Discover the Best Mountain Town Resorts in the US

Need an escape from the everyday? Get away to a mountain town resort for fresh air, scenic beauty and outdoor adventures for every season, whether you're into birdwatching, sunning by the pool or snowboarding. We've rounded up 15 of the top mountain town resorts in the US that offer luxurious accommodations in spectacular surroundings. Cast your line into a clear, cold stream for mountain trout, golf on a world-class course, indulge in a rejuvenating massage or soak in a bubbling hot tub under a sky filled with stars. These top mountain town resorts will keep you as busy — or as relaxed — as you want. Shown here: Cloudland at McLemore Resort, Curio by Hilton.

When you dip into the heated infinity pool or the hot tub at Cloudland at McLemore Resort, you're practically floating above the clouds. This cliff-edge resort sits atop Lookout Mountain in Rising Fawn, Georgia. If golf is your game, play 18 holes at The Highlands, an award-winning course set 2,300 feet above sea level, or head to the six-hole Cairn, designed by renowned architect Bill Bergin, for family play and short games. Set to open in fall 2024: The Keep, a walkable course on the eastern edge of the mountain. Unwind fireside with a handcrafted cocktail in the lounge, shown here, or dine at one of the on-site restaurants or coffee shops. Spa amenities include steam rooms, saunas, a cold deluge shower and hydrotherapy lounge; the fully equipped fitness center has a Peloton spin room. Before settling in for the night, browse the curated library, play board games or peer through the telescopes at the natural beauty of the Cumberland Plateau and McLemore Cove.

Indulge in fine dining and relax at peaceful Blackberry Farm, located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. This resort is known for its outstanding farm-to-table dining, and guests can sign up for cooking classes and wine tastings. Choose from outdoor activities like archery, clay shooting, fly fishing, paintball or hiking; guides and equipment are available. Each of the 68 accommodations, which include historic rooms, cottages and multi-bedroom houses, is furnished with art and fine antiques. Practice your yoga and barre and experience fast-paced cardio activities at The Wellhouse or treat yourself to spa treatments. (There's even a Blackberry Bloomers Junior Spa.) Three award-winning restaurants at this hotel in the mountains serve everything from haute cuisine to foods indigenous to the Smokies, like smoked North Carolina trout, sausage gravy on buttermilk biscuits and custard tarts made with wildflower honey.

There’s nothing rough about roughing it at The Resort at Paws Up, even though it’s on a real working cattle ranch on 37,000 acres of unspoiled wilderness in the foothills of Western Montana's Garnet Mountains. Book a rugged but luxurious home (with the amenities of a five-star hotel) or a safari-style glamping tent (available from May to mid-October, also with all the comforts you could want). Also on the property: the green o, a unique getaway that offers upscale, secluded tree houses with spectacular forest views. Lewis and Clark once explored this land; today, Paws Up invites guests to choose from approximately 70 outdoor adventures, including fly fishing (10 miles of the Blackfoot River run through the property), hiking, swimming, sport shooting and more. Let kids abandon their screens for supervised activities like mountain biking and wrangling. The resort is about 35 minutes northeast of Missoula, in Blackfoot Valley. Rates include one round-trip transfer to or from Missoula International Airport for each home or tent you reserve and all daily transportation on the property.

This grand resort in the Allegheny Mountains is a National Historic Landmark and has welcomed guests since 1778. Create unforgettable memories at The Greenbriar, a world-class resort with elegant signature rooms, lavish estates with private homes for rent and legacy cottages updated with fresh decor and modern amenities. The resort has hosted legendary golfer Sam Snead, among other pros (ask the caddies about them), and boasts four golf courses — one redesigned in 1977 by Jack Nicklaus — with breathtaking mountain views. An on-site golf academy teaches the basics to beginners and helps more experienced golfers hone their skills. Try your luck in the resort's casino or unwind in the spa, where the services combine new wellness experiences with water from White Sulfur Springs that are believed to have healing powers.

