Just outside Salt Lake City, Utah, lies Park City. This are is home to some fabulous ski resorts, and even hosted portions of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Here are five of the best ski resorts that take advantage of the perfect terrain and weather to offer visitors both a relaxing and thrilling vacation experience.
- Park City Mountain Resort
This ski resort is world renowned and is located in Park City, only about a 35-minute drive from Salt Lake City’s International Airport. The resort is just above Main Street, where you’ll find great restaurants, bars, and shopping. Being a family-oriented resort, the slopes are geared for every-level to mid-range difficulty, including skiing, snowboarding, tubing, and sledding. It is one of the best places to go if you’re a beginner. With the new high-speed lift, there are over 2,000 acres of trails to enjoy here.
- The Canyons
This is a mega resort and one of the United States’ largest ski areas. It’s also located in Park City. However, the resort’s village is rather small and quiet compared to the Mountain Resort. If you prefer more solitude and more skiing than entertainment, you would prefer this area over the Mountain Resort. It consistently has the best terrain compared to other resorts and also sports a fabulous lift infrastructure.
- Deer Valley
This resort is located about two miles west of Park City, and skiing is the only snow sport allowed at this resort; no snowboarding! For skiers, that’s great news as there is less traffic on the mountains. It is more of an upscale resort and offers a higher level of service than others in the area. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, it hosted the freestyle moguls, alpine slalom, and aerial ski events. Intermediate skiers love this resort, but it is suited for all levels. There are luxurious condos and 5-star hotels nearby for your convenience.
- Snowbird
This resort is known for its light, dry Wasatch powder, a favorite of the skiers. This mountain is geared more twoard expert skiers and snowboarders as the terrain can be steep and is very challenging. It’s about a 45-minute drive from Salt Lake City and is in the Wasatch Mountains in Little Cottonwood Canyon. It’s a small pedestrian village with not much to offer other than skiing. There are a few shops, but the nightlife is very limited.
- Solitude
Solitude is about a 30-minute drive from Salt Lake City and is located in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It’s a small, but very pretty area and has many condos that are ski-in, ski-out, or just a short walk to the lifts. It’s not as well-known as some of the other resorts so it’s quieter and a friendlier place to ski. There are light, dry powder trails abundant for all levels, including steep chutes and grand fall line skiing through trees.
Shuttles are available to take visitors to the varying nearby resorts. Even if you are staying at a quiet place, you can be in Park City within minutes to enjoy the more vibrant nightlife. Park City is beautiful and is a wonderful vacation spot for couples or families alike.
