Winter is one of the best times to travel in America. The crowds are smaller at most destinations, the prices are lower, and some of the country's most spectacular landscapes are at their most beautiful under a blanket of snow. Whether you're chasing powder in Colorado, warmth in Florida, or the extraordinary solitude of Utah's national parks in winter, there's a perfect winter getaway for every traveler.

Here are the best winter getaways in the USA.

Colorado's ski resorts — Vail, Aspen, Breckenridge, Telluride, and Steamboat Springs — offer the finest skiing in America. The state's dry, light powder snow ("Champagne Powder"), its world-class mountain towns, and its extraordinary mountain scenery make it the premier ski destination in the country.

Best For: Serious skiers, luxury ski resort experience, mountain town culture
Best Time: January–February for the best snow conditions

See our Colorado Skiing Guide for the complete guide.

Vermont's ski resorts — Stowe, Killington, Sugarbush, and Mad River Glen — offer the finest skiing in the East. The state's combination of excellent skiing, beautiful mountain towns, and cozy inns creates a winter experience that is genuinely exceptional.

Best For: East Coast skiers, authentic mountain town experience, romantic winter getaways
Best Time: January–February

See our Vermont Best Time to Visit Guide for more Vermont winter information.

The Florida Keys — a chain of tropical islands from Miami to Key West — offer warm weather, turquoise water, and excellent snorkeling and diving in winter. Key West's combination of tropical beauty, excellent restaurants, and vibrant nightlife makes it one of the finest winter escapes in America.

Best For: Warm weather, snorkeling, diving, Key West culture
Best Time: December–March (the dry season)

Sedona — a beautiful red rock town in northern Arizona — is one of the finest winter destinations in the Southwest. The combination of the extraordinary red rock scenery, the excellent hiking, and the town's vibrant arts and wellness scene creates a winter experience that is genuinely unique.

Best For: Hiking, red rock scenery, wellness retreats, photography
Best Time: November–March (mild temperatures, smaller crowds)

New Orleans is one of the finest winter destinations in America — the city's extraordinary food, music, and culture are at their most vibrant in winter, when the summer heat and humidity are gone and the city's festivals (including Mardi Gras in February) are in full swing.

Best For: Food, music, culture, Mardi Gras
Best Time: November–February

Utah's national parks — Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches — are spectacular in winter. The snow-covered hoodoos at Bryce Canyon are among the most beautiful sights in the American West, and the smaller crowds make it easier to experience the parks at their most peaceful.

Best For: Photography, solitude, snow-covered landscapes
Best Time: December–February

See our Best Time to Visit Utah for more information.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is beautiful in winter — the bare trees reveal the mountain ridges, the waterfalls freeze into extraordinary ice sculptures, and the park is significantly less crowded than in summer.

Best For: Winter hiking, photography, solitude
Best Time: December–February

Mardi Gras is the greatest street party in America — a two-week celebration of music, food, and culture that culminates on Fat Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday). New Orleans' Mardi Gras is a genuinely extraordinary experience.

Ice fishing is one of the great Midwestern winter traditions — setting up a shelter on a frozen lake, drilling a hole in the ice, and fishing for walleye, perch, and crappie in the quiet of the winter landscape. The Brainerd Lakes area in Minnesota is one of the finest ice fishing destinations in the country.

The St. Paul Winter Carnival — one of the oldest winter festivals in America — celebrates the Minnesota winter with ice sculptures, snow sculptures, and outdoor activities. The festival's ice palace (built every year from blocks of ice cut from the St. Croix River) is one of the most extraordinary winter spectacles in America.

Book Early for Ski Destinations: Colorado and Vermont ski resorts fill up quickly for peak ski weekends (January–February). Book accommodations 2–3 months in advance.

Warm Weather Destinations: Florida and the Southwest are popular winter escapes for northerners. Book accommodations 4–6 weeks in advance.

National Parks: Winter is the least crowded time to visit most national parks. No advance booking required for most parks in winter.

For more seasonal travel inspiration, see our Best Fall Foliage Destinations in the USA, Best Summer Road Trips in the USA, and Best Spring Outdoor Adventures.