Arizona is a land immortalized by its native saguaro cactus, the 40-foot dark green pinnacle pictured on the state license plate, but you might be surprised to discover that this southwestern state also boasts ski resorts nonpareil. Long, wet winters grace the mountain conifers of Eastern Arizona with their winter coats, and sunny skies year-round beckon skiers to enjoy the fluffy, open powder.

Beat the Heat in the White Mountains

In the White Mountains of Arizona, just four hours east of Phoenix and north of Tucson, is the Sunrise Park Resort. Reaching up to 11,100 feet in elevation, the resort receives 250 inches of snow annually, blanketing the mountainsides in fresh powder. From alpine skiing to cross-country skiing, sleigh rides, trick snowboarding and ice fishing, the resort offers a taste of the best of western winters. In business for more than 40 years, Sunrise is the largest ski resort in the state.

Ski to Your Heart’s Content

Here, more than 60 runs crisscross 800 skiable acres spread across three peaks. Most of the trails are evenly split between beginner and intermediate trails making this a great place to learn how to ski or hone your skiing skills. The remaining runs, classified as black diamonds and double blacks, are mostly located on the rugged 10,700-foot Cyclone Mountain. Long-term visitor “Mike H.” says, “I’ve been skiing Sunrise for 30 years and everyone I’ve introduced to it is always pleasantly surprised how good it is … Cyclone Mountain has some fun steep bowls … There are some mellow green and blue runs off to one side of Cyclone that are great if you have kids.”

The hub of the resort is Sunrise Mountain, which boasts 10 lifts, restaurants, equipment rentals and training lessons. Lift ticket and equipment rental prices have increased in recent years but remain reasonable, especially when compared with destination ski resorts in central Colorado.

Where To Stay?

Journalist Jane Ellis writes, “Sunrise Ski Resort is more of a ski facility for day-trippers than a resort known for its wild and crazy nightlife.” The resort does host the Black Diamond Bar for those 21 and older, however. Many visitors splurge on a room within the 100-room Sunrise Park Lodge, open during the winter and summer. Others hang out in the nearby town of Pinetop-Lakeside, a popular summer recreation destination known for its mountain biking, hunting, hiking, and horseback riding. The town offers every flavor of lodging: bed and breakfasts, hotels, campgrounds, RV parks, and AirBnB short-term rentals. Here’s a hint: Grab a morning coffee at the quaint La Vie Marketplace and Café.

How to Get There

If the thought of carving fresh powder below an overhanging cornice makes you want to strap on your skis, then do it! From Phoenix, you can either swing south and follow Highway 60 until its intersection with Highway 260 north of Pinetop-Lakeside, or you can tread north, following Highway 87 until its intersection with Highway 260 around Payson. Either route takes about four hours. Getting to the resort using mass transit is a little more difficult. You can ride a Greyhound bus to Pinetop, and then ride a shuttle to the resort. Other private shuttles, such as the Mountain Valley Shuttle, offer private drives from the Phoenix metro area to the interior of the White Mountains.

This winter, get out of the Valley and experience the colder side of Arizona with an exceptional ski outing at Sunrise Park Resort.