Elevate your winter vacation at these top places to go snowmobiling in the United States.
Snowmobile excursions are adrenaline-pumping extravaganzas with something to please everyone—not your everyday common hobbies. Thrill seekers can zip through the woods while those wanting a more relaxed snow safari can opt for a scenic tour of backcountry trails. If you’re fantasizing about playing in the powder and creating a mountain of memories while gliding on caster sugar snow, look no further. From Alaska to Wisconsin, here are 11 of the best snowmobiling places in the U.S. for your next winter adventure.
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Anchorage
WHERE: Alaska
Get outdoors, throw on a helmet, and conquer the snowy terrain as you zoom along on a snowmobile in The Land of the Midnight Sun. Alaska is a bonafide winter wonderland, and avid snowmobilers have a bevy of promising trails at their disposal. Around the capital, Anchorage, fun is on the forecast during snowmobile trips with Glacier City Snowmobile Tours. You’ll whiz past icebergs, ice caves, and glaciers onboard eco-friendly snowmobiles (or “snowmachines,” as Alaskans call them). Beginner and expert riders can also meander through the rugged terrain of Alaska’s backcountry with Alaska Wild Guides.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Alaska Guide
West Yellowstone
WHERE: Montana
Montana snowmobile trips are epic, multi-sensory adventures. One of the best places to snowmobile is West Yellowstone, Montana, just miles from Idaho and Wyoming. This is a veritable snowmobiling mecca with seemingly endless pristine trails and a wide range of natural elements that continuously surprise and defy expectations.
Two Tops Snowmobile takes riders on a number of guided tours (with options including the Old Faithful Geyser Basin and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone) on Ski-Doo 4-stroke sleds. As you gain in elevation upwards of 2,000 feet above sea level, it’s hard to miss the wondrous naturally formed “tree goblins”—trees completely covered in snow that no longer resemble trees. With natural wonders all around, this is a rare opportunity to seek next-level thrills while viewing West Yellowstone from the comfort of a snowmobile.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Montana Guide
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Moran
WHERE: Wyoming
Yellowstone National Park’s Bridger-Teton National Forest has made a name for itself in the snowmobile scene as the destination maintains an impressive 600 miles of trails. As the hub for all the action, Togwotee Mountain Lodge is no stranger to facilitating wonderful Wyoming snowmobiling experiences. First-time riders are well-catered for there, as are world-class motorists who fly in from around the world to defy the off-trail courses. The Lodge is known for its friendly guides and top-of-the-line sleds that can handle the demanding terrain. Powdery snow, straightaways, and deep backwoods challenges are just some of the features of the trails that make Togwotee a must on any snowmobiler’s list.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Wyoming Guide
Priest Lake
WHERE: Idaho
For Priest Lake, Idaho snowmobiling adventures, check into Elkins Resort, where winters seem to last a bit longer. Located in Northern Idaho, not far from the Canadian border, the resort rolls out the white carpet for snowmobilers with two trailheads throughout the Selkirk Mountain Range that are directly accessible from your log cabin (of which there are 30). Hundreds of miles of groomed trails ascend up mountain peaks as high as 7,000 feet resulting in breathtaking views of Idaho’s natural good looks. Two warming huts are available as pit stops and easy guideposts to trails that lead to many of the local restaurants in town. Idaho is just one state where you can experience the best snowmobiling in the US.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Idaho Guide
Seeley Lake
WHERE: Montana
Mission and Swan Mountains are home to some of the best trails for snowmobiling in Montana, as 365 miles of terrain take the willing through the paths. Innumerable scenic vistas, frozen lakes that offer heart-racing opportunities for speed, and chance encounters with the area’s wildlife are some of the highlights of Seeley Lake. A local non-profit group called the Seeley Lake Driftriders Snowmobile Club grooms the trails and provides resources for visitors to the area looking to rent snowmobiles, stay the night, and find a good bite to eat.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Missoula, Kalispell, and Northwest Montana Guide
Mount Snow
WHERE: Vermont
