When you’re trying to avoid the ski resort crowds, but want the high country experience, visiting in the so-called shoulder seasons (avoiding ski and summer times), is the perfect solution. Writer Carole Jacobs highlights three mountain resorts in the western U.S. and shares some of the unexpected perks of avoiding prime time.

Save this article about Shoulder Season at western mountain resorts to Pinterest.

We were planning to visit the Swiss Alps in the summer or fall, hopeful we were finally out of the pandemic woods. Then came the Delta Variant, with all its complicated and confusing quarantines. Suddenly we found ourselves scouring the U.S. for a suitable substitute – preferably one that combined mountain highs with a self-contained mountain village. We wanted to minimize the risk of contagion but still feel like we were on vacation – instead of just cooped up somewhere else.

We found our solution two hours north at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort. It came with a swank condo steps from hiking; groceries and restaurants that delivered to our front door; stores with curbside pickup, eateries with outdoor patio dining – who knew a pandemic could be so – pampering?

(We even found a café/bar with an outdoor patio that let us enjoy brie crepes, chocolate ganache, seasonal fromage and charcuterie without breaking a travel ban. Take that, Switzerland!)

Forget the plane, the passport, and the international travel bans. The following three US ski resorts deliver the spectacular mountain scenery and recreation you’d find in the Alps while eliminating the uncertainties involved in traveling abroad.

While health and safety precautions remain firmly in place, you’ll enjoy a mountain resort experience minus the crowds and sticker shock prices of ski season, plus some of the country’s most spectacular fall foliage.

Hungry for more? Read about roadtripping on the Loneliest Road in America.

1. Shoulder Season at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort, California

Snapshot: “Were the painter, the novelist, the tourist, or the geologist…search the world over for a point…that combined most wonderfully …the sublime, immense picturesque…extent of mountains, valley and lake scenery, he would not be far wrong to locate it on one of the highest granite or lava peaks near the new mining town of Mammoth City.” James W.A. Wright, 1879

Where: 3 hours from Reno, 5 hours from Las Vegas, 6 hours from Los Angeles, 7 hours from San Diego.

 Stay:

• Mammoth has condo rentals at the base of the slopes, on golf courses and overlooking meadows, peaks, and crags.
• Juniper Springs Resort offers upscale lodging at the foot of the mountain. Save 20% when you stay three-plus nights over Labor Day.

 Outdoor patio dining and take-out: Like most major ski resorts, Mammoth is swimming with alfresco dining, making it a culinary adventure for foodies of all stripes.

• Side Door Wine Bar & Café: With crepes, chocolate ganache, homemade Suzette. Caprese, Niçoise and Parisienne salads, plus fine wines from Italy, France, and Sonoma/Napa, who needs Europe?
• Warming Hut: Start your day with homemade pancakes with real maple syrup, burritos, and Benedict hashes at this cozy eatery housed in Mammoth’s old “Swiss Café.”
• Roberto’s Café: Have a Mexican lunch that includes margaritas, enchiladas rancheras and albondigas soup.
• Campo Mammoth: Savor wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas and rustic Italian dishes from a James Beard-nominated chef.
• Gomez Restaurant & Tequileria: Enjoy the biggest selection of tequila in town with Mexican and Latin-fusion cuisine.

Scenic drives to sterling hikes: Mountain lovers from the world over throng here summer through fall to hike trails through the legendary “Range of Light” past scenery immortalized by photographer Ansel Adams and naturalist/author John Muir.

