The Best Ski & Snowboard Resorts In Utah

Skiing and Snowboarding in Utah gives powder hounds great diversity in terrain options and snow conditions alike. The best Utah ski and snowboard resorts are most commonly known for their abundance of light, ultra-fluffy powder that local skiers and snowboarders call “the best snow on earth”. Whether you’re looking for an exciting family ski trip to Utah or want knee deep cat skiing runs, the different ski and snowboard resorts in Utah provide immense opportunities for all.

With most Utah ski and snowboard areas located within driving distance from Salt Lake City, access to skiing and snowboarding in Utah is easy and, depending on the resort, only takes about 30 minutes. We’ve put together this Utah ski & snowboard resort guide to help you pin-point your next ski trip destination and also provide answers to some of the most common questions surrounding the best skiing and snowboarding in Utah.

Alta ski area is located in the famed Little Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Mountains outside of Salt Lake City. This Utah ski resort is known for its great snowfall averaging 560 inches per year. Along with the great snow, Alta offers great terrain from beginner terrain to some of the most unique, advanced and expert terrain in the area.

With 11 lifts and more than 2,200 acres of ski able terrain there are many options for all types of skiers. Do note though, Alta is one of two resorts in Utah and thee in the nation that only allows skiers. This can be understandably frustrating for those wishing to snowboard but provides a different experience for skiers alike. Lastly, Alta ski resort is a great place to go if you are looking for a low key vibe and awesome natural terrain.

Beaver Mountain is one of the ski and snowboard resorts located in far north Utah. Although it’s slightly further away from the Wasatch Mountains and the city, Beaver Mountain offers a skiers and snowboarders a personal, low key experience with a family owned and operated resort that has been in operation since 1939. Beaver has 828 skiable acres and six lifts with 1700+ vertical gain from base to top of Beaver Mountain. If you are looking for the best Utah skiing and snowboarding with less people and low prices, Beaver is a great alternative to the more popular ski and snowboard resorts located around Salt Lake City.

Brain Head ski area is located in Southern Utah inside Dixie National Forest. Roughly three hours away from both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. Brain Head ski resort averages 350 inches of snow per year with 650 acres and eight lifts offering 71+ runs. This Utah ski and snowboard resort has amazing scenery that blends the alpine mountains with the red rock desert. This is another Utah ski area with a laid back local vibe that differs from the bigger Utah mountain resorts.

Brighton is a great Utah ski and snowboard resort that gives riders a middle ground between great off piste advanced terrain, mellow groomers and fun terrain park skiing. Located up Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Mountains, Brighton resort is an easy commute for skiers and snowboarders in Salt Lake. Brighton is a top local choice for this reason and offers 66 runs and 1,050 skiable acres. Brighton always has a unique and playful terrain park that is great for all ability levels and riders that want to get creative with unique features. Brighton ski resort also has 200 acres of runs illuminated for night skiing and is one of the few places in Utah where you can catch an after dark powder run.

Deer Valley is located next to Park City Mountain Resort in Parleys Canyon of the Wasatch Mountains. This resort has a 3,000 vertical drop and more than 2,000 skiable acres. This ski resort caters to a higher end customer base that wants to include fine dining and sleeping into their resort stay. Along with Alta, Deer Valley is the other resort that is skiers only. If you are looking for a resort that has fewer people and well maintained terrain, Deer Valley is considered one of the best ski resorts in Utah state.

Eagle Point is located in southern Utah and is very accessible from Las Vegas, Phoenix, and California. With five lifts and 450 inches of annual snowfall Eagle point is a comparable mountain that offers a good mix of terrain for skiers and boarders alike. There are two different terrain parks with well-maintained features to compliment the large amount of advanced mountain terrain. Like many, this is a Utah ski and snowboard resort with a laid back, uncrowded vibe.

Located near Eden, Utah in the Wasatch mountains, Nordic Valley Ski Resort is a smaller resort that served as the training grounds for the 2002 winter Olympics. Eden has four lifts and 500 acres of skiable terrain. It is a growing mountain that plans to install new lifts and a new gondola in the coming years to accommodate the growing numbers of Utah skiers and snowboarders. This is a good option if you’re on a low budget with passes ranging from $25-$40 a day.

Located in the town of Park City, and a 30-minute drive from Salt Lake City, Park City is one of the most famous and most popular ski and snowboard resorts in Utah. After the recent acquisition of Canyons Resort, Park City is now one of the largest ski and snowboard resorts in the country with more than 7,300 skiable acres. It has it all, advanced off piste terrain, long groomers, and some of the best terrain parks in the world. Park City has an average snowfall of 355 inches, 314 runs and night skiing. This is probably one of the most versatile and best ski resorts in Utah and has something for everyone.

Powder Mountain is a great Utah ski area Located about one and a half hours from Salt Lake City and has average snowfall of more than 500 inches annually. This is a unique Utah ski resort since it has 2,800 acres of lift served terrain but also has over 7,000 acres of skiable terrain that you can descend and then take a resort provided shuttle back to the base of the mountain. This provides skiers and snowboarders an abundance of terrain for different types of skill levels. The laid back resort environment and huge terrain makes for another great Utah ski and snowboard resort.

Snowbasin is a resort that doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves since it’s located away from Park City and the Cottonwood canyons. Despite this, Snowbasin ski resort has some of the greatest terrain that can be enjoyed by all. There are big bowls, groomers, trees, and terrain parks. Snowbasin has 3,000 skiable acres, 104 runs, and 12 lifts. Like most ski and snowboard reports in Utah, it’s likely when you visit Snowbasin you’ll be welcomed with good snow, good weather and great terrain.

Snowbird is located in Little Cottonwood Canyon next to Alta and is located only 25 minutes outside of Salt Lake City. Snowbird is seated in the biggest mountains in the Wasatch and is a spectacular Utah ski resort that is vaguely reminding of the Swiss Alps. Snowbird has 11 lifts, 169 runs and averages over 500 inches of snowfall annually. This is a paradise for skiers and snowboarders who like to step off the groomers and experience some of the best of piste skiing and snowboarding in Utah with trees, cliffs, chutes, and wide open bowls.

Solitude is located next to Brighton Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon and is a short 30 minute drive from Salt Lake. It has all types of terrain throughout 1,200 acres. One of the greatest parts of Solitude is how few people there are, this is the Utah resort you want to be at after the big storm because so much of the great terrain remains untouched. Solitude has 8 lifts and 77 runs that like the others Utah ski and snowboard resorts, suite everyone from the beginner to some of the best skiers and boarders around.

Sundance ski resort is a small town resort with 450 acres of skiable terrain and 42 runs. It is a beautiful ski resort located near 12,000-foot Mount Timpanogos. With a variety of terrain, expert skiers and snowboarders love this mountain for it’s great steeps and light Utah snow. Another awesome ski area that is great for escaping some of the more corporate feeling Utah ski resorts.