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Best Après-Ski Destination 2027

By Readers' Choice On 11/4/26 at 12:00 PM EST

From lively bars and mountain-view patios to live music and fireside lounges, apres-ski destinations give skiers and snowboarders plenty of ways to unwind after a day on the slopes. Vote for your favorite by clicking below. Voting ends December 2, 2026. Winners will be announced December 16, 2026.

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5506′ Skybar — Beech Mountain, North Carolina

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Located at 5,506 feet above Beech Mountain Resort, 5506′ Skybar offers skiers and snowboarders an opportunity to take a break without leaving the mountain. The mountaintop bar is accessible by chairlift, with winter visitors able to enjoy food and drinks before returning to the slopes. Its outdoor deck features Adirondack chairs and picnic tables, providing seating with views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. The menu includes casual options suited to a midday break or an afternoon stop. Its elevated location and direct connection to the resort make it a distinctive part of Beech Mountain's ski-day experience.

The Foundry Pub & Grille — Jay, Vermont

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Located on the second floor of Hotel Jay at Jay Peak Resort, The Foundry Pub & Grille offers skiers a full-service dining option within the resort's Tramside village. The restaurant serves chargrilled steaks and meats, fresh pasta, locally sourced vegetables and other pub-style meals. Its signature ceramic-tile oven is used to prepare a selection of dishes, while the adjacent Eleven Patio provides additional seating, mountain views and firepits. The outdoor space is ideal for visitors looking to spend time outside the lodge after skiing. With extended Saturday hours and occasional live music, The Foundry accommodates both casual apres-ski visits and evening meal diners.

Garfinkel's — Vail, Colorado

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Garfinkel's, known locally as Garf's, has been a fixture of Vail's Lionshead Village since 1993. Located near the Eagle Bahn Gondola, the sports bar and restaurant is a convenient venue for skiers to gather after a day on the mountain. Its large outdoor deck overlooks the base area, making it a popular spot to watch skiers return from the slopes. The menu focuses on American comfort food and familiar bar favorites, while the bar serves beer, cocktails and other drinks. With its casual atmosphere, mountain views and proximity to the lifts, Garfinkel's offers a traditional Vail apres-ski experience.

Grumpy's — Ketchum, Idaho

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Grumpy's is a long-standing Ketchum bar and restaurant known for its straightforward approach to burgers, beer and apres-ski. Located on Warm Springs Road, the establishment caters for visitors to the Sun Valley area, including skiers coming off the nearby Warm Springs side of Bald Mountain. Its informal atmosphere, memorabilia-covered interior and large beer schooners have helped establish its identity as a traditional ski-town gathering place. The menu centers on burgers and other casual dishes, providing a relaxed dining experience. Grumpy's offers a distinctly local alternative to the more polished restaurants found throughout the Sun Valley region.

High West Saloon — Park City, Utah

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High West Saloon combines Park City's ski culture with Utah's whiskey-making heritage. Located on Park Avenue, near Park City Mountain Resort's Town Lift, the establishment is recognized as a ski-in, ski-out distillery and restaurant. Visitors enjoy whiskey flights, handcrafted cocktails and a menu of hearty dishes influenced by mountain and Western cuisine. Food options include burgers, schnitzel, elk meatballs and other substantial fare. The saloon's rustic interior and outdoor seating provide different settings for an afternoon drink or a longer meal. Its connection to a working distillery also gives visitors the opportunity to explore High West's spirits beyond the cocktail menu.

J.R.'s T-Bar — Bogus Basin, near Boise, Idaho

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Located inside the J.R. Simplot Lodge at Bogus Basin, about 16.5 miles north of Boise, J.R.'s T-Bar gives skiers and snowboarders a convenient place to gather between runs or after the lifts close. The bar serves beer and cocktails, with an emphasis on local breweries and rotating taps. Its position within the main lodge makes it an accessible stop for visitors using the resort's lifts and facilities. Bogus Basin also offers night skiing, giving the bar an extended role in the mountain's social scene beyond traditional afternoon apres-ski. For Boise residents, it provides a mountain-bar experience within an accessible drive of the city.

Le Chamois and The Loft Bar — Olympic Valley, California

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Known to regulars as The Chammy, Le Chamois and its upstairs Loft Bar are established gathering places in the Palisades Tahoe base village. Located in Olympic Valley, the restaurant is ideal for skiers looking to transition from the slopes to an informal meal or drink. Pizza, chicken wings, chili fries and other casual favorites feature on the menu, while beer and wine provide straightforward apres-ski options. The Loft Bar offers an additional space to relax, with seating and views of the surrounding mountains. Open during the winter season, Le Chamois maintains a casual, ski-focused identity that reflects its location within the resort village.

