Best Snowshoeing Destinations for Non-Skiers

Updated for 2026 — Accurate as of February 2026.

If you love mountains, love winter, but do not ski, snowshoeing is your answer. It requires zero prior experience, no lessons, no expensive lift tickets, and no terrifying chairlift rides. If you can walk, you can snowshoe. Strap on a pair of modern snowshoes, pick up your poles, and walk into a winter wonderland that most people only see from a ski lift or a car window.

Snowshoeing is also one of the best cardiovascular workouts available in winter. Walking on snow with snowshoes burns 400-600 calories per hour, roughly twice the calorie burn of walking on a paved surface. It works your legs, core, and cardiovascular system while immersing you in landscapes that are at their most beautiful under a blanket of snow.

The sport has grown substantially in recent years, with snowshoe rental and guided tour operations expanding across every major mountain range in the Northern Hemisphere. National parks and alpine resorts have created dedicated snowshoe trails, and several destinations now offer multi-day snowshoe trekking routes with hut accommodation.

I have snowshoed in eight countries over the past five years, and I have come to appreciate it as one of the most accessible, rewarding, and underrated winter activities available. Here are the best snowshoeing destinations in the world for non-skiers.

The Dolomites, Italy

The Italian Dolomites in winter are jaw-droppingly beautiful. The pale limestone towers, which glow orange at sunset (a phenomenon called enrosadira), rise above snow-covered valleys dotted with alpine villages, mountain huts, and pine forests. And while the Dolomites are famous as a ski destination, the snowshoeing here is equally spectacular and far less crowded.

The Dolomites have an extensive network of marked winter hiking and snowshoe trails that wind through valleys, over ridges, and past mountain huts (rifugi) where you can stop for hot chocolate, polenta, and strudel. The Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm), Europe’s largest alpine meadow, is a snowshoeing paradise: a vast, gently rolling plateau at 1,800 meters surrounded by the peaks of the Sassolungo and Sciliar groups, with panoramic views in every direction.

I spent four days snowshoeing in the Dolomites in January, and the combination of stunning scenery, excellent trail infrastructure, superb mountain huts, and Italian food made it one of my favorite winter trips ever. The trails range from gentle valley walks (2-3 hours) to full-day ridge traverses (6-8 hours), so there is something for every fitness level.

Best trails: Alpe di Siusi plateau, Pragser Wildsee (Lago di Braies) circuit, Passo Nigra to Rifugio Bolzano Trail difficulty: Easy to moderate (well-marked, varied terrain) Snow season: December through March Snowshoe rental: 10-15 EUR per day from rental shops in every village Guided tours: From 40 EUR per person for half-day guided snowshoe tours Where to stay: Mountain villages (Ortisei, Castelrotto, Corvara) have hotels from 60 EUR, guesthouses from 40 EUR, and hostels from 20 EUR Getting there: Fly to Innsbruck (1.5 hours), Verona (2 hours), or Venice (3 hours). Drive or bus to the Dolomite valleys.

Pro Tip: Book a stay at one of the mountain rifugi for an overnight snowshoe experience. The Rifugio Bolzano (2,457m) is accessible by a 3-hour snowshoe ascent and offers overnight accommodation with dinner and breakfast in one of the most dramatic settings in the Alps.

Banff and Lake Louise, Canada

Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies is a winter wonderland that needs no embellishment. Frozen lakes, glacier-capped peaks, dense spruce forests, and wildlife (elk, bighorn sheep, the occasional wolf or wolverine) create a setting that feels like a nature documentary brought to life.

The park has an extensive network of designated snowshoe trails, ranging from flat lakeside loops (Lake Louise Shoreline, 3 km, 1 hour) to challenging mountain ascents (Parker Ridge, 5 km, 3 hours). The jewel of Banff snowshoeing is Johnston Canyon, where a trail follows a frozen creek through a narrow canyon to a series of frozen waterfalls. In winter, the waterfalls freeze into spectacular blue-white ice formations.

Best trails: Johnston Canyon, Lake Louise Shoreline, Sundance Canyon, Parker Ridge, Marble Canyon Trail difficulty: Easy to moderate Snow season: November through April (most reliable December-March) Snowshoe rental: 15-25 CAD per day from shops in Banff and Lake Louise Guided tours: From 70 CAD per person for half-day guided snowshoe tours Where to stay: Banff has hostels from 35 CAD, hotels from 100 CAD. Lake Louise has the HI hostel from 40 CAD. Getting there: Fly to Calgary (YYC). Drive or bus to Banff (1.5 hours).

