pool, a roller rink, yoga, and an arcade. The resort is also just over an hour southeast of Pittsburgh and only 30 minutes to Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece, Fallingwater.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: Practice your aim at three paved sporting-clay shooting courses, good for novices and experts.
Visitors to Stowe Mountain Resort, east of Burlington, can ice skate on an outdoor rink, get a guided snowshoe tour, or take in a show at the performing arts center. Staying at Stowe Mountain Lodge gives access to ice climbing, dog sledding, sleigh rides, snowmobiling, a spa, and a fitness center. The town of Stowe also packs in a lot of shopping, dining, and galleries.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: Go rock climbing at an indoor center with two climbing walls, one of which is kid-friendly.
At Squaw Valley, tucked in the mountains near Lake Tahoe, grab an aerial tram ride, enjoy the mountaintop hot tubs, go snow tubing or dog sledding, take a snowshoeing tour, or tackle the climbing wall. Tired now? Slow down at the spa or yoga studio. The kids can even zoom around on miniature snowmobiles in a dedicated kids' area.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: It's only fitting that this former Olympic host pays tribute to its past with an Olympic Museum.
There's a huge menu of activities at Park City, which is just 40 minutes east of Salt Lake City and its shopping and dining options. Attractions include sleigh rides, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and mountain tours, and there's a special dinner available at a Viking yurt tucked away 1,000 feet up the slopes. Individual lodges have their own amenities, including spas, fitness centers and kids' activities.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: Zoom down the mountain -- no skis necessary -- on the Alpine Coaster or Flying Eagle Zip Line.
Who needs skis for mountain thrills? Copper Mountain has a 5,800-foot alpine coaster, one of the longest in North America. Ice skate or try your hand at curling, broom ball, or ice hockey on a frozen lake. There's also a tubing hill; free snowcat rides and mountain tours; a spa; an athletic club; and a kids' area with a snow den, mini tubing hill and tubing carousel.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: A session for the kids at the Woodward Copper Barn, filled with trampolines, foam pits, tumbling areas, and skateboard and biking bowls and ramps.
Love to go snow tubing? Camelback, in eastern Pennsylvania's Poconos, has the nation's biggest snow tubing park, with a whopping 42 lanes. After dark, the course even includes an LED light show. There's also an alpine coaster, dual zip lines, an arcade, and a spa.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: Splash around at Aquatopia, the indoor water park. It has 13 water slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, kids' splash areas, and more.
In central Idaho's picturesque Sun Valley, skate on one of two ice rinks (you may even see some Olympic skaters), go bowling, take a dip in two indoor pools, take a sleigh ride, catch a movie or a live music act, and tour more than a dozen galleries. At the spa, try out a needle-free session of cupping therapy, which uses suction to promote blood flow and improve circulation.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: Take a short drive to go snowshoeing at nearby Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, an otherworldly volcanic landscape.
The impossibly picturesque Mohonk Mountain House lacks downhill skiing, but it's still a flurry of activity in the winter. Cross-country skiing, snow tubing, and snowshoeing are included in the stay. So are nature hikes, evening movies, and other daily activities (tomahawk throwing, anyone?). An indoor pool, spa, fitness center, and house history tours of this Victorian masterpiece are also on offer.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: Mohonk has a robust menu of meditation, mindfulness, and yoga classes, including Ocean Wave Meditation, Qigong, and Forest Bathing.
Southwest of Traverse City, Crystal Mountain proves the Midwest can hold its own among winter ski resorts. There are traditional activities including snowmobiling, snowshoeing, ice skating, and horse-drawn carriage rides, but also archery, laser tag, scavenger hunts, family campfires, and an indoor pool and hot tub. A spa and fitness center are also available.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: Grab a fat-tire snow bike and explore 12 wintery miles of bike trails. One trail is even available for nighttime rides.
The tony ski resort of Aspen has a robust roster of activities including snowshoe tours, free naturalist tours, mountaintop yoga and dining, snowcat rides, snow tubing, and an alpine coaster. The village of Aspen has plenty of restaurants, shops (including plenty of designer duds, as well as consignment and thrift stores offering a chance to nab them for less), live music, and nightlife.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: Ullr Nights, a wintery party under the stars that includes a gondola ride, snow biking, tubing, rides on the alpine coaster, s'mores, a bonfire, live music, and a la carte dining.
