Best mountain town to raise a family? (ski resorts, real estate)

[blockzilla]

My wife and I dream of raising our children (now ages 4 and 2) in a small-ish mountain town. The opportunity to work remotely full time from home is there and we are considering capitalizing on it. We'd be coming from San Diego. Here are some criteria that we value, any suggestions appreciated:

Mountain scenery
Snow
Sunshine
Easy access to great hiking, snowshoeing, X-country skiing
Trees
Of course I'd personally prefer some land, but with a family a small lot with at least a some privacy is good :-)
Ski resort towns or towns with no ski resorts are equally considered, ease and amount of wilderness accessibility is more important than a ski resort nearby.

I'm thinking places like Truckee, Mammoth Lakes, June Lake since I'm familiar with those places, and I've been reading good things on Sandpoint, ID, Durango and Crested Butte, CO. Any other places in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, Utah, etc. we should consider? I love the west, so would like to stay out this way.

Max we'd want to spend on a home is ~$450K, so I think that excludes the most expensive ski towns like Jackson, Aspen, Telluride, etc.?

Thanks!

[NYMTman]

In Montana, I'd look into Whitefish, Bigfork, and Bozeman. All are very cute, but Bozeman is a bit on the large side. They're both ski towns, and pricey compared to other Montana towns, but are bargains compared to Jackson Hole or Aspen. I'm most familiar with Bozeman, and the countryside around there is stunning. You should be able to find a home with acreage up Bridger Canyon, down Gallatin Canyon, or further down into the valley, with $450k.

Also, another idea would be Flagstaff, AZ, although again it might be too big for what you're looking for.

[ShadoAngel]

Max we'd want to spend on a home is ~$450K, so I think that excludes the most expensive ski towns like Jackson, Aspen, Telluride, etc.?

It depends on the specific town and how far away from town you're willing to live. In most mountain towns, space is limited and real estate is expensive. Although there are still plenty of non-resort towns that are still classic mountain towns but aren't nearly as expensive. A good example of this is Ouray, CO. It's about half the size of Telluride, but way less touristy and way cheaper. Exact same scenery and outdoor activities of the stunning San Juan Mountains, minus the ski resort in your backyard.

IMO, you should decide whether or not you want to have the amenities and deal with the associated negatives of living in a resort town and then compare apples to apples. Or oranges to oranges - whatever.

I would add the Wasatch Back to your list if you're looking at smaller mountain towns. Lot of sunny days, lots of snow, surrounded by mountain ranges with classic western trees (pines, aspens, etc.) - and you're not far from Salt Lake City if you need the big city amenities (like the airport) for any reason.