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- Brighton Resort in Utah was named best U.S. snowboarding spot by USA Today.
- Brighton offers diverse terrain and 500-inch annual snowfall attracting snowboarders nationwide.
- Snowbird Resort was also recognized and ranked eighth with extensive terrain for skilled snowboarders.
SALT LAKE CITY — Brighton was among the first resorts in Utah to allow snowboarding back in the late 1980s.
This year, USA Today named the Big Cottonwood Canyon resort as the best spot for snowboarding in 2025.
Here's what the publication had to say:
"The top of Big Cottonwood Canyon in Utah's Wasatch Mountains is home to Brighton, a ski resort with a 500-inch annual average of light, fluffy and dry snowfall. Snowboarders can explore groomed trails geared toward beginners and experts alike, venture into ungroomed areas with natural terrain, or enjoy the humanmade jumps and other features in the resort's terrain parks."
Brighton topped the USA Today list of the 10 best places for snowboarding in the U.S., which were picked by a panel of experts and USA Today editors and voted on by readers.
Brighton calls it a "huge honor" on its website, adding "but the stoke really comes from knowing our riders have believed this all along. Brighton's spirit has always lived in its people and its powder, the award just makes it official. Now it's your turn to experience what makes this place No. 1."
A history of Brighton on the Ski Utah website says management at first wasn't sure what this new "snowboarding craze" was all about. Snowboarders were allowed to ride at Brighton after concerns surfaced around the dangers of boarders hiking in the backcountry in avalanche terrain.
The resort has since become a mecca for snowboarders.
"The topography here is crazy. ... Brighton has the highest concentration of jumps and cliffs and pillows," said pro snowboarder JP Walker, per the Ski Utah article.
Snowbird in Little Cottonwood Canyon ranked eighth on the USA Today list.
Here's what it says about Snowbird:
"With over 500 inches of annual snowfall, plus 3,000 vertical feet and 2,500 acres of snowboarding terrain, Utah's Snowbird Resort is a top choice for your winter trips. There are 140 runs here, and more than 70% of the terrain is for intermediate and expert snowboarders. Additionally, you can even do guided snowboarding in the Wasatch backcountry, as well as take advantage of the Snowbird Mountain School's snowboard lessons and camps for riders of every level and age."
Brighton isn't the only Utah ski and snowboard area to rank No. 1 on a USA Today reader's choice list.
Snowbasin Resort in northern Utah scored the top spot in USA Today's 10 Best Ski Resorts in the U.S. and Canada for the second year in a row. The ranking is based on snowfall, varied terrain, lift access and other factors.
Site of 2002 Olympic downhill skiing, the resort will be an Olympic venue again when Utah hosts the 2034 Winter Games.
