by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 2:43 PM ET, Tue December 19, 2017
Liftopia's Best in Snow ski resort awards have just been announced.
Unlike many other industry rankings, the winners are not a who's who of North America's biggest resorts, though a few notables made the cut.
The second annual list- compiled by the largest online and mobile marketplace for lift tickets-recognizes the most beloved ski areas in North America, places skiers and snowboarders are passionate about. To identify winners, Liftopia reviews the largest dataset in the industry and feedback from thousands of skiers and snowboarders.
"The Best in Snow Awards level the playing field between big and small resorts to uncover the true top ski areas across North America," the company said in a statement.
The rankings name winners in five regional categories: Northeast, West Coast, High West, Southeast, and Midwest.
The awards also include an additional seven categories that Liftopia customers said would be most useful in helping make decisions when deciding where to ski or snowboard, regardless of resort size. Those categories: Beginner-friendly, Most Challenging, Family-friendly, Best Snow Consistency and Quality, Least Crowded, Best Value and finally, Overall Best in Snow.
The top two winners of Overall Best in Snow represent opposite coasts: Vermont's Magic Mountain and Alta in Utah.
It is the second year in a row that Magic Mountain has earned the top honor on the East Coast. The Vermont resort also earned the number one slot (for the second year) in the Most Challenging in the Northeast and North America categories. Customers describe the resort as a "hidden treasure," that offers "old school vibe" and is staffed by "people who genuinely care."
Meanwhile, Utah's Alta is characterized by customers as a "big playground" with a laid-back feel. The snow here is also something special, famous for being "light and feather-like." Not to be overlooked, Alta was applauded for its incredible terrain and for rarely feeling crowded.
The remaining top 10 in the Overall Best in Snow category included Mad River Glen, Vermont; Snowbird, Utah; Arapahoe Basin, Colorado; Powder Mountain, Utah; Jay Peak, Vermont; Mount Bohemia, Michigan; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; and Bald Mountain, Idaho.
The resorts snagging top honors for Best Snow Consistency and Quality included Bretton Woods, New Hampshire (Northeast); Anthony Lakes, Oregon (West Coast); Alta, Utah (High West); Canaan Valley, West Virginia (Southeast); and Cascade Mountain, Wisconsin (Midwest).
The country's most challenging ski area for the second year is Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Ski novices everywhere will also want to head to Bretton Woods, which won the Beginner-friendly category for the second year.
All of the winners can be viewed here.
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