Utah Ski Resorts
Everything you need to know! (well almost)
Most people have heard the phrase "The Greatest Snow On Earth" referring to the snow at Utah ski resorts.
Now you may or may not agree with that assessment, but I've decided to give you an overview of all of them so you can decide if that statement is true for you.
I know it's subjective based on the interests and experiences of each person. So, if you've never skied Utah slopes, choose the best one for you and, come and SKI UTAH!
Alta Ski Resort
Location: At the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon in Alta, Utah. 30 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City; 40 minutes from the Salt Lake International Airport.
Description: Best snow of all Utah ski resorts - if you like powder. Over 2000 acres to ski. No snowboards allowed - Alta is for skiers. The lifts are slow but uncrowded. There are massive bowls, long groomers, steep and deep. Rent some mid-fat skis to stay on top of the powder. Great place to learn moguls. It's inexpensive, low key, has clinics for all levels, wonderful terrain, and homey lodges.
Lodging: There are many options available for lodging. If you choose to stay at Alta there is Alta Lodge, Peruvian Lodge, Rustler Lodge, Goldminer's Daughter, and Snowpine Lodge. (See Alta Lodging here.) There is plenty of lodging at Snowbird just down the road, or right in Salt Lake City. Bus transportation is available to the resorts daily.
Dining Options at the Resort: There are two mid-mountain cafeteria facilities and one base cafeteria facility. Watson Shelter and Alf's Restaurant are both mid-mountain facilities, and the Albion Grill is located at the Albion Base. Collins Grill, a fine dining, full-service restaurant, is located on the upper level of Watson Shelter (alcoholic beverages are available). There are many dining options in the city just 30 minutes away or several at Snowbird.
Beaver Mountain Ski Resort
Location:Beaver Mountain is located 27 miles east of Logan, Utah, in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest, off Highway 89.
Description: Beaver Mountain is one of Utah's best kept secrets. Over 664 skiable acres, Beaver boasts of the best-maintained slopes around. It has a northeast exposure in the morning for bright and sunny conditions. Avalanche-free conditions and very little wind make Beaver Mountain one of the all-around Utah ski resorts.
Lodging: Unique to Beaver Mountain is the Yurt where you can sleep right on the slopes. The yurt is carpeted, heated, and may be rented any night for a cozy winter party. Call the Mountain at (435) 946-3610 for reservations. Other lodging is available at Beaver Creek Lodge, hotels and motels in Logan and Bear Lake, Utah.
Dining Options at the Resort: There are no restaurants at the resort, but Logan is only 27 miles down the canyon where there are numerous restaurants to choose from.
Brian Head Ski Resort
Location: Brian Head is located east of Cedar City and Parowan, Utah. The best approach is through Parowan taking Highway 143 for about 12 miles. From the south would be through Cedar City, but entails a drive through Cedar Breaks National Monument on Highway 148, which may be closed in winter.
Description: The spectacular red-rock landscape surrounds Brian Head Resort, which is one of America's best ski vacation values. This full-service resort combines the best in winter recreation in a safe, friendly, and relaxed atmosphere.
With virtually no lift lines, uncrowded slopes, and free skiing and snowboarding for kids 5 and under, you will enjoy the 50+ runs on two mountains, and over 400 annual inches of dry Utah powder. Other Brian Head adventures include snow tubing, snow biking, snowmobile tours, sleigh rides, spa treatments, dining, and many cross-country skiing opportunities, and they continue to expand the freestyle terrain to include beginner and intermediate features, terrain parks, a halfpipe, fun boxes, and rails in various locations around the mountain.
Lodging: There are many options for lodging in nearby Cedar City and Parowan.
Dining Options at the Resort: There are two restaurants at the Cedar Breaks Lodge, Cedar Breaks Cafe and Double Black Diamond Steak House, as well as Giant Steps & Navajo Grills, The Bump & Grind Deli, Mountain View Pizza Pub, and Pizano's Pizzeria available at the resort. There are a few other options in Parowan, 12 miles away.
Brighton Ski Resort
Location: Brighton Ski Resort is located at the very top of Big Cottonwood Canyon, just 30 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.
Description Voted #1 for Child/Family Friendly Terrain and Best Value by the Wasatch Parent Magazine reader's poll for the last 6 years, they offer free skiing and riding for kids 6 and under.
This 2007/2008 season they replaced the old chair lifts with a new Doppelmayr CTEC Detachable Quad.
Brighton will be the first to offer 100% of its terrain accessible by high speed lifts! Freestyle riders and skiers enjoy Brighton's 4 Terrain Parks. Beginning at the My-O-My run, you can enjoy a full top to bottom terrain park run, and the terrain park crew keeps moving the features around so the challenge keeps changing. They also have the most night skiing terrain in Utah with 22 runs on over 200 lighted acres.
This resort is the perfect place to get away from most of the crowds as they do very little advertising. You may not even know about it unless you hear someone talking in the hot tub of your hotel about their great day skiing at Brighton . . .
. . . or you can read about it here. 
Lodging: The one lodge, Brighton Lodge (800-873-5512 ext 120), has 20 rooms and provides a continental breakfast. Other lodging is available through Mount Majestic Properties (888-236-0667 or 435-655-5609) or Brighton Chalets (800-748-4824).
Dining Options at the Resort: Brighton has five eateries, a coffee bar and two picnic lunch areas.
