If you’ve skied Utah ski resorts before and are in on the now not-so-secret handshake, you know that some of best skiing in the world is only 45 minutes away from Salt Lake City International Airport. (That means you can take a 7 a.m. flight from New York's JFK, land at 10:30ish and be on the mountain by 1 p.m.) That and the state’s maxim—The Greatest Snow On Earth—broadcasted on coffee mugs isn’t overselling how preposterously light and fluffy the powder is here, or how much of it falls annually (up to 500 inches). Below, the best ski resorts you’ll want to plan your vacation around—and how to navigate them like an expert.
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Park City Mountain Resort
The 7,300-acre mega-mountain, owned by Vail Mountain Resorts, offers runs for everyone—from the skier who wants to clock ten runs in before lunch to the boarder who wants to hit a terrain park, or even the non-skier that just wants to enjoy time on the mountain at their newest offering: Ski beach, a snow-melt hangout area with fire pits and soft seating areas. The resort (which has 42 lifts and 330 trails) and the town proper retains its silver mining roots and ’80s ski-bum culture (expect to see lots of furniture made from old K2s), and if you’re a more advanced skier, you can’t beat the back bowls after a storm. Even if you only semi know what you’re doing on those rentals, you stay and ski in Park City to revel in the bohemian, cowboy-inflected vibe that thrums along Main Street. Look up and you’ll see a chairlift cruising above you—this is truly one of the last great American West ski towns.
The Pass Situation: At the window, prices start at $175 for a full day, adult ticket. Buy online in advance and you’ll get a better deal (especially if you buy in bulk for your trip). Also know Park City honors the Epic Pass if you’re holding.
Where to Après, Eat, and Drink: High West Distillery is the only ski-in/ski-out whiskey distillery in the world and has a barrel aged, pre-made Manhattan that’s worth rerouting on the mountain for (same goes for the chicken pot pie). For dinner, head to Handle, and order the fried chicken and caramel pudding for desert. Your thighs earned it.
Where to Stay: Nestled in the heart of Canyons Village at Park City Mountain, the Grand Summit Hotel is just steps away from world-class terrain served by the Orange Bubble Express Lift and Red Pine Gondola.
If you want to stay in Park City proper, the Washington School House is only two blocks from a chairlift to the resort, and is a lovely boutique option that serves a delicious complimentary breakfast (get the pancakes) and has a heated pool and outdoor fire pit. There are only 12 rooms here (the building dates back to 1889) and the all-white interiors and vintage rugs lend more Euro vibe than a rustic one.
Deer Valley
This is a “groomers-only” type’s paradise catering to out-of-towners and locals alike, where a ski valet will help you unload your equipment from the car at the base (no hauling those Vokls on your shoulders from the parking lot). The ski school is one of the best in the country, as it should be, since Stein Eriksen, the stylish, Norwegian alpine skier who won Olympic Gold for giant slalom in 1952, served as the director of skiing for more than 35 years here before passing away in 2015. Snowboarders are still not allowed, but nobody’s stopping anyone, regardless of your boot and binding choice, from tipping back a few glasses of wine at their newest restaurant Cast & Cut.
The Pass Situation: Full day adult passes are on dynamic pricing starting at $189. However during holidays (12/26/2016-1/1/2017, and 2/17-22/2017) you’ll pay $259. Deer Valley is also on Ikon Pass. Know that Deer Valley caps the number of lift tickets sold each day, and during those dates the resort typically reaches capacity, so it's best to pre-purchase tickets online.
Where to Après, Eat, and Drink: Down your morning espresso at the Deer Valley Grocery Café, which also does a solid southwestern breakfast wrap. Stop for lunch and a glass (or a bottle) of wine at the Stein Eriksen lodge’s Glitretend (Stein’s bacon & grilled cheese is ideal elevated ski sustenance). Après and (and maybe just stay for dinner) at the Montage’s Burgers and Bourbon. The wagyu nachos are a meal unto themselves.
Where to Stay: Auberge Resorts Collection added a sleek annex to Goldener Hirsch's Austrian-inspired chalet hotel last year. Now guests can choose to say in one of the European style rooms or on the mountain chic side, with floor-to-ceiling windows and giant bathrooms. The property has a year-round heated roof-top pool overlooking the slopes and a fantastic restaurant that sources ingredients locally or from the impressive farm at its sister property The Lodge at Blue Sky.
Alta Ski Resort
Located at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon, Alta is a purist resort. Locals, Europeans in Bogner one pieces, and Americans who know what they’re doing come to Alta for its deep powder (it often gets the most snow in the state at 550 inches annually) and 2,200 acres of skiable terrain, some of it steep and fast (55 percent of the mountain is meant for more advanced skiers). This is as old-school as it gets—no snowboarders allowed—and you’ll still find vintage two-seater chair lifts in operation here, not to mention a number of telemarkers (an incredibly difficult technique that mashes up Alpine and Nordic skiing). Be sure to tick off the Supreme Bowl, packed with tight, fast couloirs, when conditions permit, which this being Alta they generally do.
The Pass Situation: $139 for an adult all day if you buy at the window. For discounted tickets, buy ahead of time and online, and if you’re a Mountain Collective pass holder, know that Alta’s a member. Eighty and older? You ski here free.