Photo credit on Pexels

Swiss Alps, Switzerland

Switzerland takes snowshoeing seriously. Many Swiss resorts and villages maintain dedicated snowshoe trails (Schneeschuhwege) that are separate from ski pistes and hiking trails. These are marked with pink signposts and range from easy valley walks to demanding summit routes. The Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) maintains mountain huts that provide overnight accommodation, enabling multi-day snowshoe treks through the Alps.

The Jungfrau Region (Grindelwald, Wengen, Murren) is particularly good for snowshoeing, with views of the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau that are among the most dramatic in the Alps. The Engadin valley around St. Moritz offers gentler terrain with frozen lakes and pine forests. And Zermatt provides snowshoeing with a view of the Matterhorn.

Best trails: Jungfrau Panorama Trail, Engadin Valley trails, Rigi Hochflue, Zermatt Five Lakes Trail (winter version) Trail difficulty: Easy to challenging (Swiss snowshoe trails are rated T1-T4, similar to hiking trail difficulty grades) Snow season: December through March Snowshoe rental: 15-25 CHF per day Where to stay: Mountain hostels from 30 CHF, hotels from 80 CHF Getting there: Fly to Zurich or Geneva. Train to your destination (Swiss rail is excellent).

Yellowstone National Park, USA

Yellowstone in winter is an entirely different place from the summer crowds. The park is largely inaccessible by car (most roads close in November), and the vast majority of the park’s 2.2 million acres are accessible only by ski, snowshoe, or snowcoach. This means quiet, uncrowded trails through geyser basins, past frozen waterfalls, and across snow-covered meadows where bison and elk graze.

Snowshoeing to the geothermal features is a surreal experience. You walk through a frozen landscape to reach bubbling hot springs, steaming fumaroles, and erupting geysers, a collision of fire and ice that is unique on Earth. Old Faithful is accessible by snowcoach from West Yellowstone or Mammoth, and snowshoe trails radiate from the Old Faithful area into the surrounding geyser basins.

Best trails: Old Faithful to Morning Glory Pool, Biscuit Basin, Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces, Tower Falls Trail difficulty: Easy to moderate Snow season: December through March Snowshoe rental: 15-25 USD per day from shops in West Yellowstone, Gardiner, and Mammoth Guided tours: From 80 USD per person for ranger-led snowshoe tours Where to stay: West Yellowstone has hotels from 60 USD. Old Faithful Snow Lodge inside the park from 200 USD. Getting there: Fly to Bozeman (BZN), 90 minutes from West Yellowstone.

Tromsoe, Norway

Tromsoe, located 350 km above the Arctic Circle, offers snowshoeing combined with the chance to see the northern lights. From November through January, the city experiences polar night (the sun does not rise), creating a twilight atmosphere that is hauntingly beautiful. From late January through March, the daylight returns but the northern lights remain active, and the combination of snowshoeing through Arctic landscapes under the aurora borealis is one of the most magical winter experiences on Earth.

The terrain around Tromsoe includes coastal mountains rising directly from the fjords, birch forests, and frozen plateaus. Guided snowshoe tours typically include a northern lights component: you snowshoe during the late afternoon twilight, have dinner around a campfire, and then wait for the aurora.

Best trails: Guided tours to various locations around Tromsoe and the surrounding islands Trail difficulty: Easy to moderate Snow season: November through April Guided tours: From 100 EUR per person for evening snowshoe and northern lights tours Where to stay: Tromsoe has hostels from 30 EUR and hotels from 70 EUR Getting there: Fly to Tromsoe Airport (TOS) from Oslo or direct from London, Stockholm, and other European cities.

Comparison: Snowshoeing Destinations for Non-Skiers

Destination	Scenery	Trail Infrastructure	Cost Level	Best For
Dolomites, Italy	Exceptional	Excellent	Medium	Mountain hut culture + food
Banff, Canada	Exceptional	Excellent	Medium	Wildlife + frozen waterfalls
Swiss Alps	Outstanding	Excellent	High	Multi-day hut-to-hut treks
Yellowstone, USA	Unique	Good	Medium	Geothermal features in winter
Tromsoe, Norway	Dramatic	Good (guided)	Medium-High	Northern lights

Essential Snowshoeing Gear

The beauty of snowshoeing is its simplicity. Here is everything you need:

Snowshoes: Modern snowshoes are lightweight aluminum frames with synthetic decking, crampons (metal teeth underneath for grip on ice), and bindings that attach to any hiking boot. Rental is easy and affordable (10-25 USD/EUR per day). If buying, expect 100-300 USD for a quality pair. MSR, Tubbs, and Atlas are the leading brands.

