All Salt Lake City Ski Resorts, Ranked!
By our count, there are 16 resorts within a 2.5-hour drive from Salt Lake City, UT. Here is the list, sorted by closest to farthest away from the Airport.
We are basing all of our times from Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). It should also be noted that the times are likely underrepresented. These times were gathered on a random Wednesday in March. If your plan is to visit here on a weekend during ski season, or on a fresh powder day, then there is a good chance that the drive times can be doubled, if not tripled or quadrupled.
See, the Salt Lake City area is a major destination for skiers. Between the big four in the Cottonwoods and other world-class resorts in nearby Park City, SLC is a mecca for skiers and snowboarders. It’s no wonder that the area was chosen as the host of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
If you intend to visit any of the resorts listed here, you would be best served flying into the SLC airport. A few of the most northern resorts may benefit from you flying into Jackson Hole, but those flights are likely much more expensive this time of year.
So, when is ski season in Salt Lake City? In general, the ski season gets off to a slow start in November, as the mountains are often still covered in snow from the previous season. The snowpack builds throughout the winter, and by January and February, the ski resorts are usually operating at full capacity and the skiing and snowboarding conditions are at their best. March and April can also be good months for skiing and snowboarding in Utah, as the weather tends to be more stable and the snowpack is typically well established. During years when the weather cooperates, some resorts can stay open all the way until July 4th.
Salt Lake City Ski Resorts Map
All Utah’s ski resorts but two are located within a 2.5-hour drive from Salt Lake City. This map also includes two ski resorts in southern Idaho that are just barely less than 2.5 hours away.
Which Ski Resort Is Best For You?
Of course, this is a loaded question, as everyone can have different opinions on what constitutes the “best ski resort” for you. Here are some of the best ski resorts in Salt Lake City, based on a variety of factors:
| Best for Experts | Snowbasin |
| Best for Beginners | Nordic Valley |
| Best for Skiers | Alta Ski Area |
| Best for Snowboarders | Brighton |
| Best for Apres-Ski Activities | Park City Mountain |
| Best for Families | Powder Mountain |
| Least Crowded Big Resort | Powder Mountain |
| Cheapest | Nordic Valley |
| Most Luxurious | Deer Valley |
Ski Resorts Near Salt Lake City: Sorted by Distance
Here are the 16 ski resorts within a 2.5-hour drive (on a good day) of Salt Lake City, Utah. Be prepared that the drive times listed her can be drastically longer, depending on the time of day, time of year, and day of the week.
Woodward Park City (27 miles, 30 minutes)
Snowbird (31 miles, 45 minutes)
Canyons Village at Park City (33 miles, 45 minutes)
Canyons Village is actually a part of Park City Mountain, and a ticket here gets you into both.
Solitude Mountain Resort (33 miles, 45 minutes)
Alta Ski Area (33 miles, 45 minutes)
Alta is ski only, and it does not allow snowboarders.
Brighton Resort (34 miles, 45 minutes)
Park City Mountain (36 miles, 45 minutes)
Deer Valley Resort (38 miles, 45 minutes)
Deer Valley is ski only, and it does not allow snowboarders.
Snowbasin Resort (45 miles, 1 hour)
Snowbasin hosted the downhill skiing competitions for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
Sundance Resort (54 miles, 1 hour)
Nordic Valley Ski Resort (57 miles, 1.25 hours)
Nordic Valley is a smaller resort that will probably give you the biggest bargain in the area.
Powder Mountain (61 miles, 1.25 hours)
Powder Mountain is the largest ski resort in North America.
