Discover Park City, Utah
8th October 2024
It is one of the most famous US ski towns with direct access to Deer Valley and Park City Mountain Resort, with much else besides. See what’s new for next winter and what it offers. NEW
Park City is home to two world-class ski resorts that are often filled with light Utah powder, plus there are several other major recreational attractions.
Park City is much more than your typical ski town, and we have asked the resort to tell us what it offers, what’s new and why us Brits might like to choose it as our next ski destination in North America.
We also link to several of PlanetSKI’s past resort visits.
Deer Valley, Utah. Image © PlanetSKI
With award-winning dining, shopping and nightlife the town is only 25-miles from Salt Lake City International Airport making it North America’s most-accessible ski destination.
There are direct flights from London with Delta.
Delta Airlines, London to Salt Lake City. Image © PlanetSKI
Flying into Salt Lake City, Utah. Image © PlanetSKI
Deer Valley Resort
- TERRAIN: 2,026 skiable acres
- TRAILS: 103
- CHAIRLIFTS: 21
PASSES: Deer Valley Resort is included on the Ikon pass.
Deer Valley is a ski-only resort, snowboarders are banned.
This season the first step in a major resort expansion takes place.
Deer Valley, Utah. Image © PlanetSKI
There are further details on the expansion lower down this article.
PlanetSKI was last in the resort in 2020.
Deer Valley, Utah. Image © PlanetSKI
Park City Mountain Resort
- TERRAIN: 7,300 skiable acres
- TRAILS: 330+
- CHAIRLIFTS: 43
PASSES: Park City Mountain is included on the Epic Pass.
PlanetSKI visited last winter and we’re planning to be back this coming season.
Park City, Utah. Image © Rob McAteer
Park City, Utah. Image © PlanetSKI
Park City Mountain opens November 22nd and Deer Valley Resort opens December 7th for the 2024/25 season.
Park City, the town.
It is a favourite of ours at PlanetSKI.
It gives access to some of the best ski resorts in Utah and has an atmosphere all of its own.
See here for full details on one of our past visits:
Main Street, Park City. Image © PlanetSKI
SUSTAINABILITY GOALS:
- First town in Utah to ban single use plastic bags at major grocery stores (Ordinance 2017-21).
- Residential and business composting programs.
- Community recycle center: Recycle Utah.
- Ski resort sustainability efforts including the adoption of low-energy-consuming snow guns, locally sourced food ingredients, rethinking and re-sourcing hotel amenities.
- 8,000+ acres of Green Spaces within Park City.
- Free public bus fleet; first mountain town to feature electric busses.
- Electric vehicle charging points at local venues, parks, city facilities, hotels and more.
Park City Utah. Image © PlanetSKI.
We have reported on it in the past.
What’s new for next winter:
MOUNTAIN RESORTS & VENUES
Park City Mountain Resort
With over 7,000 acres and 330 trails, the largest ski resort in the United States is scheduled to open on Friday, November 22, 2024.
This upgraded early season opening is due to new snowmaking investments on popular trails.
This investment builds on the resort’s best-in-Utah snowmaking system with state-of-the-art automated snowmaking technology that will maximize resources, minimize environmental impact and improve Park City Mountain’s early season experience for skiers and riders.
- Celebrate the return of winter with the Park City community on Opening Day.
- Ring in the holidays with the Canyons Village Tree Lighting, Santa coming down Town Lift, the Mountain Village Torchlight Parade and New Year’s Eve at Canyons Village.
- Embrace the diversity of the slopes with Queerski, Women’sWeekend and Pond Skim.
- Rock out with on-mountain DJs and live music around every turn.
Daily lift ticket sales will be limited through the season and parking reservations will be required at Park City Mountain Village.
Park City, Utah. Image © Rob McAteer
Park City Mountain is currently working toward replacing the Sunrise chairlift with a 10-person gondola to improve circulation and access from Canyons Village to the Red Pine area, set to debut in the 2025 – 2026
Deer Valley
As part of the Expanded Excellence initiative, Deer Valley is excited to offer access into its expanded terrain for the 2024/25 ski season.
Skiers will now have access to three new chairlifts, over 300 new skiable acres, several new ski runs, and 500 additional skier parking spots originating from the Deer Valley East Village, currently under development.
