Park City Ski Resorts
Choose from Deer Valley, Park City, or The Canyons
Park City, Utah has three major ski resorts: Deer Valley, Park City, and The Canyons. Each of Park City's resorts is unique, with something for every skier or snowboarder
Park City sits thirty miles east of Salt Lake City, nestled in the Wasatch Mountains. What was once a small ski town is now a top winter destination with three major ski resorts. Visitors come for Utah’s light and fluffy “champagne” powder that characterizes the high volume of annual snowfall here.
The first resort visitors see upon arrival in Park City is The Canyons, the newest and largest of the town’s three ski areas. The Canyons encompasses eight mountains and 3,700 skiable acres. It requires riding several lifts just to reach the back boundary of the resort! Skiers and snowboarders alike love the incredible amount of terrain here. Guests could spend a week at The Canyons and still not hit every trail.
Downtown Park City is about three miles from The Canyons. Park City, founded as a silver mining town, retains a unique historic charm. Tall, narrow houses crowd together along steeply sloped streets. Main Street is the social center of town, with an enticing selection of fine dining, boutique shopping, and art galleries. Despite the boom in development in the past twenty years, and even more so since the 2002 Winter Olympics, Park City manages to maintain the look of an old silver mining town.
Main Street’s most striking feature is Park City Mountain Resort’s Town Lift, a ski lift ascending from the heart of downtown. The ride offers skiers an amazing view of downtown before reaching Park City Mountain Resort. Perched above the town, this resort echoes the mining history of Park City. The mid-mountain lodge, originally used by miners, is a great place for a midday snack or lunch.
Park City Mountain Resort, or “PCMR” as locals call it, is the oldest of Park City’s resorts. When it opened in the seventies, skiers rode an underground mining railroad to a mine shaft which led up to the ski lifts. Today, it’s known for its world-class terrain parks, and many professional skiers and snowboarders call Park City Mountain Resort their home resort.
Perhaps the most famous area in town is Deer Valley Resort, tucked into a corner of Park City about a mile from Main Street. Originally spelled Dear Valley, visitors can see the old shacks – former brothels – along the street leading to the resort. Historic preservation prevents these old miners’ cabins from being demolished to build new condos.
Deer Valley is one of four ski-only resorts remaining in the country. It’s also ranked the number one ski resort in North America, and has traded the top two spots with Vail for several years. Since opening in 1981, the resort’s earned a reputation for excellent service, trail grooming, luxury accommodations, and on-mountain food.
Utah has over ten ski resorts spread throughout the state, but most visitors come to Park City. Vast terrain at The Canyons, a renowned terrain park at Park City Mountain Resort, unparalleled grooming and service at Deer Valley, and even world-class shopping and dining for those who don’t ski – Park City’s got something for everyone.
Here, information on how to save money on your next ski trip.
