Imagine spending a full day skiing legendary powder and making it back to the big city in time for craft cocktails, artisan eats and world-class theater. This is Ski City — also known as Salt Lake City, Utah — a bustling urban center with legendary ski resorts within dozens of miles.
You can even hit the hills the same day you fly in — Utah’s Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons and Park City ski resorts are less than an hour drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport. From Snowbird’s big air riding to Brighton’s terrain parks and family-friendly landscape, there’s something near Ski City for every level of rider.
Salt Lake City
For easy access to all options, make Ski City your base camp for riding Utah’s classic “Greatest Snow on Earth.”
To get the city buzz when you return from the slopes, there are options for every traveler. Unwind in the contemporary Element Salt Lake City Downtown, or the luxurious Asher Adams, Autograph Collection in the heart of the city. Salt Lake City’s hotels have stunning views of the Wasatch Mountains, just in case you need to check the conditions.
The lovely Salt Lake City suburb of Cottonwood Heights, just 20 minutes from the city center, offers quickest drives to the namesake Cottonwood Canyons’ resorts, including Brighton, Alta, Snowbird, and Solitude. Rest your ski-weary head in a suburban hotel with stunning mountain views.
Brighton Resort
Tucked at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon, Brighton was Utah’s first ski resort, and today still focuses on the skier experience, not fancy amenities. Brighton’s average annual snowfall of over 500 fluffy inches make it a powderhound’s paradise, and 100 percent of its diverse terrain can be accessed by high-speed lifts.
Find family-friendly groomers, stellar steeps and excellent tree skiing — often all from the same chairlift. Plentiful night skiing also makes Brighton an ideal first-day destination.
Alta Ski Area
Some resorts beckon skiers with new lodges and massive villages, but Alta kicks it old school. This family-owned skiers-only area, founded in 1936, brings back remnants of the golden era of skiing.
Head to Alta for unspoiled terrain, challenging steeps and limitless views. Averaging 45 to 46 annual feet of fluffy, stable snow per season, this is the place to ski the powder that’s made Utah famous.
Snowbird
Home to Utah’s longest ski season, iconic Snowbird is a must on any skier’s Utah bucket list. Take the famed Aerial Tram from the base with more than 100 new friends to Hidden Peak’s summit. In just eight minutes, you’ll reach long, steep runs and powder pockets beloved by intermediate and advanced skiers.
As an alternate to tram travel, ride North America’s only ski-through tunnel — the Peruvian Tunnel — to the Bird’s most legendary terrain. Jam out to music as you ride the conveyor belt lift through a mini Snowbird museum inside the mountain before arriving at Mineral Basin’s bowls on the other side.
Solitude Mountain Resort
The name says it all. Solitude is best known for its uncrowded slopes and powder stashes that keep days after a storm. Come for peaceful skiing with incredible mountain views and après-ski ambling in the European-style village.
And don’t let Solitude’s 1,200-acre size fool you into thinking it’s small. On powder days, Solitude’s Honeycomb Canyon beckons face-shot seekers with some of the Wasatch Front’s best in-bounds, off-piste terrain. Solitude’s big bowl, tree trails and long groomed runs offer endless entertainment — plus you’ll feel like you have the whole place to yourself.
Park City
The revitalized mining town of Park City is home to North America’s biggest ski resort — Park City Mountain. A gondola linking two resorts into one created this behemoth, and its 41 chairlifts take you to 300-plus runs spread over 7,300 acres.
Welcoming to young families and experts alike, this resort deserves a ski day of its own but would take a lifetime to completely explore. Find diverse terrain ranging from easy groomer cruisers to forested steeps — plus eight terrain parks. This bustling resort town may beckon you to an overnight stay to ski the first and last lifts and enjoy the hopping resort town.
If you’re looking for a night in an active mountain town teeming with charm and fun, Park City’s Main Street is the place. AC Hotel Park City and Hotel Park City, Autograph Collection offer perfect access and stunning views just a quick drive from the main drag. From Marriott’s Summit Watch directly on historic Main Street, you can catch the first chair on the Town Lift — then ski all the way back to Main for après.
For a more secluded stay, head to Park City’s Deer Valley Resort, a ski-only haven with over 35 lifts, 200 runs, and 4,300 acres. The St. Regis Deer Valley sits at the base, and offers ski-in-ski-out access.
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