Lodge Bar at Wilmot Mountain — Wilmot, Wisconsin

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Situated in the main lodge at Wilmot Mountain, the Lodge Bar gives skiers and snowboarders a convenient place to take a break without leaving the resort's base area. The bar is positioned in the middle of the lodge's ski-side facilities, making it accessible between runs and at the end of the day. Visitors can stop in for apres-ski drinks or pick up snacks from Second Wind, the adjoining grab-and-go offering. Wilmot also has additional dining options, including Ski Hill Grill and Walt's Tavern, providing alternatives for visitors seeking a full meal. The Lodge Bar's focus on convenience makes it a practical part of the resort experience.

Mangy Moose — Teton Village, Wyoming

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Located at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Teton Village, the Mangy Moose is a longtime apres-ski destination known for its saloon atmosphere and casual dining. The venue includes a restaurant, a large saloon with two bars, a market and additional retail space, making it a gathering place for visitors staying in the village. Its food menu features familiar American favorites, including burgers and chicken wings, while the bar serves cocktails, beer and spirits. Live performances add to the atmosphere, although schedules vary. Its location near the resort's lifts makes it an accessible stop for skiers looking to extend their day off the slopes.

The Nordic Spa at Mount Bohemia — Mohawk, Michigan

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The Nordic Spa at Mount Bohemia offers a different kind of apres-ski experience in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula. Located at Mount Bohemia Adventure Resort, the outdoor spa features a thermal circuit that encourages visitors to alternate between heated facilities, cold-water experiences and relaxation areas. The property includes a mineral pool, hot tubs, saunas and other wellness amenities, providing an opportunity to unwind after skiing the resort's challenging terrain. Dining and drinks are available on site, including wood-fired pizza at Pizza Cabana and beverages at the Log Cabin Bar. The combination of outdoor recreation and thermal facilities makes the spa an alternative to a traditional ski-town bar.

Ptarmigan's Pub — Bartlett, New Hampshire

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Conveniently located inside the Attitash Mountain Resort Main Base Lodge, Ptarmigan's Pub provides a gathering place for skiers and snowboarders visiting the New Hampshire resort. The full-service restaurant focuses on pub-style food, with its Mogul Melt among the signature dishes. Its location within the base lodge allows guests to move easily between the slopes and the dining area without traveling elsewhere in the resort. The pub also offers a full bar and craft beers on tap, supporting its role as an apres-ski destination. Seasonal operations and its position at the center of Attitash's base area make it a natural stop for visitors wrapping up a day outdoors.

The Snowdrift Lounge at Winterplace Ski Resort — Ghent, West Virginia

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The Snowdrift Lounge at Winterplace Ski Resort provides an adults-only option for visitors looking to relax with a drink after skiing, snowboarding or snow tubing. Located within the resort's main facilities in Ghent, the lounge is designated for guests aged 21 and older. It is part of Winterplace's broader dining operation, which also includes Mountain Mama's Food Court and the mid-mountain MountainHouse, where guests can order meals, snacks and hot beverages. The lounge gives visitors a dedicated place to socialize during their stay, while its location within the resort means there is no need to leave the property to enjoy an apres-ski drink.

Stark's Pub — Waitsfield, Vermont

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Located at the base of Mad River Glen in Vermont's Mad River Valley, Stark's Pub is a family-friendly gathering place for skiers and other mountain visitors. The pub operates during the winter whenever the mountain is open, serving food and drinks from late morning through the afternoon. Its indoor dining area and outdoor deck provide places to relax after time on the slopes, while live music adds to the apres-ski schedule. The pub also has a connection to the mountain's history, including a Wall of Fame displaying photographs of Mad River Glen's iconic Ski It If You Can bumper stickers. Its relaxed atmosphere reflects the mountain's independent ski culture.

The Sticky Wicket — Park City, Utah

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Located upstairs in Silver Lake Lodge at Deer Valley Resort, The Sticky Wicket is a mid-mountain bar and restaurant inspired by skiing through the decades. The adults-only venue provides visitors with a place to stop for lunch or an afternoon drink without leaving the mountain. Its menu includes shareable appetizers, signature sandwiches, salads and desserts, with popular choices such as Sticky Finger Brisket Fries and the Nashville Fried Chicken Sandwich. The full-service bar serves handcrafted cocktails, beer, wine, cider and seltzers. With its vintage-inspired setting and direct access to Deer Valley's ski terrain, The Sticky Wicket offers a distinctly mountain-oriented apres-ski experience.

