THE PERFECT UTAH RESORT FOR EVERY TYPE OF SKIER
Unless you live under a rock, you have likely heard about the snow in Utah. While we unfortunately do not seem to get nearly as much of it as we used to, it is still the greatest snow on earth. If you are curious why, this article sums it up pretty well. The Utah powder is certainly no longer a secret.
There is no shortage of destinations to ski in the beehive state. Having skid at all of them, I often get asked the question, “where should we go?” I wish the answer was simple, but in all reality, the answer depends so much on what you are looking for, how good of a skier or snowboarder you are, and what the weather is like.
All of the resorts have their strengths and weaknesses, but I have matched all of them with different types of skiers, so that you may better know where you should spend your time on the slopes.
The Thrill Seeker – Snowbird
In my opinion Snowbird recently ran one of the best advertising campaigns of all time. They took all of their one star reviews from google and turned them into ads. You see, Snowbird does not get one star reviews because the service is bad, or the lifts are slow. They get one star reviews because according to the reviews it is “too steep” and “ridiculously difficult”. The reason they made those into ads, is because that is the point. While it does have a few easier runs, it cannot be understated, that snowbird is STEEP.
A black diamond at your resort, is a blue square at snowbird. A green circle run at your resort, doesn’t exist at the bird. It is those steep chutes and open glades that keep people coming back to snowbird every year. Not to mention the ability to complete a single run that covers 3,000 vertical feet. Snowbird is big, and Snowbird is steep. If you are up for the challenge, it will not disappoint.
The Terrain Park Lover – Brighton
Brighton earned its place in the history books as the first resort to allow snowboarding, and it never looked back. To this day, Brighton caters to the extreme sports crowd by offering the most extensive terrain park in the State. In fact, it has its own lift. If you are looking to spend your time in the air, rather than on the snow, Brighton is the spot for you.
The Crowd Hater – Powder Mountain
I’ll start by saying this. Powder Mountain is my favorite resort. From the moment you park and buy your ticket Powder Mountain feels like you are being transported back in time. Powder Mountain is a no frills resort, with day lodges that offer simple meals and great service. Powder Mountain is also an absolutely enormous resort, that caps the daily skiers to 3,000. If you are after constant runs of untouched powder, lift lines that don’t exist, and a laid back experience, I cannot recommend this place highly enough.
I will caution a first timer to Powder Mountain, that hiring a guide for your first time is completely worth it. As I said, this resort is big. Because of that size, it is completely possible to find areas to make first tracks days after the last snow storm. But good luck figuring out how to get into those areas on your own.
The Scenery Seeker – Brian Head
As much as I love the mountains of Utah, if I am being completely honest, I am much more of a lover of the desert and the red rocks. Brian head is where those two meet. Brian Head is made of two mountains, one of which is a fantastic area for beginners, but both of them are absolutely incredible. It is hard to describe how beautiful the contrast between the bright red and orange rocks and the snow is. You just need to experience it.
Very few tourists ever get to Brian Head, as it is about 4 hours away from Salt Lake City. If you have the time, it is a once in a lifetime experience.
The Budget Skier – Eagle Point
One of Utah’s newest resorts is one of its most budget friendly. Located outside of the town of Beaver, Eagle Point features much better amenities and more terrain than you would expect from a small town resort. The only downside here is that they are only open Friday through Monday.
The Newbie – Solitude
If I am staying in the Salt Lake area, this is where I would go. Solitude has a unique mix of terrain, as well as affordable prices, and a great location only 30 minutes from Salt Lake City. It offers an extensive amount of blue and green runs for those who are still learning the ropes, but it also features some great back country skiing for the more advanced. The recent addition of the honeycomb return lift, has added a huge swath of double diamond tree skiing. Aside from the tree skiing, Solitude is known for having some of the steepest groomed runs out there. If you just want to pin your ears back and go, this is a great place for you.
The Purist – Alta
I couldn’t go to Alto for most of my life. Alta, like Deer Valley does not allow snowboarding. It consistently rates as one of, if not the top resort in ski magazines. And it earns that title. The variety of terrain at Alta is second to none. If you want to enjoy challenging slopes without snowboarders this is the place for you. If you are a snowboarder, and want to break in, Alto connects to Snowbird at several points. While they won’t let you ride a lift, they can’t stop you from riding down to the base area.
