Favorite glades are hard to share — it can feel like you're giving away a family secret or telling people about the place you go to escape. Full disclaimer, none of the runs on this last are secret; although more than a few are tucked away at the edge of the mountain, they’re all marked. But they're so far out-of-way they’ll never be overrun. Some are even famous. Whether you need to find shadows on a flat light day or you want to float through a forest on powder, we have a glade for you.
*Resort names in blue link to the related Avant Ski Resort Guide.
1. Best For: Starting the Day Off Right Tally Ho Glades is our top choice at Revelstoke, by a slim margin. With the entire mountain covered in glades, tough choices here. Revelstoke has over a mile of vertical feet and glades, tip to tail. North Bowl, the backside, is filled with trees. On the front side, glades run under the gondola all the way down to the base. Glades span the gambit - steep, moderate, flat, pillows, cliffs, spacious, thick, and dense. The trees can start looking the same and you may feel like you've ended up in Narnia.
We love Tally Ho Glades for serving some of the most satisfying first turns off the top, anywhere. These could easily be your first turns of the day at Revelstoke. It’s hard to forget your first turns; especially on a powder day, which Revelstoke has in spades. Stay to the skier's right for a longer line. Head left and the run is shorter. Keep heading left and you’ll pop out onto Hot Sauce, which is clear cut and open.
Access: Take the Stoke Chair and exit right and traverse while keeping your eye on the cat track below you. When you reach the end of the cat track, there will be a set of trees called Tally Ho. Dive in. All paths end up in a run-out called Last Chance. On the left after you’ve passed two groomed runs, you’ll hit Stihl Life Glades. Follow that down for awhile to return to the base.
2. Best For: In Plain View
Face of Bell and Bell Meadow are smack in the middle of Aspen Mountain, setting them apart from many of the glades on this list that are out of the way. These glades are situated on the Ridge of Bell, the middle of Aspen Mountain’s three ridges. They comprise Aspen’s geographical and spiritual center. Here you'll find widely spaced evergreens. Beware, this is a hot spot on powder days. In between storms, the moguls here are fun too. Time your run with the sun.
Access: Take the Bell Mountain lift and exit right to u-turn onto Ridge of Bell. Head down about fifty yards until you see the trees on your left. That’s the spot. Have at it!
Aptly named, Aspen is full of great tree skiing. To ski or ride through Aspens (trees), head to Last Dollar, Cone #1 and Cone #2 on the east face on Aspen’s westernmost ridge. For steeper and denser trees, try Bingo Glades at the bottom of Gentleman’s Ridge.
3. Best For: Stunning Serenity
Tucked away on the far side of Lady Morgan peak at the far end of Deer Valley, Centennial awaits. And it is stunning. The bare aspen branches make for great visibility. You can cruise through these trees on a medium steep to steep pitch. It’s a relatively short run, but doesn't have to be. Stop for a second and look around. The Lady Morgan Lift will be waiting for you at bottom.
With a northern aspect, Centennial holds a lot of snow. It’s gorgeous in the direct midday light. But don’t sleep through the morning, when the sun breaks over the ridge and lights up the tops of trees. Centennial is a slice of tranquility and a good place to find a forgotten patch of powder. It's also prime for slamming through some moguls in between storms.
Access: Those staying at Empire Canyon Lodge have have a leg up. Just head down Walker to the base of Lady Morgan Express. From Snow Park Lodge, ride Snow Queen and head past Silver Lake Lodge to get on Quincy Express. Exit Quincy and traverse straight ahead to Banana. Take Banana to Lady Morgan lodge and then Walker to the base of Lady Morgan Express.
4. Best For: Champagne Powder Closet and Shadows at Steamboat are a true powder playground made up of expansive trees and nearly always filled with excellent snow and fun terrain. Easy to access, you could spend a good portion of the day lapping these runs and not ski the same line twice. There are many different fall lines to follow. The trees also protect and sometimes even recycle the snow and it is not uncommon to find light, fluffy stuff here days after a storm. The perfectly spaced trees transition from evergreens to aspen about two-thirds of the way down. Staying to the skier's right will bring you to the right side of the ridge called Sunset, or finish up on Moonlight the the skier's left.
Access: Closet and Shadows fill the area between the Storm Peak and Sundown Express lifts and are accessible from either side. From the top of Storm Peak, follow the traverse until you see a line in the trees to your right. From Sundown Express, Shadows comes up immediately when you exit left.
5. Best for: Sustained Length and Pitch
Monument Glade at Northstar California is an epic spot for long, sustained laps through the trees. The trees are pretty widely spaced, enabling plenty of opportunities for speed and ample face shots. At just under a mile in length, this area is a must on a powder day. Monument is ideal for big groups and provides loads of fun for intermediates through experts. Pro tip - come early as this glade is extremely popular after a storm.
Access: Located on the resort’s backside, the Monument Glade is the treed area to the skier's left of the Burnout trail. Head to the summit and enter the trees immediately to the left from the top of the trail. This area is great for continuous laps from the Backside Express chair.
6. Best For: Dynamic Terrain
Pack Saddle and Dude Park at Big Sky create a playground with pockets of trees to squeeze through, scattered clearings to open it up in and cat tracks to launch. A mountain bike trail in the summer is a pump track in the winter. The pitch is mild to medium and there’s a little bit of everything. The terrain is particularly dynamic for a short run. The appetizer is wide open Chicken Head Bowl. A short, steep wide open bowl that flattens out then rolls over into Pack Saddle.
This area is south facing and best in the morning sun. Here you can find shadows on days when the light is flat. The lift lines on the South Face of Big Sky tend to be shorter too. The ride up is quick and the lap is fast. It’s the best value on the menu.