T-Bar — Breckenridge, Colorado

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Situated at the base of Peak 8 at Breckenridge Ski Resort, T-Bar is a slopeside restaurant and bar designed around the mountain's apres-ski crowd. Its location is handy for skiers to stop by after their final run, while an outdoor patio provides views of the surrounding slopes and opportunities for people-watching. The menu features shareable appetizers, tacos and burgers, alongside a selection of beer and cocktails. Weekend apres-ski sessions occasionally include DJs, adding music to the resort's base-area gathering spot. T-Bar also operates during the summer, making it a year-round dining and social destination at Peak 8.

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Our Featured Panelists

Julie Bielenberg

Julie Bielenberg is a Colorado-based writer producing over 75 pieces a year for outlets such as AAA, Family Vacationist, Rachel Ray in Season, Spoke + Blossom, USA Today, Vail Daily and numerous others. She has been the State's #1 agritourism for ten consecutive years and is always in search of field, farm, forest and forage. Julie has three children and two pandemic pooches and is married to an avid outdoorsman. Follow her on Instagram.

Gavin Booth

Gavin Booth of coupleinthekitchen.com specializes in recipe development, all things grilling, food- and wine-based travel and romantic destinations of the world. He has extensive travel experience, visiting all 50 U.S. states and over 40 countries. He's a full-time recipe developer, photographer, videographer and writer.

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Chez Chesak

Chez Chesak is an award-winning adventure travel writer, 29-year veteran of the outdoor industry, Executive Director of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and President of The Society of American Travel Writers' Central States Chapter. Learn more about him at www.chezconnects.com.

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Laurie Jo Miller Farr

An award-winning contributor to luxury lifestyle and travel magazines, Laurie Jo Miller Farr specializes in deluxe hotels and destination marketing. Based in New York City, she is a dual U.S./U.K. citizen, having spent half a lifetime in London. Formerly serving as the tourism promotion director for the city's official tourism boards in both NYC and Boston, she recently relocated from San Francisco, where she edited a weekly travel newsletter and co-hosted a podcast. Follow her @lauriejmfarr.

Amy Piper

Amy Piper is a freelance travel writer, blogger, photographer and author specializing in luxury and multigenerational travel. She is a native Michigander who travels through the lens of a food lover and has been to 45 states and 41 countries around the world. From getting chased by bomb-sniffing dogs in the middle of the night in Bogotá to being boarding on her plane from Buenos Aires to Paraguay due to the wrong visa, Amy always has an exciting adventure to tell her readers and community of travel enthusiasts. Learn more at followthepiper.com.

Jacky Runice

When Jacky took her first flight at age 17 to Spain, she hadn't stepped a foot outside of Chicago. As a broadcast journalist for 20 years, she always managed to bring her travels back to her Chicago audience with radio documentaries about the culture and characters of places she visited. She transitioned to print journalism (syndicated travel column via Tribune Media Services and Travel Columnist for the Daily Herald Chicago) and then to the web where she has written for numerous outlets such as CBS, LuxuryHotels.com, Examiner.com, AOL, USA Today and others. Follow her on Facebook.

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Jamie Davis Smith

Jamie Davis Smith is a writer and attorney from Philadelphia who now calls Washington, D.C. home. She's traveled to more than 90 countries, often bringing her children along on her adventures. Her work can be found in The Washington Post, National Geographic, Travel + Leisure, Afar, The Huffington Post, USA Today and many other publications. Jamie can be contacted at byjamiesmith@gmail.com, and posts about her travels on Instagram.

Aly Walansky

Aly Walansky writes regularly about food news and trends. She has been a food journalist for over twenty years and has covered everything from budget shopping to recipes to culinary travel content for national publications that include the Food Network, Southern Living, Food & Wine, Travel & Leisure, The Kitchn and more. She was ranked among top 10 journalists of 2023 and top 10 freelance journalists in 2024, as well as #1 food journalist of 2022, by Muck Rack. Follow her at alywalansky.substack.com.

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Nancy Zaffaro

Nancy Zaffaro is a writer, editor and photographer. She covers arts, culture, travel and the outdoors and also writes fiction. She is the Editor of ConfettiTravelCafe.com, and her work has appeared in print and online for numerous publications and media outlets. She travels locally throughout the Pacific Northwest, nationally and to far-flung international locales. When not traveling, she's active in her community and enjoys hiking, kayaking, yoga and spending time with friends and family. Originally from Chicago, she's also lived in Vancouver, British Columbia and Bellingham, Washington. She's currently based in Portland, Oregon.

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