• Duck Pass: In Mammoth proper, follow Lake Mary Road to Mammoth Lakes Basin to the trail to Duck Pass, which spirals into a wonderland of looking-glass lakes and jagged peaks.
• Tuolumne Meadows: (Highway 395 north 25 miles to Tioga Pass/Highway 120, then west 20 miles: Getting to the quiet side of Yosemite from Mammoth is half the fun as you cruise past glassy lakes, grassy alpine meadows and a towering tumble of granite peaks, spires and domes. On the way back, fuel up your car and bod at The Mobile, a swanked-up gas station just before Tioga Pass dumps into Highway 395 in Lee Vining. The station houses Whoa Nellie Deli, where the handcrafted cuisine includes mahi mahi fish tacos, homemade pizza, and ahi sashimi.
• Lundy Canyon Trail: (Highway 395 north 32 miles to Lundy Lake Road, then west three miles past Lundy Lake). This 6-mile roundtrip trail roams through aspen forests, passes shimmering beaver ponds and coils up to thundering waterfalls that leave rainbows in their wake.
• Virginia Lakes Trail: (Highway 395 north 42 miles and then west six miles on Virginia Lakes Road). In just 1.6 miles, you will pass five turquoise lakes set amid a backdrop of colorful peaks with avalanche-scarred slopes.
• Mono Lake: As Highway 395 rollercoasters down into Lee Vining, you’ll see ghostly tufa towers soaring from the dead-sea waters of Mono Lake. The water in the ancient 60-square-mile lake looks crystal clear but is two-and-a-half times saltier than sea water. Walk along the beach for a closer look, then head into town and grab a guacamole cheeseburger and soft serve with rainbow sprinkles at Mono Cone, a tiny hole-in-the-wall burger stand.
• June Lake Loop: ( Highway 395 north 20 miles to Highway 203, then left 15 miles around the Loop.) The scenery here looks like it dropped in from Switzerland: a chain of turquoise lakes set in a steep, horseshoe-shaped canyon flanked by towering peaks). Near the end of the loop, hike4-mile  Parker Lake Trail past wildflowers, Jeffery Pine and quaking aspen to a mirror lake framed by 12,861 Parker Peak. Back in town, fuel up on handcrafted New York-style pizza at June Pie. 
• Gondola ride: Mammoth’s Panorama Gondola lifts you up to 11,053 feet for sky-high hiking and panoramic views at the Eleven53 Café. Hike or bike back down.

 Steamy wonders: Head south on Highway 395 and turn east on Benton Crossing Road (look for the little green church). About a mile or so in, dirt roads on either side of the road zigzag into the sagebrush flats to secret pint-size natural hot springs, including Wild Willy Hot Springs, Crab Cooker, Hilltop Hot Springs, Travertine Hot Springs, and several others.

 Where to catch the best fall foliage: The large stands of aspen in Rock Creek Canyon, June Lake Loop and Lundy Canyon  light up the evergreen slopes and craggy mountain cliffs and peaks with gold, orange, and red.  For more tips on the best fall foliage hikes, drives and excursions, go here.

 After sundown: Located about 90 minutes northeast of Mammoth via Highway 395 and Highway 270, Bodie sets in a lonely prairie hemmed in by forbidding peaks. The abandoned boom-to-bust gold mining was once home to two banks, a Chinatown with opium dens, red light district and several dozen saloons. Today, you can explore the ruins during the day or reserve a spot for Bodie After Dark featuring ghost walks, cemetery tours and haunted tales held three times summer through fall.

Autumn in the Eastern Sierra near Mammoth Lakes. Photo courtesy Pixabay.com.

Hungry for more? Go on an Oregon coastal roadtrip.

2. The Shoulder Season at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming

Snapshot: Sky-high peaks towner above a glacier-carved valley surrounded by mountains –what 19^th century trappers called a hole– in Jackson Hole, where forbidding beauty surrounds you on all sides, and two national parks –Grand Teton and Yellowstone—are an easy drive away.

 Drive time: 8 hours from Denver, Colorado; 5 ½ hours from Boise, Idaho, 4 ½ hours from Salt Lake City, Utah; 4 hours from Bozeman, Montana

 Stay:

• Touchless check in, enhanced cleaning, and full kitchens make a vacation condo or home a great idea. Jackson Hole Resort Lodging.
• Splurge on a stay at Amangami, a secluded hillside spa retreat on the fringes of Grand Teton National Park, where spacious suites with oversized terraces overlook views of the Snake River Valley. Farm-to-table dining is served fireside in suites, the restaurant, by the expansive pool or on the sun deck.

 Farm-fresh fare: The Jackson Hole Farmer’s Market, open Saturdays from 8 am-noon through September 26,  is the place to buy vine-picked veggies to farm-fresh local honey, flowers, savory butcher cuts, cookies, and pie. Live music will keep you grooving during shopping.

Outdoor patio dining and take-out:

• Haydens Post Restaurant Jackson Hole for locally sourced American fare and awesome views.
• Orsetto Italian Bar and Eatery for authentic Italian, homemade pasta, and an all-Italian wine list.
• Rendezvous Bistro for European and American bistro classics and a raw bar.
• Glorietta, a classy Italian trattoria serving handmade pasta, wood-fired entrees, and cocktails.
• The Bird for steaks, burgers, and brew on the deck.