Race through the hills and valleys of southwest Vermont’s Mount Snow, a snowmobile destination in the Green Mountains and some of the best snowmobiling in the US. With guided tours operating daily except on holidays, Snowmobile Vermont will get you suited and booted and take you through the renowned trails of the Vermont State trail system at your own pace. Other picturesque places to go snowmobiling in Vermont include Okemo and Killington, where Snowmobile Vermont also runs guide-monitored kid’s snowmobile tours.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Vermont Guide
Heber City
WHERE: Utah
Utah is one of the very best places to go snowmobiling in the U.S. About 40 minutes south of Salt Lake City in northern Utah, the Daniels Summit Lodge is a self-proclaimed “snowmobiler’s paradise,” and it’s the base camp for a network of over 200 miles of groomed snowmobile trails ranging from novice to expert levels. Riders buzz through Strawberry Valley, utilizing their extraordinary inventory of 100 vehicles. The two-hour or half-day guided tours will take you out alongside the scenic vistas of Strawberry Ridge and get you back to the lodge in time to warm up at happy hour.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Park City and the Southern Wasatch Guide
Katahdin Region
WHERE: Maine
Snowmobiling in Maine is positively pleasant in the Katahdin Region, which has a network of curated trails that stretch out more than 400 miles. Often referred to as “Maine’s Wilderness Jewel,” snowmobiling is the favorite winter sport in this region, with local businesses offering snowmobile parking, repair shops, and many organized rides throughout the trails. The area’s trails are well marked and well maintained by dedicated volunteers, thanks to the many snowmobile clubs and the community of enthusiasts.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Maine Guide
Steamboat Springs
WHERE: Colorado
Winter warriors should head to Colorado, one of the best states for snowmobiling, where the powder is fresh, and the snowscapes are incredible. Steamboat Springs is particularly noteworthy as it’s blanketed with an average of 319 inches of trademarked “Champagne Powder” snow. See the best of Colorado’s Continental Divide with Steamboat Resort, which offers two-hour snowmobile tours for passengers or drivers that are at least 16 years of age. Expect challenging terrain throughout the Routt National Forest with rewarding views that extend far beyond the horizon of trees and wintery meadows. In terms of Colorado snowmobile tours, a ride through Steamboat Springs Champagne Powder can’t be beaten.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Steamboat Springs and Northwest Colorado Guide
Brainerd Lakes Area
WHERE: Minnesota
With an interconnected trail system of an unbelievable 1,200 miles, the Brainerd Lakes area’s snowmobiling facilities lure the sport’s fanatics to this Midwestern hub. With practically all of Brainerd’s more than 500 lakes frozen throughout the winter months, snowmobilers revel in the tree-less expanses with races and tricks. The Paul Bunyan Trail is Minnesota’s longest continuously paved state trail at 115 miles, and it’s one of the best places to go snowmobiling in the state. For rentals, Cragun’s Resort on Gull Lake, Breezy Point Resort, Nisswa Adventure Rentals, or Platinum Powersports can accommodate you.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Minnesota Guide
St. Germain
WHERE: Wisconsin
Winter snowmobiling is popular among ice fishers and cross-country skiers in lake-filled St. Germain. It’s perceived to be the best place to snowmobile in Northern Wisconsin, and there’s even a Snowmobile Hall of Fame where enthusiasts can enjoy showcases of races and historic sleds and also pick up merch. This remote wooded area is best known for its expansive Bo-Boen Snowmobile trails, which volunteers maintain from Wisconsin’s largest organized snowmobile club, the Bo-Boen Club. St. Germain snowmobile rentals can be arranged at Premier Powersports and Marine or St. Germain Sport Marine.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Wisconsin Guide
I gather the enthusiasts of this so-called sport are not into ecology and concern about energy wasting while polluting the pristine nature trails with noise and fumes...
Sorry to see Fodors giving in and more to such slow but sure destruction of nature. Pity...
I'm guessing you're the type of outdoors person that sees a bear and runs, never stops to smell the flowers because one may disturb their chi and most likely have zero understanding of what various sports and organizations such as snowmobiling do to enhance the ecology that you so eloquently refer to in your post.
Ironic as well that you are most likely using a computer or cell phone that is highly toxic to the ecology just to manufacture the components and then you are needlessly using electricity to power or charge these devices as well as power the infrastructure that we call the internet. Oh this internet is actually a commodity and some of the infrastructure travels through forests which...blah blah blah, yes fouDor you are a hypocrite, look in the mirror...
Amen, Joshua!
Wow!!! I bet you are a lot of fun