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There’s something especially magical about skiing the trees. Maybe it’s the quiet calm you find in the glades—an effect of both being up close and personal with nature and the lack of other skiers sharing the space with you.
Watch: How to Effectively “Flow” Through the Trees
The truth is, many skiers are intimidated by the glades. It’s also true that many of these same skiers are perfectly capable of conquering the trees if they choose the right terrain. Here’s a little secret: Almost all gladed terrain is rated black diamond simply due to the fact that there are obstacles, aka trees, but there’s plenty of mellow to moderate tree skiing where newer skiers can try it out with little to no risk. We rounded up a handful of our favorites, plus a couple key techniques (above) from the pros to help you put it all together.
6 Ski Resorts to Help You Improve in the Trees
Morningside Trees, Steamboat, Colo.
- Get There: Morningside Chair
- Tree-Skiing Level: Beginner to Intermediate
The hardest part about the Morningside trees is getting to it. You have to ski one of the black-diamond bowls off the Morningside lift, which can be bumpy and steep in parts. But the payoff is worth it: A choose-your-own adventure of wide-spaced evergreens that wends its way back to the same lift.
When you’re comfortable with that terrain, level up to Triangle Trees, a Steamboat classic located off the Storm Peak Express. It’s not a hidden gem or an under-the-radar find, but it is a classic terrain pod that encapsulates what’s so special about Steamboat’s tree-skiing. The top portion is filled with medium-spaced pines—tight enough to dissuade new tree skiers but welcoming to intermediate and up. The steepest portion is the middle section, short, sweet, and enough to get the heart pumping. But the best part is the bottom, where the lower pitch is flowy and fun, with widely spaced trees that let you gracefully choose your line.
Blind Ambition, Sunday River, Maine
- Get There: Upper Caramba Chair
- Tree-Skiing Level: Intermediate
Sitting at the resort’s boundary, Blind Ambition might be the perfect spot for the glade-curious. Dotted with well-spaced trees offering plenty of room to choose your turns, Blind Ambition is open and welcoming to all levels—even adventurous lower intermediates can tackle it with a little patience.
Beavers, Arapahoe Basin, Colo.
- Get There: Beavers Lift
- Tree-Skiing Level: Intermediate
Arapahoe Basin debuted this backside terrain in 2018, which features open bowl skiing that funnels down into excellent glades. While they’re all rated black diamond on the trail map, strong intermediates can handle most of the terrain in this area. We recommend Glockenspiel, which runs alongside Loafer, a blue groomer, so skiers can bail if needed.
Poacher’s Woods, Smugglers’ Notch, Vt.
- Get There: Sterling Chair
- Tree-Skiing Level: Intermediate
Located on Sterling Mountain, Poacher’s can be easy to miss, so it may take a couple laps on the Sterling chair to find the entrance. But once you do, you get a scenic mellow tree run that’s a great place for skiers new to the glades to get comfortable at their own pace. These glades end at a snow bridge that spans a gurgling stream.
Powder Monkey Glades, Revelstoke, B.C.
- Get There: Ripper Chair
- Tree-Skiing Level: Intermediate to Expert
Revelstoke is one giant mountain of glades; you’ll have a harder time finding the cut trails. Which is to say, there’s excellent tree-skiing here—from intermediate-friendly pods with wide-spaced trees steep, tightly packed glades with other natural hazards to navigate. Powder Monkey Glades, in the North Bowl area, sits somewhere in the middle, skill-wise. There are steeper sections at the top that filter down into a more mellow pitch. You can always take Denver Dollars, right below the liftline, and into and out of the trees as you see fit.
Valhalla Glades, Jay Peak. Vt.
- Get There: Aerial Tram
- Tree-Skiing Level: Expert
Valhalla is such a uniquely Jay Peak trail that we just had to give it a nod. It’s a combination forest of scrubby brush and wide-spaced pines set on a surprisingly steep pitch, with expansive views in the backdrop. The top portion is a hoot, but don’t sleep on these glades—good technical skiing skills are required.