In northwestern Wyoming, Jackson Hole occupies an enviable location near Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. After exploring the tourist-mecca town of Jackson Hole, other diversions include snowmobile safaris, bowling, snowshoeing, sleigh rides, fat-tire bike tours, winter paragliding, scenic flights, and wildlife tours.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: Go on a guided snowshoeing hike in Grand Teton National Park, or head farther north to Yellowstone National Park and take a snowmobile to visit famed geyser Old Faithful.
The South may not spring to mind for winter resorts, but Snowshoe proves the region shouldn't be ignored. Visitors can enjoy the spa, dine at a backcountry hut, go off-roading through the snow, enjoy snow tubing, take a sleigh ride, enjoy a heated indoor/outdoor swimming area, and laugh it up watching stand-up comics at the Comedy Cellar.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: Hop in an ATV and head up the mountain to enjoy a brain-bending challenge at The Woods Escape Room and investigate a mysterious hunting cabin. Follow up the adventure with a gourmet lunch.
Browse art galleries, go bowling, tackle 80 miles of trails (complete with backcountry lodges), take in a winter fireworks show, or go snowshoeing or ice skating at Maine's Sugarloaf resort. When it's time to relax, an indoor heated pool, six hot tubs, two saunas, and two steam rooms await.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: Catch some air at the 20,000-square-foot Carrabassett Valley Antigravity Complex, which has an indoor skate bowl, trampolines, a rock-climbing wall, a gym and fitness center, and more.
Just south of the Canadian border, Jay Peak is nestled in Vermont's Green Mountains and includes an Ice Haus for hockey or ice skating; fat-tire snow biking; a spa; a climbing gym; an arcade; a 142-seat cinema; and snowshoe tours.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: Scream your way down the 65-foot La Chute water slide at Jay Peak's indoor water park. It twists riders 360 degrees at speeds up to 45 mph.
Skiing isn't on the menu at the historic 11,000-acre Greenbrier, but there are so many other things to do that it probably won't be missed. Outside, tackle an aerial adventure course or climbing tour, take a falconry lesson, go ice skating or off-roading, or take a sleigh ride. Inside, there's a world-class spa, bowling alley, casino, laser-tag facility, indoor pool, theater, and much more.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: Tour the Cold War bunker built beneath the resort to keep members of Congress safe in the event of a nuclear attack. It was classified until it was exposed in a news report in the early '90s.
All-inclusive Woodloch in the Poconos is a getaway for family fun no matter what the season. There's an indoor splash zone and pool, mini bowling, ice skating, snow tubing, an arcade, bumper cars, and an indoor playground. Grownups can let off some steam playing bar games, taking cooking classes, and squeezing in a workout at the fitness center. If someone in the family just has to ski, there are still some slopes nearby.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: Bundle up for some friendly competition during Woodloch's Winter Olympics, which pits teams against one another in fierce battles involving sledding, snow tubing, racing, and more.
Steamboat Springs is a skier's paradise with a long to-do list for non-skiers. Take a snowshoe, helicopter, snowmobile, or photography tour; go on a sleigh ride; fish the Yampa River; zoom around on an alpine coaster or snow tube; go horseback riding, enjoy the spa; or soar above the snowy mountains in a hot-air balloon. You can even enjoy a sunset happy hour 9,100 feet above sea level after a scenic gondola ride.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: Go take a soak in the Strawberry Park Hot Springs, and feel stress or tension melt away in waters as warm as 105 degrees.
Art lovers will want to make a beeline for Taos, which has galleries galore and is near the Harwood Museum of Art, a good place for an overview of the region's prolific creators. Visitors can go hiking and snowmobiling, take a dip in the hot springs, enjoy spa treatments, or indulge in some yoga.
Coolest Non-Skiing Activity: Explore Taos Pueblo, a complex of adobe buildings that have been inhabited continuously for more than 1,000 years.
