Calling All Powder Hounds to Utah This Winter

Sponsored by Visit Utah 

Calling all powder hounds. If you measure life in vertical feet. The weather app is your social media. You wait all year for The Greatest Snow on Earth^®. We get it. You might be a Utah person. And there’s no better time to experience Utah than this winter. Skiers and riders enjoy an abundance of ski resorts practically at their ski tips—with 10 resorts located within an hour of Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). On- and off-mountain winter adventures await, so use our guide to plan the perfect Utah ski trip.  

Ski The Greatest Snow On Earth 

Utah is home to 15 ski resorts, most of which—including the Cottonwood Canyon resorts of Alta, Brighton, Snowbird, and Solitude, and Park City’s Deer Valley, Park City Mountain, and Woodward—are within an hour of Salt Lake City. The Cottonwood resorts are famous for being some of the snowiest ski resorts in America. In fact, Alta recently broke Utah’s two-year snow total record with 1,531 inches. Park City Mountain Resort is one of the largest ski resorts in America, home to 7,300 acres of skiable terrain, while Deer Valley is one of the last remaining ski-only resorts.  

Don‘t sleep on Utah’s other great ski resorts. Powder Mountain, near Ogden, features terrain for days and an open-air art museum. Sundance Resort, north of Provo, offers 540 acres of skiable terrain and a variety of adventures for skiers and non-skiers, including skiing and riding, night skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, year-round fly fishing, and a winter zipline tour. Even Southern Utah gets in on the action: Ski alongside red rock canyons at Brian Head Resort, which boasts the highest base elevation in the state at 9,600’. 

It’s no wonder why Salt Lake City played host to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games and was chosen to host the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. 

Adventures Off The Slopes 

Sure, Utah’s ski culture runs deep. But winter adventure doesn’t stop at the resort boundaries. Experience the adrenaline rush of an Olympic bobsled run at Utah’s Olympic Park in Park City. Hop on a snowmobile and taste 800-plus miles of groomed snowmobile trails. Or hop on a fat tire bike to explore Utah’s many remote trails, ridges, and valleys. Take a road trip to Sanpete County to ice climb Maple Canyon or head to Southern Utah for a ranger-led snowshoeing hike through Bryce Canyon National Park. 

Looking for low key? Head to Woodward Park City for snow tubing, while the freestyle skiers and riders in your group hit the terrain park. Woodward’s indoor park also offers foam pits and trampoline fun for aspiring freestyle athletes and families alike. 

Enjoy Easy Access To Utah’s Ski Resorts 

No destination touts access and convenience to world-class ski resorts and winter adventures like Utah. Take the first flight out of many major cities—like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, and Portland—and be on the slopes of Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley, or Solitude by lunchtime. Fly into Cedar City Regional Airport (CDC) and ski at Brian Head in less than an hour. Want to ease in and out of a ski day? Take the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) Ski Bus to Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, Solitude, Brighton, Snowbird, Alta, and Sundance. 

Tips For Planning A Utah Ski Trip 

• Stay slopeside at ski resorts. Many Utah ski resorts boast slopeside lodging, which makes skiing and riding convenient.    

• Ski midweek or in the afternoons. The best time to ski Utah is midweek and after 1 p.m. on weekends, when crowds are fewer and parking lots start to empty. Check ahead for parking reservation requirements.  

• Carpool or take the bus. Help cut traffic and save money (on gas and parking) by carpooling or taking the bus. The Utah Transit Authority Ski Bus provides access to most resorts. 

• Max out your multi-resort ski pass. Ikon Pass, Epic Pass, and The Mountain Collective pass holders enjoy access to a number of Utah resorts. Want to ski all 15 Utah resorts? Check out the Ski Utah Yeti Pass, featuring one day at each resort. 

• Monitor traffic, road conditions, and resort openings/closures. Roads to resorts may close due to unsafe driving conditions, natural avalanches, or avalanche mitigation efforts. Check current conditions—weather, traffic reports, snow reports—often.