The Speed Demon – Snow Basin
The 2002 Olympic Downhill course was here at Snowbasin. So if you want to experience what it is like to go 90 mph on your skis they have you covered. A ride up john paul express followed by the Mt Allen tram will have you at the starting gate. If I remember right (there is a recording played in the tram that can confirm) the Olympians got up to something like 80 mph just descending Mt. Allen. It is a seriously steep hill.
Snowbasin also excels at amenities. It is a Sun Valley resort, so they spare no expense in the day lodges. You will feel like. Five star guest the entire time you are here. If, and I say if, because the wind often shuts it down, the Strawberry Gondola is running, it will give you quick access to some of the longest runs in Utah. That, plus the speed of the gondola itself combine to provide you the opportunity to ski more vertical feet in a day than anywhere isle in Utah.
The Night Owl – Sundance
I grew up night skiing. It is significantly cheaper than a daytime ticket, so I still recommend it for learners. I also just happen to enjoy it still. One of my favorite things is skiing on a night with a full moon. The moonlight is bright enough to allow you to venture away from the stadium lights and explore the solitude of the trees and darkened runs. The only thing you will hear is the sound of your skis on the snow.
The reason Sundance is my go to for night skiing is that they are one of the only resorts to allow this. While several resorts offer night skiing, Sundance is one of the few who do not close off and rope off portions of the mountain not lit by artificial light. I have lost more than one lift ticket at the hands of a Brighton ski patroller when I emerge from the trees during night skiing hours.
The Gentleman Skier – Deer Valley
If you are more concerned with how you look, than how you ski, you will love Deer Valley. All kidding aside, it is actually a tremendous resort with great terrain. But you will tend to run in to a lot more people who have no idea what they are doing here. It is one of the more popular destinations for out of towners to come and spend a week. At least for the out of towners with money. A hotel at Deer Valley will set you back four figures for a night…
The Skier Who Doesn’t Know Any Better – Park City
I wasn’t a fan of Park City prior to the epic pass being a thing. Now I can’t stand it. Prior to the epic pass, I never understood why it gained so much notoriety. It was expensive, doesn’t have great terrain, and gets the list snow among all of the Utah resorts. It’s next door neighbor Canyons was the much better resort. Unfortunately, during the Vail Resorts buyout, they also realized that Canyons had the better terrain, so they absorbed it into Park City and proceeded to ruin it with their disastrous Epic Pass.
If you already have an Epic Pass, by all means go to Park City. But I you don’t, avoid it at all costs. I know it’s probably the first thing you think of when planning a Utah ski vacation, but I promise you can do better. You can find better terrain, smaller crowds, and better service almost anywhere else. How is that for telling you how I really feel?
The Hipster – Beaver Mountain
Another resort that sees almost no tourists. Beaver Mountain, near Logan at the Idaho Border, is one of Utah’s better kept secrets. It offers affordable skiing, a great mountain and no crowds. Plus you can be that one person who went to Beaver Mountain, not one of the mainstream resorts by Salt Lake.
If you made it this far, and still aren’t sure where you should visit, I will offer some final thoughts.
If it has snowed in the past couple of days, go to Powder Mountain. Honestly, I would probably tell you to go there anyways, because I love it, but especially if there is fresh snow. You will never experience anything like a powder day at Powder Mountain Anywhere else.
If it hasn’t snowed recently, and you only have one day in Utah, go to Snowbird. I know it may sound intimidating, especially after what I said about it earlier. But it is Utah skiing in its most rugged, untamed glory. If you want the full taste of skiing Utah, and you only have one shot at it, Snowbird will send you home with stories to brag about.
All of that being said, if you are coming to Utah on vacation, my best advice would be to not tie yourself to just one resort. What many people don’t fully understand about the setup in Utah, is that from a hotel in Salt Lake City you can be at 9 resorts in under an hour. So I always tell tourists to get a hotel in the city, and then try several resorts. Except Park City. Don’t waste your time with Park City.