Poles: Adjustable trekking poles with snow baskets (wide, circular attachments near the bottom that prevent the poles from sinking into snow). Most snowshoe rental shops include poles. 40-100 USD to buy.

Boots: Any insulated, waterproof hiking boot works. You do not need special snowshoe boots. The boots should be comfortable for walking and tall enough to keep snow out. Gaiters (fabric tubes that cover the gap between your boot top and your pants) are helpful in deep snow.

Clothing layers: Dress in layers. You will warm up quickly once you start walking. A moisture-wicking base layer, an insulating mid layer (fleece or down), and a waterproof, windproof outer layer. Avoid cotton, which absorbs moisture and causes rapid cooling.

Accessories: Warm hat, gloves (bring a spare pair in case the first gets wet), sunglasses (snow glare can be intense), and sunscreen (UV reflection off snow can cause sunburn even in winter).

Why Non-Skiers Should Choose Snowshoeing Over Skiing

Here is the honest comparison for someone who does not ski and is considering whether to learn skiing or try snowshoeing for a winter mountain trip:

Time to competence: Snowshoeing requires zero training. You can strap on snowshoes and walk into the mountains within 10 minutes. Learning to ski takes a minimum of 3-5 days of lessons before you can comfortably navigate green and blue runs.

Cost: A day of snowshoeing (rental, trail access) costs 10-30 USD/EUR. A day of skiing (lift ticket, rental, lesson) costs 150-350 USD/EUR at most resorts.

Physical risk: Falls while snowshoeing are rare and low-consequence. Falls while skiing are common during the learning phase and can result in knee, wrist, and shoulder injuries.

Access to scenery: Snowshoeing takes you into quiet forests, along frozen lakes, and to viewpoints that ski lifts do not reach. Skiing keeps you on the pistes, which are shared with hundreds or thousands of other skiers.

Social accessibility: A group with mixed fitness levels can snowshoe together. Everyone walks at their own pace, stops when they want, and enjoys the same scenery. Skiing divides groups by ability level.

The one advantage skiing has over snowshoeing is the thrill of speed and the adrenaline of descending a mountain. If that is what you are seeking, snowshoeing will not deliver it. But for the beauty, the exercise, the accessibility, and the quiet immersion in winter landscapes, snowshoeing is unbeatable.

Snowshoeing Technique and Tips

Snowshoeing is intuitive, but a few technique tips make the experience more enjoyable:

Walking: Walk normally with a slightly wider stance than usual. Modern snowshoes are narrow enough that you do not need an exaggerated waddle (a common misconception). Let the crampons (metal teeth on the bottom) grip the snow naturally.

Going uphill: On steep ascents, use the heel lift mechanism (a bar on the binding that lifts your heel, reducing calf strain on long climbs). Most modern snowshoes have this feature. Kick your toe into the snow with each step to engage the front crampons for grip.

Going downhill: Lean back slightly, dig your heels in, and take confident steps. Trekking poles are invaluable for balance on descents. Keep your weight centered over the snowshoes.

Using poles: Trekking poles with snow baskets provide stability, reduce fatigue, and engage your upper body. Adjust them longer for descents and shorter for ascents.

Trail selection: Start on packed or groomed trails and work up to breaking trail (walking through untracked snow). Breaking trail is significantly more tiring, burning up to 50 percent more calories than walking on a packed surface.

Layering strategy: Start cold. You will warm up within 10-15 minutes of snowshoeing. If you start warm, you will overheat and sweat, which can lead to rapid cooling when you stop. Begin with a base layer and a light mid layer. Carry your insulating and waterproof layers in your pack and add them during rest breaks.

Multi-Day Snowshoe Treks

For the more adventurous, multi-day snowshoe treks with hut accommodation offer a winter trekking experience that rivals anything available on skis:

Swiss Alpine Club hut-to-hut routes: Several routes in the Swiss Alps link SAC huts by snowshoe trails, creating 3-5 day itineraries through alpine scenery. Hut accommodation from 50-80 CHF per night with dinner and breakfast.

Dolomites rifugio routes: Multi-day snowshoe treks between mountain huts in the Italian Dolomites, with hot meals, warm beds, and spectacular scenery. 3-4 day routes from Alpe di Siusi or Val di Funes.

Vercors Plateau, France: A high-altitude limestone plateau south of Grenoble, the Vercors offers multi-day snowshoe treks through a winter wilderness with gite (mountain lodge) accommodation. 3-5 day routes from 60 EUR per night including meals.

You Might Also Like

• Budget Ski Towns for Adventure Travelers
• Northern Lights Adventure Guide: Chase Auroras
• Hiking the World’s Most Epic Trails on a Budget