 Afternoon in Jackson Hole:

• Lift up to lunch: Ride the Bridger Gondola to hiking trails that transport you high above the valley to wildflower meadows, rugged mountain terrain and a trio of hike-to restaurants, including Piste Mountain Bistro, The Deck @ Piste and Off-Piste.
• Get high with paragliding: Soar high above Teton Village and experience the breathtaking beauty of Jackson Hole, the Teton Range and the Snake River Range from the air.
• Critter alert: From the Teton Village base area, hike a section of the 40-mile Valley Trail through alpine forests to Phelps Lake and keep an eye peeled for bear, moose, and marmot.
• Get wet: Kayak, canoe or SUP the Snake River; paddle String Lake to Leigh Lake, a spectacular canoeing adventure inside Grand Teton National Park or head to Slide Lake inside Gros Ventre Mountain Range for a tranquil float.
• Catch dinner: Grand Fishing Adventures offers fishing trips on all of Jackson Hole’s best waters, including in Grand Teton National Park.

 Scenic drives: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park are partially open. Several scenic drives offer a front-row seat to the national park-caliber majesty.

• The 42-mile Grand Teton National Park Loop follows the base of the Teton Range from Moose to Jackson Lake Junction.
• Follow Signal Mountain Summit Road for panoramic views of the Teton Range and Jackson Hole.
• Take Yellowstone’s Grand Loop Road, a 142-mile paved route, to Old Faithful, which spews geysers 184 feet into the air. Continue to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, where look-out points jut over Yellowstone River and Kepler Cascades.

 Where to catch the best fall foliage: Between early and mid-October, aspens shiver in the wind with sparkling colors of yellow and orange, bringing the hillsides to life, and the elk bugle. The elk bugle. Experience the magic from the Bridger Gondola, along Fall Creek Road, on a drive over Togwotee Pass to Dubois, or on a float down the picture-postcard Snake River.

 Steamy Wonders: After a long day of adventure, here’s the best places to enjoy a soothing soak in natural hot springs.

• Granite Hot Springs & Camp: Located about 40 minutes south of Jackson at the end of Granite Creek Road off Highway 189, this developed hot spring is set in thick forests. After your soak, head downstream to check out the waterfall.
• Yellowstone’s Boiling River: The Boiling River is a natural phenomenon that occurs in late summer, fall and winter when a large hot spring enters the frigid Gardner River and warms it to a comfy soaking temp. The springs are located about 3 miles south of the park’s North Entrance.

After sundown:

• Hop the (free after 5 pm) Bridger Gondola to The Piste Mountain Bistro and enjoy Rocky Mountain cuisine with unlimited views of Jackson Hole valley.
• Wyoming Stargazing offers free programs every clear 2nd Friday of the month in some of the darkest skies in the lower 48 states.
• Take a sunset paddle on String Lake.
• Go here for more suggestions on what to do after dark.

A snippet of the scenery in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Photo courtesy Pixabay.com.

3. The Shoulder Season at Snowmass, Colorado 

Snapshot: Come summer, Snowmass’s stashes of powder give way to waist-high wildflower meadows, shimmering aspen forests and spectacular hikes to the twin striated-peaks of Maroon Bells while autumn’s spectacular blazes lure leaf-peepers and photographers from the world over.  One of four ski mountains owned by Aspen Skiing Company, Snowmass has the Rocky Mountain highs of Aspen minus the glitz, glam and snoot factor. The resort has a slew of guided activities for kids (hiking, biking, fishing,  Camp Aspen Snowmass and Lost Forest, with an alpine coaster, ropes course and zipline) and builds in some much-needed breathing space for cooped-up families.

 Drive time: 3.5 hours from Denver, 6 hours from Salt Lake City, 6 hours from Santa Fe, 7.5 hours from Albuquerque, 9 hours from Las Vegas

Stay:

• Viceroy Snowmass, a beloved slope-side luxury resort in the heart of Snowmass, with the area’s only hike-in, hike-out luxury spa and three dining outlets, features rooms with mountain views, fireplaces, and midnight kitchens. To celebrate its status as the bike capital of the Rockies, Viceroy Snowmass is offering Cycling Tour de Aspen, a cycling package that include customized tours on road, mountain, and e-bikes.
• Whether you want a 2-bedroom condo or a 7-bedroom vacation house, Alpine Property can find you the perfect rental digs.