You'll find the historic Omni Grove Park Inn in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, not far from the Blue Ridge Parkway. For over a century, this top mountain town resort has hosted travelers who come for its relaxing mineral pools, therapeutic waterfalls and the lap pool in its subterranean spa (voted one of the top resort spas in the country by Conde Nast Traveler), as well as its championship Donald Ross-designed golf course and 10 unique restaurants and bars. Explore the charming mountain town shops, boutiques and galleries in Asheville's River Arts District and the Biltmore Estate and North Carolina Arboretum. This hotel in the mountains is dog-friendly for canines up to 60 pounds; check the website for information on prices for pets other than service animals.

Just 45 minutes from Yellowstone National Park and an hour south of Bozeman, Big Sky Resort includes more than 5,850 acres in Montana's Spanish Peaks mountain range. (Tours of Yellowstone National Park are offered from April to October.) Guests can ski in/ski out of this luxurious hotel in the mountains or, weather permitting, play 18 holes on the Tom Weiskoph-designed golf course at the Spanish Peaks Mountain Club. There's much more to do. Three excellent fly-fishing rivers run through the Big Sky area, and guests can hike, snowshoe, mountain bike, cross-country ski, Nordic ski or go for a perfect score in the indoor bowling alley. Big Sky has 38 chair lifts and over 300 trail options for skiers and snowboarders of every skill level. Bring the family for family yoga, darts and arcade games. The rooms, suites and residences feature locally sourced woods and stones in a palette of natural colors; some have amenities like wet bars, fireplaces, marble bathrooms, furnished balconies and panoramic views.

Viceroy Snowmass, located in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, is another luxurious ski in/ski out resort with a variety of accommodations that offer modern amenities and contemporary mountain designs. In the winter, guests enjoy world-class snowboarding and skiing, and in warmers weather hiking, mountain biking, fishing and golfing. Choose from many family-friendly activities and entertainments; kids can learn to ski, join scavenger hunts, hike with dogs or create arts and crafts. Check the events calendar for a list of music festivals, art exhibits, culinary events and other experiences at the resort, in Snowmass or in Aspen, or just relax and revel in the stunning scenery. Save time for the holistic wellness therapies, inspired by the area's indigenous peoples, in the 7,000-square-foot spa.

Don't let the rustic timbers at Whiteface Lodge fool you. This Lake Placid lodge and resort is reminiscent of the countrified-yet-luxurious Great Camps of the Adirondacks, built for the Gilded Age upper class in the 1890s. The lodge is in Lake Placid, in the Adirondacks in upstate New York, where two Winter Olympics games have been held. From on-site ice skating to swimming, tennis, pickleball, yoga, bowling and more, activities are plentiful, or guests can go off-site to shop, ride bobsleds, take scenic flights and float in gondolas, among other options. The lodgings feature handcrafted Adirondack furnishings, cast-iron fireplaces, private balconies and fully equipped kitchens — or guests can dine in the flagship restaurant, Kanu, or unwind with casual dining at Peak 47. Take the complimentary shuttle to the Canoe Club Grill, a short distance away, if you crave light fare on the beach, or order room service. Save room for a cone, shake or candy bar from the lodge's Old Fashion Ice Cream Parlor.

New England's Green Mountains are home to Topnotch Resort, a luxury resort and spa in Stowe, Vermont. This hotel in the mountains calls itself a country retreat in the "ski capital of the east," but activities and experiences abound year-round. Play volleyball, visit the resort's world-class Tennis Academy, fish for trout in the Lamoille River or ride in a horse-drawn sleigh when snow covers the surrounding trails. Rooms and suites are contemporary-chic and comfortable, with options like gas fireplaces, kitchens, individual air conditioning controls, granite and tile baths and furnished balconies. Resort homes have spacious living areas and are available with up to three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The Fitness Center, renovated in late 2023, provides classes, Matrix equipment, Peloton bikes, a 60-foot solarium indoor pool and much more. Try a Reiki treatment, botanical crush scrub or the popular Topnotch signature massage in the spa.

