In the mountains of the American West, when the snow melts, the outdoor adventures are just getting started. The country’s best ski towns come alive as first rate summer escapes, with a stunning lineup of activities, from mountain biking to yoga, horseback riding to golf, all with expert instruction. Ski towns also offer great dining, shopping and sightseeing, and in general crowds are smaller and prices lower than in winter. Ski towns all offer plenty of on-slope instruction when the snow flies, and this same aesthetic continues in summer, making them great places to learn a new sport from experts.

Jackson Hole, WY 

The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski area borders Grand Teton National Park, named for the most iconic peak in the Teton Range, and a world-famous classic summit climb. The town is also home to the oldest and most revered climbing and guiding service in the nation,Exum Mountain Guides. Founded in 1929, the service sought to bring the expertly guided teaching focus of European alpine climbing to the States, and for more than 85 years a highly-experienced staff has made this the best place in the country to learn mountaineering skills.

Offerings run from one-day skills clinics to the famed multi-day Grand Traverse of the entire Teton Range. But Exum is best known for its signature Classic Grand Teton, a 3-4 day program that takes complete novices through two days of basic instruction and then summits one of America’s “bucket list” peaks. Over the years, thousands of ‘never before’ climbers have gone through this transformative experience. Those who arrive in Wyoming with climbing skills can attempt a more technical route, try other summits in the Tetons, or choose from higher level courses like Advanced Multi-Pitch Climbing or Learn to Lead. For a very different and more accessible Alpine-style taste of climbing, the Jackson Hole ski resort recently became the nation’s first to install a Via Ferrata, or “iron way” route. Popular in Europe, these use iron rungs and cables set in steep cliffs to connect isolated high altitude trails, combining hiking with assisted “climbing.”
Where to stay in Jackson Hole

Breckenridge, CO

At 9,600 feet, the former mining town of Breckenridge has long been known for its Wild West history and altitude, with both the largest designated historic district in Colorado and the highest lift-served skiing in the entire United States. Now it is quickly becoming known for something very different – Stand Up Paddleboarding. The SUP craze has swept the area, especially at large, calm Lake Dillon, long popular for watersports. Stand Up Paddle Colorado offers a variety of programs including 2-hour guided learning tours, SUP and Yoga classes, and combined SUP and rafting adventures.

Elsewhere, MetaYoga studio in Breckenridge has teamed up with equipment rental shop Alpine Sports to offer daily SUP Yoga classes on Maggie Pond for all levels, including beginners. Alpine Sports also rents SUP gear, including a variety of inflatable and rigid boards, and offers free instructional demos every Sunday. For the more adventurous, both Stand Up Paddle Board Colorado and longtime whitewater outfitter KODI Rafting have introduced river paddleboarding, which combines a morning flat water introductory session on Lake Dillon (and lunch) with a four mile afternoon Colorado River trip through Class I & II rapids on a SUP.
Where to stay in Breckenridge

Steamboat Springs, CO

This place is so synonymous with skiing that it has long held the trademark for “Ski Town USA,” but Steamboat may soon be even better known for its awesome mountain biking. After all, there are lots of places to ski in the US, but very few with all-terrain cycling offerings – hence the more recent trademark, Bike Town USA. The ski resort has built a one-of-a-kind facility, the Steamboat Bike Park, with over 50 miles of downhill and freeride terrain, including bridges, ramps, rocks and a wide variety of natural and man-made features. With a mind boggling vertical drop of 2,250 feet, it is served by the resort’s gondola for all-day thrills.

The Park rents top of the line Kona and Specialized bikes and accessories, including body armor. The bike school on site does everything from 2-hour introductory group lessons to race training, progressive skills clinics, private instruction and women’s only groups. But the Park is just the tip of the town’s cycling iceberg. The Yampa River Core Trail is a 7.5 mile multi-use trail along the river that connects the heart of town with myriad other off-road riding options like the extensive 4,000-acre Emerald Mountain Trail system, home to miles and miles of maintained and mapped single-track trails. There are lots of other area trails too, plenty of mapped loops, and many rental shops offering both top-notch equipment and local advice.