Best après-ski scene: Jackson Hole, WY

A strangely sophisticated combo of authentic elk-antler archways, sleek lodgings, and hard-skiing as well as hard-partying locals who know where to ditch the poles after a day on the mountain. Like the Mangy Moose (at the base of the mountain) for Moose Drool Ale on tap—and more moose-themed memorabilia than you can shake an antler at. Or the always-popular Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, where you can sit in a saddle while you revel.

Slopes: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (from $59) has the biggest continuous vertical rise in the U.S. (4,139 feet) and enough double black diamonds to raise anyone’s blood pressure. But newbies and intermediate folk needn’t fret: Après Vous, the tamer of the resort’s two mountains, is a consolation prize. Just 6 blocks from Town Square are 400 skiable acres at Snow King Mountain (from $25), which also offers night skiing.

Sleeps: The historic Wort Hotel (from $229), a block from Town Square, boasts the Silver Dollar Bar, where (as you might suspect) the bar is inlaid with silver dollars—2,032 of them. Live music and a party-hearty scene are the weekend norm here.

Info: 16 miles from Jackson Hole; jacksonholechamber.com