Utah Ski Resorts: background
Utah -- just west of Colorado-- has several choice spots for snow vacations, including seven different mountains right by Salt Lake City, less than 40 miles from the SLC airport-- see profiles below. Also in the area are two more resorts under an hour from the airport: Snowbasin and Powder Mountain.
Key points about these Utah ski resorts include:
- Great Snow: "The Greatest Snow on Earth" is the motto, and Utah ski resorts win many awards for dry, light "champagne powder"
- Fast Track to the slopes: dozens of cities have direct flights to SLC. Drive time from the airport to the slopes is well under one hour.
- Variety: these nine Utah ski resorts offer very different experiences; also, two are "ski-only" - a treat for skiers.
Bonus for families: several resorts have "Kids Ski Free" for ages six and under, and a $10 price for kids 7 to 10.
All these ski resorts have kids' ski schools and other programs. Be sure, however, to book ahead for ski programs during peak times of the year. At Deer Valley, for instance, kids programs fill up.
Point to note: with Also, with base elevation at, say, 8530' for Alta, some people have altitude symptoms such as headache; usually symptoms are mild and go away in a few days.
Utah Ski Resorts - near Salt Lake City
The Little Cottonwood Canyon has two ski resorts, Snowbird (30 miles from the airport) and Alta (32) miles.
- 2500 skiable acres, 3240' vertical drop, more than 89 runs
- base elevation: 7760 feet
- 125-passenger Aerial Tram takes skiers to Hidden Peak and a 2-1/2 mile run
- 600' tunnel with conveyor lift
- small slopeside pedestrian village
- look for Kids Ski Free deals
- combined Alta-Snowbird pass gives skiers 4700 acres
- flagship accommodation: Cliff Lodge & Spa
- local favorite; skiers-only!
- top-rated in snow quality for its dry light snow
- 116 runs, 2200 acres, 2020 vertical drop, base elevation 8530 feet
- old-style ski lodge
- ski into neighboring Snowbird (with the right pass)
- day care, Children's Ski Adventure Center
The Big Cottonwood Canyon has two ski resorts, Solitude (33 miles from SLC airport) and Brighton (35 miles).
- 66 runs, 1050 acres, 1745 vertical drop; base elevation 8755 feet
- combined Sol-Bright pass adds Solitude resort
- popular with teens and 'boarders
- known for terrain parks
- voted #1 for Child/Family Friendly Terrain and Best Value by local parenting magazine
- look for "Kids Ski Free"
- affordable slopeside lodging at Brighton Lodge
- 64 runs, 1200 acres
- attractive "village" has ski-in, ski-out condos and inn, restaurants, grocery store, ice-rink, Club Solitude club-house with heated outdoor pool and whirlpools, theatre that shows family movies, games rooms, and lounge
Park City Ski Resorts
Three more resorts are accessed by taking Interstate 80 from the airport, and heading toward Park City, a good-sized place with lots of accommodation, old town from historic mining days, and (yes, in Utah) nightlife.
Great deal, at all three Park City ski resorts: with Quick START Vacation*, visitors can ski free on the day they arrive in Utah; convert your boarding pass into a lift ticket. (Some blackout dates.)
- so close to Park City that "Town Lift" is actually in the historic part of town
- 104+ runs, 3300 skiable acres, 6-pack lifts
- 37 miles from SLC airport
- "Fast Tracks" pass lets guests skip lineups; free w/ 5+ multi-day tickets
- 4 terrain parks, Olympic Superpipe
- Kids Mountain School
- "Ride Guides" host program for teen guests
- many services & lodging options
Personal Mountain Planner: select your skiing level, and type of trail you like, and get a map with a mountain tour built just for you.
- 90 runs, 1750 acres
- skiers-only spot with top-of-the-line services
- foodies' paradise
- 36 miles to airport
- childrens' ski programs, age 3 and up; teen ski programs; child care, 2 months to 12 yrs. old
- Tricks n' Turns (TNT) terrain park for family fun, with features for novices
- cool programs such as Group Races, First Tracks, GPS Ski Tracking
- Utah's largest ski and snowboard resort has 152 runs, 3700 skiable acres, 8 peaks
- 33 miles from SLC airport, 4 miles from Park City's historic Main Street
- kids programs include all-day daycare for ages 2-3 with 1 hour lesson
- teen clinics, terrain park clinics
- slopeside lodgings from casual, to AAA Four Diamond-rated Grand Summit Resort Hotel
- village has food, shops
- The Canyons Family Winterfest has with Nickelodeon characters SpongeBob Squarepants and Dora the Explorer, family events, music, discounts
Don't forget...
Also under an hour from the SLC airport are Snowbasin and Powder Mountain ski resorts.
Find out more about Utah ski destinations:
Ski Utah covers all Utah ski spots, and has links to the web sites of individual resorts.
For visitors' comments, see TripAdvisor.com; just enter the name of any Utah ski destination in the searchbox
*Always check online for updates!
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary accommodation at some of these areas, for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
