Utah Ski Resorts Ranked & Mapped
Utah has 14 major ski resorts, most centered around Salt Lake City, which is not surprising since that city held the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
The Utah Ski Season
The ski season in Utah typically runs from November through April, depending on the weather and snow conditions. Utah is known for its deep powder and dry, cold winters, which make for excellent skiing and snowboarding conditions.
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 often well established.
The Most Popular Ski Resorts in Utah
There are several well-known ski resorts in Utah. Here are our top five:
Alta Ski Area
Located in the Wasatch Range near Salt Lake City, Alta Ski Area is known for its deep powder and challenging terrain. The resort offers a variety of activities, including skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing, as well as a range of amenities such as ski and snowboard rentals, dining options, and a variety of après ski activities.
Park City Mountain
Located in Park City, Utah, Park City Mountain is the largest ski resort in the United States. The resort offers a variety of terrain, including trails for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities, as well as a range of amenities such as ski and snowboard rentals, dining options, and a variety of après ski activities.
Snowbasin Resort
Located in Ogden, Utah, Snowbasin Resort is known for its diverse terrain and beautiful mountain views. The resort offers a variety of activities, including skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing, as well as a range of amenities such as ski and snowboard rentals, dining options, and a variety of après ski activities.
Solitude Mountain Resort
Located in Big Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake City, Solitude Mountain Resort is known for its challenging terrain and natural snow. The resort offers a variety of activities, including skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing, as well as a range of amenities such as ski and snowboard rentals, dining options, and a variety of après ski activities.
Deer Valley Resort
Located in Park City, Utah, Deer Valley Resort is known for its luxurious amenities and impeccably groomed trails. The resort offers a variety of activities, including skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing, as well as a range of amenities such as ski and snowboard rentals, dining options, and a variety of après ski activities.
List of All Utah Ski Resorts
Over 72% of Utah-based ski resorts are a part of a national lift pass system. Vail’s EPIC system is associated with two resorts, while five resorts are a part of the IKON pass. The Mountain Collective (COLL) is associated with two.
| Resort | Pass | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Alta Ski Area | IKON,COLL | Salt Lake City, UT, 84121 |
| Beaver Mountain | INDY | Garden City, UT, 84028 |
| Brian Head Resort | Brian Head, UT, 84719 | |
| Brighton | IKON | Brighton, UT, 84121 |
| Cherry Peak Resort | Richmond, UT, 84333 | |
| Deer Valley | IKON | Park City, UT, 84060 |
| Eagle Point | INDY | Huntsville, UT, 84317 |
| Nordic Valley (Wolf Mountain) | Eden, UT, 84310 | |
| Park City Mountain | EPIC | Park City, UT, 84060 |
| Powder Mountain | INDY | Cedar Valley, UT, 84013 |
| Snowbasin | IKON,COLL | Orangeville, UT, 84537 |
| Snowbird | IKON,COLL | Snowbird, UT, 84092 |
| Solitude Mountain | IKON | Salt Lake City, UT, 84121 |
| Sundance | Sundance, UT, 84604 | |
| Woodward Park City | Park City, UT, 84098 |
Explaining Our ‘Difficulty Score’
Parks & Trips created a proprietary Difficulty Score that is generated by looking at the number of easy-intermediate-expert slopes by acreage and the maximum vertical drop of the overall resort.
Our algorithm compares each resort’s metrics with all others in North America, then gives each a Difficulty Score, which we use to rank them accordingly. Resorts with a lower score are easier than those with a higher one. However, a high score does not mean that the resort does not have any easy slopes, or vice versa. This is just an overall score given to the resort based on all its metrics grouped together.
The Most Difficult Utah Ski Resorts
Snowbasin and Park City Mountain are in a virtual tie for first place here. Both resorts have a very minimal amount of beginner trails and have vertical drops around 3,000 ft.
Tip: Use our Expert-Level Ski Trip for Salt Lake City to plan a ski trip in Utah.
| Rank | Resort | Green Trails | Blue Trails | Black Trails | Difficulty ScoreTM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Snowbasin | 9% | 33% | 58% | 79% |
| #2 | Park City Mountain | 8% | 42% | 50% | 78% |
| #3 | Alta Ski Area | 15% | 30% | 55% | 71% |
| #4 | Solitude Mountain | 10% | 40% | 50% | 70% |
| #5 | Deer Valley | 27% | 31% | 42% | 68% |
The Easiest Ski Resorts in Utah
Woodward Park City is the most beginner-friendly ski resort in Utah. It has over 50% of its trails rated as “beginner”, and it has the least amount of trails and smallest vertical drop of anywhere in the state.
While Woodward would be a great place to learn how to ski, it will get too easy, very quick. Wolf Mountain or Brian Head are better ski resorts for those with at least a little bit of skiing under their belt.
Tip: Use our Beginner-Level Ski Trip for Salt Lake City to plan a ski trip in Utah.
| Rank | Resort | Green Trails | Blue Trails | Black Trails | Difficulty ScoreTM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Woodward Park City | 60% | 40% | 0% | 14% |
| #2 | Cherry Peak Resort | 30% | 45% | 25% | 42% |
| #3 | Brian Head Resort | 30% | 35% | 35% | 47% |
| #4 | Nordic Valley (Wolf Mountain) | 20% | 50% | 30% | 48% |
| #5 | Beaver Mountain | 25% | 40% | 35% | 52% |
The Largest Ski Resorts in Utah
Choosing the largest ski resorts is a bit of a tricky proposition. Do you look at just the summit elevation? How about the total acreage, most trails, or steepest vertical drop?
Well, we decided to combine all four of those metrics into one ranking to get the best idea, although we fully admit this is completely subjective. We’ve given you all the data in the following table to make your own decision.
Park City is by far the largest ski resort in Utah. It has the most trails, and second-highest vertical drop and skiable acreage in the state.
Powder Mountain comes in as the second-biggest ski resort in Utah because of how its slopes encompass an incredible 8,400+ acres. In fact, Powder Mountain is actually the largest ski resort in the country, if basing it solely on skiable acreage.
| Rank | Resort | Summit Elevation | Base Elevation | Vertical Drop | Acres | Trails |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Park City Mountain | 10,026 ft | 6,800 ft | 3,190 ft | 7,300 | 330 |
| #2 | Powder Mountain | 9,422 ft | 6,900 ft | 2,522 ft | 8,464 | 154 |
| #3 | Snowbird | 11,000 ft | 7,760 ft | 3,240 ft | 2,500 | 140 |
| #4 | Alta Ski Area | 11,068 ft | 8,530 ft | 2,538 ft | 2,200 | 119 |
| #5 | Snowbasin | 9,350 ft | 6,400 ft | 2,950 ft | 3,000 | 118 |
Neighboring States
Utah is neighbored by the states of Arizona to the south, Nevada to the west, Idaho and Wyoming to the North and Colorado to the east. All of these states have great-to-good skiing opportunities, with even a few close to their border with Utah. Colorado and Wyoming especially have some of the most iconic ski resorts in the US in Vail and Jackson Hole, respectively.