The Alpine Rose cafeteria is the eatery serving hearty breakfasts with daily specials, lunches and dinners. It’s located slopeside at the base of the mountain where non-skiers have easy access. Molly Green’s is a bar and grill complete with a moose head over the fireplace, a pool table, magnificent views of the mountains, and table service.
Also available are the Funky Red Bus Snack Bar, located at the top of Majestic lift; Snack Bar Cafeteria, located at the base of the Millicent area; Beehive Brews Coffee Bar, located in Brighton Center lodge; and Your Picnic Lunch and the Brighton Store, located on the Brighton loop road, serves home style meals daily.
The Canyons Ski Resort
Location: The Canyons Ski Resort is located in Park City and is just 35 minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport.
Description: The Canyons Resort is Utah’s largest single ski and snowboard resort. With over 3,700 acres of untracked trails, wide-open powder runs, family-friendly cruisers and cutting-edge terrain parks, it’s not surprising that it caters to people who really love to ski and snowboard. With an average annual 355 inches of snow, you'll find endless terrain for every style and ability.
The Canyons has 8 mountain peaks, 5 bowls, 6 natural halfpipes, 2 terrain parks, 17 lifts, and 15 trails, which adds up to a total of 3,700 skiable acres!
Lodging: There is abundant lodging available both at the resort and in Park City. The Canyons Grand Summit Hotel is a ski-in/ski-out AAA Four Diamond Hotel for those who want to be pampered. The Sundial Lodge is just steps away from the slopes. Check out the rooftop hot tub! The Silverado Lodge is brand new and designed for the most discriminating of tastes. (Call 866-604-4171 for lodging details and reservations for all of the above.)
Dining Options at the Resort: The Canyons has a variety of choices for great food and drink. Want something unusual? Try Lookout Cabin located at 9,000 feet. Sit down to a table-served gourmet lunch and enjoy breathtaking views of the Wasatch Mountains. Also on the mountain are Red Pine Lodge, Sun Lodge, The Viking Yurt, Western BBQ, and Dreamscape Grill. In the Village are Smokey's Bar & Grill, The Cabin, First Tracks and The Canyons Pizza Company. There are plenty more options in Park City.
Deer Valley Ski Resort
Location: Deer Valley Ski Resort is located in Park City and is just 36 miles from Salt Lake City International Airport.
Description: The charm and solitude of Deer Valley Resort’s secluded mountain setting includes over 200 new skiable acres, including nine new ski runs (three expert runs, one intermediate run and five beginner runs), a new high-speed quad chairlift and replacement of Snow Park Lodge’s upper and lower decks with heated pavers and the installation of new automated ski tuning machines in the Snow Park Rental Shop.
Deer Valley Resort revolutionized the ski industry 27 years ago by being the first North American resort to provide the first-class service one would experience at a fine hotel. We offer luxurious amenities, such as ski valets, groomed-to-perfection slopes, on-site child care, lift ticket, lesson and rental packages and an award-winning ski school.
Lodging: The lodging in the Deer Valley Resort area is comprised primarily of condominiums and private homes with a limited number of hotel and hotel style properties. Call their Vacation Planners to customize your vacation based on availability and your particular needs. (800-558-DEER (3337) or 435-645-6528). There is also ample lodging available in Park City.
Dining Options at the Resort: Deer Valley has many choices for great food and drink, both on the mountain or at the resort. Consistently rated #1 in food and beverage by the readers of SKI Magazine and by the Zagat Restaurant Guide, the restaurants at Deer Valley Resort offer a variety of dining options all tastes. There are plenty more options in Park City.
Park City Mountain Resort
Location: Park City Mountain Resort is located in Park City and is just 36 miles from Salt Lake City International Airport.
Description: Park City Mountain Resort has expanded its terrain bringing the total run count to 106. The Resort has created a challenging new tree area for intermediate and advanced skiers and riders called Motherlode Meadows located between Single Jack and Sunnyside runs. In addition, the Resort has added a new run off of McConkey’s lift, named Georgeanna after an old mining claim located in this area.
It will extend from the top of Tycoon to the bottom of McConkey’s Bowl, providing low-intermediates an easier way down from McConkey’s lift.
Park City Mountain Resort's Kids Signature 5 Program is for kids ages 6-14. They guarantee no more than five kids per class every day of the season and get individual attention. Plus, your child will be able to enjoy a tasty lunch of their choice in one of our four on-mountain restaurants.
For our smaller skiers and riders ages three-and-a-half to five, our Kids Signature 3 Program blends two 75-minute, on-snow sessions with a child-specialist ski instructor and educational activities in the Children’s Learning Center.
Lodging: Because this ski resort is located right in Park City, there are many lodging choices in and around the city.
Dining Options at the Resort:Legends Bar & Grill, Legacy Cafe, and Kristi's Coffee Cafe are located in the Legacy Lodge. Summit House is located on the mountain at the top of the Bonanza Lift. Five-Way Café, at 8,700 feet, accessed from the Bonanza or Silverlode lifts, is located halfway down Homerun. Mid-Mountain Lodge is located near the base of the Pioneer and McConkey's lifts. Snow Hut with its sunny deck overlooks Silverlode lift. There are more options around the Park City area.
Call 866-639-9111 as ticket window rates vary.
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