Winner:
Smugglers' Notch Resort

Runner-Up:
Jay Peak

A NOTCH ABOVE

If you’re over 70 or under 5, you ski for free at Smugglers’ Notch. The season “Bash Badge” gives outdoorsy types unlimited access to the place for $25 a day. The Jeffersonville ski area makes all kinds of accommodations for budget-conscious skiers and boarders. Families, too, find “Smuggs” more affordable than other local downhill slopes. No wonder so many Vermonters can be found on the long groomers and back-bowl glades of Madonna and Sterling mountains. Those folks gave it a “Daysie” for best ski area in Vermont.

-Paula Routly