Where to Après, Eat, and Drink: Alta isn’t your typical raging ski-town (most people are in bed early to get first tracks the next day) but that doesn’t mean you’ll be going dry by any means. Even if you rent a house here, make sure you do dinner at Collins Grill at least one night, where they have a standout wine list and incredible views of the mountain. The Alta Peruvian lodge bar is where you want to go when the lift stops running—it’s like an 80s ski movie in the best possible way.
Where to Stay: Look to some of the vacation homes and condos for rent on Alta’s site (we like the Manely cabin) or on canyonservices.com. Most of them are within walking distance to the resort or are ski in/ski out. Alternatively, Snowbird’s ski-in/ski-out Cliff Lodge is near Alta (in fact, you can ski both resorts in the same day with the AltaSnowbird pass).
Snowbird
Also up Little Cottonwood Canyon and next door neighbors with Alta, this locals' favorite is generally known for perpetually being blessed by the powder gods (it gets 500 inches annually on average). The Summit Tram (which has new floor-to-ceiling windows) takes you up 2,900 vertical feet in about eight minutes, meaning you can knock out quite a few runs here quickly. The snow and 2,500 acres of terrain are incredible and challenging (you’ll see some damn good skiers here). Not incredibly beginner-friendly, but it will make an intermediate skier better in one vacation.
The Pass Situation: An adult all day pass are $167 off peak and $184 for peak and weekends.
Where to Après, Eat, and Drink: This wasn’t a resort where people came for the food per se, but with some recent revamps and refreshes, that is all changing, one example is the retro addition of SeventyOne that serves up elevated diner fare. At some point, you have to have lunch or grab a beer at The Summit, which overlooks Mineral Basin and is at 11,000 feet (the pictures you’ll take alone are worth it).
Where to Stay: The ski in/ski out Cliff Lodge, which was renovated recently, has a heated roof-top pool, a hot tub, and a sauna. Keep in mind rental homes near Alta are close as well and Salt Lake City proper is only a 30-minute drive if you’d rather Airbnb it downtown or stay at one of the many new hotels opening in the city.
Sundance Mountain Resort
The 12,000-foot Mount Timpanogos towers over this tiny ski town, and while steep bowls give experienced skiers a thrill, there are still plenty of beginner-friendly runs. Just an hour from Salt Lake City, the 5,000 acres of protected wilderness that surround the resort will make you feel totally removed from the rest of the world. Film fans can also nerd out while they ski the slopes surrounding the birthplace of Sundance, the largest film festival in the U.S.
The Pass Situation: One-day passes start at $129—however, what's known as an S-Card can be purchased from the ski resort directly, pre-season, for $99.
Where to Après, Eat, and Drink: The Tree Room is a perennial favorite. Not only is the classic, modern American food reliable, but you're surrounded by Native American art from Robert Redford's private collection. Don't miss a sip or two at the Owl Bar, housed in a restored 1890s space that was shipped in from Wyoming and once home to Butch Cassidy's Hole-in-the-Wall Gang.
Where to Stay: Right at Sundance Mountain Resort, which offers a wide selection of accommodations from standard lodge rooms to large vacation homes.
Solitude
A quintessential locals’ mountain in Big Cottonwood Canyon where you used to see fewer tourists (and the ones you did see couldn’t believe their luck in finding the place). These days more out-of-towners are discovering what Utah folk have known for years: at Solitude, you never wait in a lift line, and as you get to know the mountain it rewards by being much bigger than it appears from the base. There are 1,200 skiable acres, 82 runs, and a whopping 500 inches of annual snow.
The Pass Situation: Smart pricing starts at $89, but sometimes discounted passes can be purchased ahead of time on their website.
Where to Après, Eat, and Drink: Two bars you’ll want to hit after your legs can’t take any more: The Thirsty Squirrel and the Argenta pub. Both have that all-wood, cozy vibe you’ll be jonesing for by the end of the day, and terrific Utah beers on tap, like Unitas Baba Black ale.
Where to Stay: Rent a house in Big Cottonwood Canyon (VRBO has good options), a condo unit in Solitude Village, or think about staying in Park City or Deer Valley and experiencing Solitude through the interconnect. For $475, a guide will take experienced skiers through Deer Valley, Park City Mountain Resort, Solitude, Brighton, Alta, Snowbird, and the backcountry terrain between these resorts.
Powder Mountain
Located just east of Ogden, a small metro area about a 30-minute drive north of Salt Lake City, lies the United State's largest ski area with over 8,000 acres of skiable terrain, more than half of which is groomed, leaving ample space for powder-lovers. Even though this resort is quickly gaining popularity, its easy to feel like you have the whole mountain to yourself—even on a busy day, you may only find one skier per two acres of terrain. Since the resort is so large, the resort has created a free orientation for first-timers to help them get a lay of the land. But once skiing these runs, it's hard to imagine wanting to choose busier slopes.
The Pass Situation: Day passes at the window are $140 and $115 if you purchase online.
Where to Après, Eat, and Drink: The mountain eats still have a way to go to catch up with others above, but the Powder Keg calls to skiers for a relaxed après with dive bar-style grub and local taps. If you'd like something a bit nicer, the dining scene in Ogden is coming into its own and the tasting menu at Hearth 25 shouldn't be missed.
Where to Stay: Ski-in and ski-out of the horizon cabins located near the summit of Powder Mountain. The minimal, Scandinavian-style lodgings were designed by award-winning architect Brian Mackay-Lyons and offer incredible views from the top of it all. You will need a four-wheel drive vehicle, and experience driving in the snow, to access the cozy, fully-stocked homes.