Access: Head to Big Sky's South Face. Ride Shedhorn, a four pack for access to Dude Park and Saddle Glades. Pack Saddle Glades is right below Chicken Head Bowl. It merges into Dude Park. You'll cross over Skittles Road. Another cat track, Lupine, juts into it. It's flanked by Yellow Mule.
7. Best For: Freeskiing in the Trees
The Granite Glades at Palisades gets our vote for some of the best natural, freestyle terrain within a resort’s gladed areas. Nestled under Granite Chief peak, this zone is known for its abundance of granite rock outcroppings that litter the slope with drops, tight chutes, and natural hits. Popular with the Palisades Tahoe Big Mountain Team, the Granite Glades are also a great spot to watch some next level skiing from the up and comers on the Tahoe freeskiing scene. The tree spacing here is also generous, making it a go-to for families looking for fresh tracks on a powder day.
Access: Take the Granite Chief chair and exit to the right. You can either hike Granite Chief Peak, or drop into the Hidden Bowl and traverse underneath the peak. The terrain mellows out substantially the further you traverse into the glade, while the more advanced freesking terrain is located closer to the chair line.
8. Best For: Late Day Powder
Wazoo at Mammoth Mountain feels like a secret, but very much on the map. Tucked away in on often-overlooked Eagle Lodge corner of Mammoth. Access is slightly technical. It takes a second or two (see below). These aren’t downsides, they’re what make Wazoo a perfect run for getting away from the crowds and finding powder late in the day, even a few days after a storm.
Wazoo rides a lot like it sounds. The top is steep. After a few jump turns, Jeffrey Pines covered with neon green moss are far enough apart to arc some wide ones. Watch for boulders and roll overs. As you get to the bottom, duck! The forest gets thicker.
It’s rare to run into people. Even if the tracks aren’t fresh, your line should be clear. You might hear hollering. It’s other people with the same good idea.
Access: Take the Panoramic Gondola to the summit and head towards Dave’s Run. Ski past Dave’s Run staying high and right until you get onto a ridge. Follow the ridge fairly tightly. After a series of chutes, the trees start. Those trees are Wazoo. Drop in anywhere. Catch Chair 9 to get to Main Lodge or ski down all the way down to Eagle Lodge.
9. Best For: An "Out West" Feeling in the East Brackett Basin at Sugarloaf has more than 270 acres and 2,300 vertical feet of tree skiing, making it the largest gladed area on the East Coast. Designated 'sidecountry' by the resort, Brackett Basin is a lightly maintained and patrolled paradise of steeps, trees, chutes, and cliffs that offers an experience that is more akin to something you'd expect to find out west.
If you're feeling ambitious, try hiking or skinning to the summit of neighboring Burnt Mountain for an off-the-beaten-path adventure.
Access: Brackett Basin is well marked by a large wood and steel archway that serves as the entrance to the area. From the top of the King Pine chair, exit left and then immediately head skier's right to reach the archway. From the top of the Skyline chair, exit left and use Spillway X-Cut to access Brackett.
10. Best For: Trying out the Trees If you're new to tree skiing, Blind Ambition at Sunday River is our pick. This single-black rated glade offers 90+ acres of wide open tree skiing at a lower angle, perfect for anyone building confidence in the glades. Located in the Jordan Bowl section, this area tends to hold some of the best snow on the mountain.
This glade isn't just fun for newer tree skiers though – with wide open space and plenty of natural features, Blind Ambition is also incredibly fun for experienced shredders.
Access: From the top of the Jordan Quad, exit right for Lollapalooza. After skiing down a few hundred feet, the entrance to Blind Ambition will be on your right. For more of a challenge, you can also access Blind Ambition from the left side of Excalibur. The top section is much tighter and steeper; we recommend only experts take this approach.
11. Best For: Steep and Deep in the East Timbuktu and Beaver Pond Glade/André's Paradise at Jay Peak stand out, though it's hard to go wrong with any of the tree skiing here. Located just miles from the Canadian border in the most Northern part of Vermont, Jay boasts the highest average snowfall of any resort in New England. The famous "Jay Cloud" dumps over 360" of snow per year. This makes for some of the best tree skiing conditions in the region, and Jay has the terrain to match. You can find awesome tree skiing all over the mountain, but our favorites are located on opposite edges of the mountain, they offer more room to spread out and retain some of the best snow throughout the day.
Access: To access Timbuktu, take the Jet Triple and exit left. Traverse as far as you can until you hit the entrance to the glade. For Beaver Pond Glade/André's Paradise, take the Flyer Express Quad and exit right to Ullr's Dream. Follow the trail down, and as it bends to the right you will see the entrance to the glades on your left.
**A WORD OF CAUTION: While your favorite glades can serve as fun and peaceful sanctuaries – always stay alert, especially on powder days when both stoke and danger are high. Go out with a buddy and avoid getting too close to tree wells.
Summary of our Top 11 Glades (by category):
Tally Ho Glades – Revelstoke, BC (Starting the Day Off Right)
Face of Bell & Bell Meadow – Aspen, CO (In Plain View)
Centennial – Deer Valley, UT (Stunning Serenity)
Closet & Shadows – Steamboat, CO (Champagne Pow)
Monument Glade – Northstar, CA (Sustained Length & Pitch)
Pack Saddle Glades & Dude Park – Big Sky, MT (Dynamic Terrain)
Granite Glades – Palisades Tahoe, CA (Backcountry Feel)
Wazoo – Mammoth Mountain, CA (Late Day Powder)
Brackett Basin – Sugarloaf, ME ("Out West" Feeling in the East)
Blind Ambition – Sunday River, ME (Trying the Trees)
Timbuktu & Beaver Pond Glade/André's Paradise – Jay Peak, VT (Steep & Deep)
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