Colorado Tops the List of Environmentally Friendly Ski Resorts by Shelley Seale

The Ski Area Citizens Coalition has created a fantastic resource with their annual Ski Area Environmental Scorecard to help you choose the most environmentally friendly areas to hit the slopes. The Ski Area Environmental Scorecard is the only non-industry, independent mechanism that gives skiers and boarders a way to assess the environmental performance of their favorite resorts. By choosing environmentally friendly ski areas, you can encourage all resorts to improve their policies.

The 2008/2009 Scorecard includes the latest information on resorts that are:

Impacting Roadless Areas
Logging Old Growth Forests
Purchasing clean, renewable wind energy
Using cleaner burning, biodegradable biodiesel
Performing energy efficiency upgrades


The number one and two ski resorts in the United States are in Colorado. Aspen Mountain Ski Resort tops the list at #1, due to their maintenance of ski terrain, protection of endangered species, and preservation of wetlands and old growth forests among other criteria.

Since the first season in 1946-1947, Aspen Mountain's steeps, bumps and incredible views have been the stuff of legend. Serving up untold variations of double-black, cruisers and glades for skiers and snowboarders, Aspen Mountain rises an impressive 3,267 feet from the heart of downtown Aspen.

Snowmass sister property Buttermilk in Colorado followed at the #2 spot. Home of the ESPN Winter X Games through 2010 - for an unprecedented run of nine consecutive years - Buttermilk is also great for beginners. Less experienced riders cruise wide, rolling trails while experts jib in the new Snow Park Technologies terrain park. Continuing Aspen/Snowmass' commitment to family skiing and riding, a new high-speed quad chair with a midway load station was added recently, replacing the existing West Buttermilk chair and encouraging families, young children and beginners to experience West Buttermilk's more gentle trails.

Here is the full Top Ten list on the Ski Area Environmental Scorecard:

1. Aspen Mountain Ski Resort - Colorado
2. Buttermilk Mountain Ski Resort - Colorado
3. Sundance Resort - Utah
4. Park City Mountain Resort - Utah
5. Squaw Valley USA - California
6. Alpine Meadows Ski Area - California
7. Aspen Highlands Ski Resort - Colorado
8. Bogus Basin Mountain Resort - Idaho
9. Mount Bachelor Ski Area - Oregon
10. Telluride Ski Resort - Colorado