Condé Nast Readers Just Crowned a New No. 1 Ski Resort in the U.S.
Big Sky Resort is the No. 1 U.S. ski resort in Condé Nast Traveler's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards, ahead of a Nov. 25 opening with a new beginner center.
Big Sky Resort in Montana has been named the No. 1 ski resort in the United States in Condé Nast Traveler's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards, the resort announced on Oct. 6. The trade site SnowSports News reports that the win unseats Aspen Mountain, which topped the 2025 U.S. list, with Big Sky moving up from second.
The rankings come from reader votes, not editors. Condé Nast Traveler says readers cast 798,867 votes across this year's awards, which cover hotels, cities and cruise lines as well as ski resorts. That means the result says more about the overall trip, including lodging, dining and service, than about raw acreage or vertical.
What readers were voting on
Big Sky credits the win to Big Sky 2025, its decade-long build-out of lifts and on-mountain amenities. The headline piece is the Explorer Gondola, which debuted in December 2025 and which the resort calls the world's fastest 10-person gondola. It links Mountain Village to the Lone Peak Tram, so guests can ride from the base to the 11,166-foot summit of Lone Peak, where the Kircliff observatory has a glass floor and views across three states and two national parks.
"This recognition belongs to our team and the community that brought Big Sky 2025 to life," said Troy Nedved, Big Sky Resort's president and COO.
What is new for 2026-27
- Explorer Gondola Mid-Station Learning Center: a new beginner zone with dedicated surface lifts at mid-mountain, so first-timers learn up high instead of at the base.
- Iglu Big Sky: the snow-built bar at the base of the Lone Peak Tram returns with a larger footprint.
- M by The Alinea Group: Grant Achatz's on-mountain dining concept is back for a second season.
Big Sky lists 5,850 acres, 40 lifts and more than 300 trails, and it is owned by Boyne Resorts. The 2026-27 winter season starts Nov. 25.
How to read a No. 1 ranking
A reader survey is a good gauge of how a trip feels, but it is not a snow report. SnowSports News points out that last year's U.S. top ten included Bretton Woods in New Hampshire alongside Western giants like Telluride and Jackson Hole, a sign that service and atmosphere carry real weight. In Canada, readers put Whistler Blackcomb first, with Lake Louise fifth.
Read Big Sky's announcement via Visit Big Sky. Then compare terrain, lodging and getting-there details on the Big Sky encyclopedia page, and check how many days your Ikon Pass or Mountain Collective pass includes before you book.