 Outdoor patio dining and take-pit: Dining al fresco is next-level in Snowmass, with an abundance of picnic tables and scenic spots around the Village and take-out available at 30-plus restaurants in the Village.

• Start with frozen Cadillac Margaritas from New Belgium Ranger Station.
• Enjoy Spanish and Italian-influenced tapas at Tempranillo Restaurant.
• Savor handcrafted seasonal American and cocktails at The Artisan.
• Enjoy sweet or savory crepes, raclette and fondue at French Alpine Bistro-Crêperie du Village.

Great day hikes: Snowmass has 90-plus miles of hiking and biking trails in the Village. Take the Elk Camp Gondola and Elk Camp chairlift (Friday through Sunday) for stunning views and a network of trails; pick up a map at the gondola ticket office in Snowmass Base Village. The two-mile Vista Trail climbs through wildflower meadows, evergreen forests, and aspen groves to Elk Camp for stunning 360s. Combine it with a gondola ride for a one-way hike.

• The 5-mile Tom Blake Trail winds through deep groves of Aspen and showcases gorgeous fall foliage.
• The 3.5-mile Crater Lake Trail, one of the most iconic hikes at Snowmass, leads through aspen groves to the lake and Maroon Bells Visitors Center for incredible views of the Maroon Bells.
• The 1.8-mile Viewline Trail climbs up an exposed area overlooking breathtaking views of Snowmass Village and connects with Sky Mountain Park, which connects with many more trails.

 Scenic drives

• Denver to Snowmass via Independence Pass: Drive the highest paved road in North America over the summit of the Continental Divide at 12,095 feet for mind-blowing views as the highway curls stunning groves of aspen trees and hugs the Roaring Fork River. Stretch your legs at Grottos Ice Caves, with a waterfall, unique rock formations and an ice cave; the abandoned mining camp of Ruby (past the Grizzley Reservoir) and Lost Man Trail, which passes by a series of aquamarine lakes and lush meadows.
• Denver to Snowmass via Glenwood Canyon: Highway I-70 from Denver passes through Glenwood Canyon (open to one-lane following extensive summer mud slides) on the “Million Dollar Highway” past jagged cliffs. Park and hike to Hanging Lake (past Glenwood Canyon) to see the iconic waterfall featured on Coors Beer ads.
• Owl Creek Valley: From behind the Aspen Airport, Owl Creek Road rises into a beautiful open valley with Mt. Daly in the distance. You will pass a classic red barn belonging to the Glendale Stock Farm, a ranch dating to the 1880s.
• Castle Creek Valley: Drive up Castle Creek Road to Ashcroft Ghost Town (about 11 miles), take a self-guided tour and continue Castle Creek Road to the end of the paved roadway. Check out the golden aspen trees and Star Peak. Have lunch at Pine Creek Cookhouse, a rustic log cabin tucked at road’s end in the rugged Elk Mountains. Reservations recommended.

 Farm-fresh fare: The Artisan and Farmers’ Market is held Fridays from 4-8 pm through August 28. The market showcases a variety of locally owned businesses selling specialty food items, beverages, clothing, handcrafted goods including art, jewelry and accessories and Colorado-sourced vegetables.

 Where to catch the best fall foliage: Maroon Bells and Lake offer some of the best fall color in Colorado while Independence Pass and Castle Creek Valley are ablaze with autumn foliage.

 Steamy wonders: End your day with a soothing soak at the riverside Iron Mountain Hot Springs or Glenwood Hot Springs, the world’s largest hot-springs pool..

 After sundown:

• Tuesdays: Bonus bike nights stretch lift-served biking at the Snowmass Bike Park until dusk every Tuesday along with Yoga and Music in Base Village. (Lost Forest activities like the coaster and climbing wall stay open too.)
• Thursdays: Wind your way from Snowmass Mall to Base Village for music, restaurant specials and entertainment, ending at The Collective in Base Village with $10 Bingo.
• Kick off the weekend with Fridays on the Mall and the Snowmass Base Village Artisan Market.
• Movies Under the Stars: Saturdays at dusk through August at Snowmass Base Village, enjoy movie screenings hosted by the Aspen Film Summer Series. BYO picnic or grab take-out and adult drinks in the village.

A vision in gold in Snowmass, Colorado. Photo courtesy Pixabay.com.

— Story by Carole Jacobs, RFT Health & Fitness Editor.

Hungry for more? Get 27 ways to enjoy Catalina Island.