Whitefish earns third place in Best Ski Town competition

Whitefish received the bronze medal in the competition for the Best Ski Town in a USA Today’s reader’s choice poll.

The list is part of USA Today’s 10Best.com, which says it provides “original, unbiased and experiential” travel articles around the U.S. and world.

In the No. 1 spot was Taos, New Mexico, followed by Reno, Nevada, in second.

Nominees were chosen by five experts from the ski world, noting that all of the ski towns on the list are appealing destinations, both on and off the slopes. Online voting determined the towns that made the top 10 list.

“The best ski towns offer way more than convenient access to the mountain,” the website says. “Many of these towns and small cities are steeped in heritage and a sense of authenticity.”

The other towns to make the list were, North Conway, New Hampshire; Truckee, California; Crested Butte, Colorado; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Stowe, Vermont; Steamboat Springs, Colorado; and Breckendridge, Colorado.

Bozeman was the only other Montana city to make the list of 20 nominees who competed in the poll.

The listing says Whitefish boasts an impressive collection of restaurants, family-run stores and a lively après-ski scene.

“Situated at the base of the underrated Whitefish Mountain Resort, the town of Whitefish is part rustic Western, part artsy chic,” the site says.

When the competition began, a number of Whitefish community leaders told the Pilot why they thought the town should win.

Mayor John Muhlfeld said Whitefish is a real, authentic mountain town made up of real families that chose to live, work and raise families because of the quality of life here.

“We are not contrived, and we are fortunate to boast some of the most spectacular scenery and unspoiled natural environments in North America,” he told the Pilot last month. “It’s for these reasons why Whitefish has become such a desirable place to live, work and raise families. People thirst for quality of life, and we provide that right here in beautiful northwest Montana.”