This new resort gateway will offer skiers an alternative arrival option to Deer Valley via US Route 40, helping to reduce traffic throughout Park City.
The terrain will seamlessly integrate into the existing Deer Valley terrain, with direct access to Sultan Express.
The second phase of the terrain expansion is set to open for the 2025 – 2026 ski season and is expected to add six additional chairlifts, including a 10-passenger gondola, nearly 100 new ski runs, and 700 more parking spaces.
When all phases of expansion are complete, Deer Valley will add 3,700 acres of skiable terrain, more than doubling the size of the resort and making Deer Valley one of the largest ski resorts in North America.
This project represents Deer Valley’s first terrain expansion since 2008 and is one of the most significant expansions in the ski industry over the past four decades.
Image c/o Deer Valley Resort
In addition to Deer Valley East Village and the significant skiable terrain expansion, Deer Valley’s Expanded Excellence initiative includes a re-imagined Snow Park with a new base village and revitalization of existing mountain facilities.
Woodward Park City is a 6,131 square meter indoor state-of-the-art action sports hub.
The fully integrated campus is made up of more than 24-hectares of Woodward Mountain Parks and a network of featured terrain park zones that together, offer a balanced variety of exciting on-mountain experiences.
This world-class facility also includes some of the longest tubing lanes in Utah running more than 365m long.
This winter, Woodward Park City is offering flexible packages and ticket options ranging from seasonal and monthly passes, to full-day and three hour lift sessions.
Passholders may choose the Mountain Park Membership or All-Access Membership both of which include member perks.
In addition, Ride-with-Woodward offers group and private lessons to first-timers through advanced park riders.
The lesson programming takes advantage of terrain designed for all ability levels advancing from the Start Park through Woodward’s network of Progression Parks.
Among the training features highlighted is the state’s only 22’ halfpipe which has been praised
by Olympic gold medalist Shaun White.
The Utah Olympic Park (UOP) is in its second phase in the multi-phase mountain expansion project, situating the park as an official venue for the 2034 Winter Olympics.
The primary additions for the second phase of the project include competition-level giant slalom and moguls courses that meet International Ski Federation and World Cup standards, respectively.
The GS course is 3,300 feet long with 1,200 feet of drop and can easily be seen from Kimball Junction.
The slalom course is 1,500 feet long with 750 vertical feet.
Other improvements include a high-speed quad chairlift, snowmaking systems and pond, and LED lights for night training.
The $4.5 million first phase of the Olympic park’s mountain expansion project was completed in 2019.
It added an intermediate ski hill and six acres of alpine and freestyle skiing terrain.
UOP staff estimate that the first phase has hosted more than 1,500 athletes each year since it opened.
The second phase will, according to park officials, make the UOP a home base for local ski teams, taking pressure off of nearby resorts.
It allows elite competitors to train on an Olympic-caliber hill while also making space for developing athletes.
LODGING & DINING EXPERIENCES
The Goldener Hirsch, Deer Valley’s Austrian-inspired luxury hotel tucked mid-mountain at Silver Lake Village, expanded and introduced 40 brand new, luxury residential condominiums in 2020, offering a luxurious mountain experience in an intimate alpine village setting.
Featuring sleek, modern hotel rooms and multi-bedroom floor plans, the Goldener Hirsch includes new amenities such as a rooftop pool and gym,a plaza bridge connecting the original building with new, as well as sunlit courtyards, a café, and ski valet.
Auberge Resorts Collection, the award-winning portfolio of one-of-a-kind luxury hotels, resorts and residences, was selected to manage the Goldener Hirsch in 2021.
Named to Travel + Leisure’s 2023 World’s Best Awards as #1 in the continental United States, #1 in Utah, and #4 in the world.
The Lodge at Blue Sky, an Auberge Resort is located 20 minutes outside of Park City, in Wanship, the Lodge at Blue Sky is nestled into Blue Sky Ranch’s 3,500-acre hospitality and recreational landscape.
The Lodge at Blue Sky opened May 2019 featuring 46 rooms and suites crafted from local wood and stone, taking design cues from the natural environment.