The desert has never seemed so lush. At Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, a Gurney's Resort, 53 acres of manicured grounds in Arizona's Paradise Valley are studded with gardens, pools and amenities like tennis and pickleball courts. Guests also enjoy a state-of-the-art fitness center and picturesque views of nearby Camelback Mountain, a good place for experienced locals or tourists to hike or climb. A 2024 Conde Nast Traveler's Choice nominee, the resort's luxurious accommodations range from chic mountain casitas with contemporary furnishings to sophisticated suites and private, mountainside villas. Nurture yourself with daily fitness classes, practice yoga on a paddleboard, lounge by the infinity pool or arrange a VIP shopping experience to the upscale stores at Scottsdale Fashion Square.

No need to choose between a vacation at the lake or the mountains at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort. This boutique lodge sits on the shores of Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in the US, surrounded by the majestic Sierra Mountains. World-renowned golf architect Tom Fazio designed its top-rated course, which has hosted various national golf tournaments, including the Century Championship. Choose from luxury accommodations in the lodge or reserve a villa suite, available with two to five bedrooms, near the lodge and the eight and ninth fairways. Request a curated, private dining experience or visit the on-site restaurants and bar. In the winter, hit the slopes with rented snowboarding or skiing equipment from the resort's on-site partner or bring your own; in warmer weather, book a MasterCraft pontoon, wakesurf craft or other boat reserved exclusively for guests. Check out the seasonal activities calendar for information on disc golf, movies on the green, mocktails and mimosa hours and more.

The Ahwahnee, in Yosemite National Park, is a grand lodge built in Yosemite National Park in the 1930s. Considered the crown jewel of the national park lodges, it's surrounded by forests, majestic cliffs and splashing waterfalls, and two of its trailheads lead to El Capitan and Half Dome. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and named a National Historic Landmark, it has hosted presidents, queens, movie stars and other visitors from across the United States and around the world. Accommodations range from standard hotel rooms to junior suites, parlors with rooms and a variety of cottages, each featuring original Native American designs. Some accommodations are small and simple, but gathering areas and most suites are larger, plush and comfortable. Two featured cottages offer fireplaces, sitting areas and showers, but no bathtubs. Other amenities include a heated swimming pool, lounge, shuttle access to the park, concierge service and mountain WiFi. This hotel in the mountains is beloved for its historic architecture and interiors, which echo its natural surroundings, and its proximity to the park (call for reservations far in advance). Go for a walk with a naturalist, take a tour by bus or tram, ride horses or mules, bike, fish or golf. Not enough choices? Try rock climbing, skiing, snowshoeing or snow tubing. Note: the Ahwahnee is undergoing a seismic retrofit and renovation through the end of 2024. The lodge isn't expected to close, but you may hear construction noise, so spending time outside in the park is encouraged. See the website for more details.

Surrounded by rugged mountains, the five-star Four Seasons Resort and Residences is located in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, near Grand Teton National Park. While it's known for its spectacular ski runs, the resort has activities for every season, with guided wildlife safaris, fly-fishing, astronomy experiences, mountain biking, whitewater rafting and many more. Book a stay in an elegant vacation home, suite or guest room with mountainside or valley views, or ask about accommodations that include spacious living areas, ensuite primary bedrooms, furnished balconies and gas-stone fireplaces. Flights are available to and from Jackson Hole Airport, weather permitting.

Named by Ski Magazine as "Best Resort North America" for three straight years starting in 2021, Sun Valley Resort was created to attract celebrities and other A-listers to its flagship ski lodge. It's located between Dollar Mountain, recommended for beginning skiers, and Bald Mountain, aka "Baldy," for those with experience. But Sun Valley wins accolades for being more than a ski destination. It's an actual village near the charming town of Ketchum, and visitors can enjoy horseback and wagon rides, hiking, star gazing, sport shooting, golfing, shopping and a variety of dining options. It's also a scenic and popular spot for weddings, thanks to its majestic views of the Sawtooth Mountains.