America's Best Mountain Resorts

This adults-only mountain retreat on thousands of acres sets a romantic mood by outfitting its 30 log cabins with wood-burning fireplaces and hot tubs. You can take a free birding and nature tour in the Bitterroot Valley to look for peregrine falcons, hawks, and eagles as well as elk, moose, and possibly even a bear or wolf.

A ski-in, ski-out lodge at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain that offers year-round active adventures (from rafting to geocaching). Premium Rooms, on the fifth to eighth floors, have the added draw of mountain views from a furnished terrace and a living area with gas fireplace.

Most of the rooms and suites at this Bavarian-style lodge have fireplaces, handmade furniture, and heated floors in the marble bathrooms, and all have views of the mountain or Gore Creek. Fuel up for a day out skiing or hiking at the hotel’s impressive breakfast buffet, and don’t miss the Bavarian Benedict, served by special request from the lederhosen-wearing staff.

Aspen’s only ski-in, ski-out property has adventure specialists who can arrange activities like trout fishing at limited-access spots and 92 revamped rooms by designer Holly Hunt. Premium mountain-view rooms average 660 square feet and face Aspen Mountain; those on the fourth floor have vaulted ceilings. As cozy-chic as the rooms are, you may prefer being seen at the glamorous bar, sipping a signature Montagna Martini.

Blackberry is like a south of the Mason-Dixon Line edition of a Currier & Ives print: ribbons of white fences, a pond stocked with catfish, and houses constructed from Tennessee fieldstone. Set on 4,200 acres in the Great Smoky Mountains, Blackberry’s 51 rooms are done in a plush Anglo-American idiom. Hill Cottages have vaulted ceilings, indoor-outdoor fireplaces, and screened-in patios, and rockers are positioned on the front lawn for sundown over the Smokies.

A rustic, all-suite lodge outfitted with white-pine beams and cast-iron fireplaces, abutting the six-million-acre Adirondack Park. Rooms have full kitchens and private patios; some overlook Whiteface Mountain itself, others face McKenzie Range and the year-round outdoor pool. In winter, you can take advantage of complimentary snowshoes for exploring the property’s trails.

This comfy-luxe Norwegian-style chalet halfway up a peak at Deer Valley ski resort evokes holidays from a century ago. If you arrive in winter, valets will unload your skis from your car and free guides will show you around the mountain. The lodge is equally charming in the summer, when concerts are held at the outdoor amphitheater.

West-facing rooms offer the best mountain views from this mansion on 8,000 acres that showcase the Biltmore House, George Vanderbilt’s 1895 château surrounded by Frederick Law Olmsted–designed gardens. Rent bikes to take advantage of the Biltmore’s 22 miles of trails—or head further afield to explore the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Families return year after year to this131-room lakefront complex in the Adirondack Mountains, drawn by the casual vibe and roster of activities. Book the Cloud Splitter Rooms for great rates and top-notch views.

With a giant lodgepole-and-timber cabin in traditional National Park–lodge style, the Ritz-Carlton is Beaver Creek’s answer to convenience and luxury. It dominates the base of Bachelor Gulch Mountain, creating a postcard-pretty image as skiers schuss down the Cabin Fever trail to it. The 180 guest rooms have a rustic look, while the marble bathrooms all have soaking tubs. Pick a resort-view room ending in -01 or -10 for a terrace or a window seat and great views of the Eagle River Valley.

As the first full resort to open in Stowe, Topnotch was able to claim a prime location at the bottom of Vermont’s tallest peak, enclosed by maples and pines. The après-ski gets as much attention as the actual schussing here—a hot-stone massage in the 30,000-square-foot megaspa is most welcome after a day on the slopes. In the summer or in leaf-peeping season, you can hike the hillside trails and shop for cheese and crafts in the white-steepled town.

A 179-room brick hotel between Aspen Mountain’s two main ski lifts whose two-story loft suites with fireplaces, living rooms, and lofted bedrooms cater to families and groups. A jazz band performs every Friday and Saturday at the Shadow Mountain Lounge, and the Remède Spa has treatments that will ease any adjustment to the 8,200-foot altitude.

This 301-room château-style hotel occupies an enviable location 40 miles south of Anchorage in the Chugach Mountains of Alaska’s south-central coast. It’s just below a ski mountain with steep terrain and deep snowpack and, in 2012, a revamped high-speed lift.

This 197-room, native-stone-and-timber Park Hyatt at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain (just 200 feet from ski school) caters to families while still pulling off a luxurious experience. Wander past the lobby’s elk-horn chandelier to rooms with oversize beds and baths featuring products from the hotel’s Allegria Spa. Families should opt for the 13 double rooms that connect to king rooms; all overlook the slopes.

Right outside downtown Vail, this resort’s deck looks onto an infinity pool, outdoor fire pits are surrounded by rocking chairs, and all spaces treat guests to views of the mountain and Gore Creek. Then there are the alfresco candlelit dinners, and pampering treatments such as high-altitude hydrating massages available at the Aria spa.

This Austrian-style chalet on 2,400 acres in the mountains above Stowe village is one of Vermont’s top ski centers. The second-floor premier rooms in the newer Millennium wing can be interconnected, making them ideal for families. And the three-mile, 800-foot vertical ski to the Slayton Pasture Cabin is worth it; those who make the trek are rewarded with homemade soup, house-baked bread, and hot chocolate served fireside.

The Water Lily cabin has a bedroom, a parlor, a wood-burning stove, and a jetted tub. It’s just one of the log cabins clustered at the base of the Tetons. You can learn about the surrounding area thanks to National Park guides who host evening natural history talks and outings.

A contemporary chalet, connected to the slopes via escalator, the lodge offers a chic home-away-from-home vibe: each room has a sofa, fireplace, and kitchenette. Book a creek-side suite for the view overlooking Beaver Creek. Spend some time perusing the western artwork at the Grand Bohemian Art Gallery, one of the area’s best.

This 1927 historic landmark in Yosemite Valley is surrounded by forest, waterfalls, and towering cliffs and near the trailheads to El Capitan and Half Dome. The property underwent a renovation in 2010 that gave interiors an English country-house vibe: hand-loomed fabrics, stenciled walls, and hundred-year-old rugs. iPod docking stations and flat-screen TVs provide 21st-century comforts—not that they hold a candle to that view of Half Dome out your window.

This contemporary chalet overlooks Snoqualmie Falls in the Cascade Mountain foothills, with a stellar selection of wilderness offerings, from guided bike rides to kayaking. You can also enjoy happy hour at The Attic, which overlooks the falls, with a Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Company microbrew.