The amenities include a wide range of customized outdoor adventures, a signature restaurant called Yuta (“You-tah”), and a wellness sanctuary, The Edge Spa, perched at the edge of the precipice where earth meets the sky.
Experience the bold flavors of WildKitchen, set in a high alpine field overlooking the dramatic landscape of the Wasatch Mountain Range.
This elegant outpost kitchen is the second of British filmmaker, Guy Ritchie’s exclusive dining experiences and is featured in his Netflix hit series The Gentlemen.
Chefs and guests will interact through cuisine touched by smoke and flame, with a menu that will include locally sourced proteins like native Utah trout and seared elk loin and organic produce grown at our very own Gracie’s Farm.
Gather at this intimate community table to share stories about the day’s adventures while enjoying al fresco dining at its finest.
Stein Eriksen Lodge, Utah’s only Forbes Five-Star resort and spa, designated as one of Forbes’ Most Luxurious Hotels in the World, recently completed a refresh to its key Mountain Lodge common areas and public spaces for enhanced comfort and ambiance.
Named the 2023 Best US Ski Hotel by World Ski Awards.
Waldorf Astoria Park City was included in a selection of twenty of the best Hilton Hotels & Resorts properties in the world.
Montage Deer Valley recently completed an extensive renovation of all of guestrooms, suites, and dining outlets across the 16-acre resort, drawing inspiration from the year-round beauty of the Wasatch Mountains and the enduring history and modern sophistication of the destination.
Matilda Park City is the New sister restaurant to Five5eeds, opening Fall 2024, serving pizza, shared plates, and good times.
Le Depot Brasserie is a vibrant French Brasserie in Park City, Utah, will offer a modern twist on authentic French classics, curated by James Beard Award winning Chef Galen Zamarra. Opening autumn 2024.
Loma Park City is a modern Italian restaurant located on lower Main Street, and new sister restaurant to Twisted Fern.
Both restaurants prioritize sustainability through a commitment to local purveyors and conscientious business practices.
In addition, Executive Chef Jared Krom joins the team in back of house leadership including menu
development, culinary execution and oversight at both LOMA and Twisted Fern.
Alpine Distilling. Owner and master distiller, Sara Sergent, is the most decorated botanical distiller in the country and a member of the coveted London Gin Guild.
Awarded Gin of the Year in London, 4x Top Gin Distillery by USA Today, Best in Class at the TAG Awards in Las Vegas, and much more.
Sara has also crafted botanical spirits for the Stein Eriksen Lodge, St. Regis Deer Valley, Auberge properties, Capital One, and Rolls Royce.
The renowned Park City Social Aid & Pleasure Club is a cozy cocktail bar and meeting space at 364 Main Street, and the “Gin Experience” is another culinary delight not to be missed, where guests can learn the science behind making gin and create their own bottle of gin.
Gin making in Park City. Image © PlanetSKI
EVENTS & FESTIVITIES
Holiday Festivities in and around Historic Main Street, November 2024 – April 2025.
Main Street, Park City. Image © PlanetSKI
The Gondola & Snow Globe Art Stroll will return to historic Main Street and both Park City Mountain base areas on November 22, 2024 and remain on display throughout the ski season, until April 2025.
Check in November or December for the dates of the electric light parade down historic Main Street and for Santa’s arrival via the Town Lift chairlift.
2025 Sundance Film Festival, January 23 – February 2, 2025
The 2025 Sundance Film Festival will showcase films in both Park City and Salt Lake City.
Deer Valley Resort welcomes the world’s most elite ski athletes to compete at the 2025 Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International Ski World Cup.
This annual event held on Deer Valley’s world-renowned slopes will feature the globe’s top athletes in aerial and mogul competitions.
2025 FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup, February 6 – 8, 2025
Deer Valley Resort welcomes the world’s most elite ski athletes to compete at the 2025 Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International Ski World Cup.
This annual event held on Deer Valley’s world-renowned slopes will feature the globe’s top athletes in aerial and mogul competitions.
And lets not forget what’s happening in a decade’s time…
2034 XXVII Winter Olympic Games, February 10 – 26, 2034.
On July 24, 2024, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that the 2034 Winter Olympic Games will be held in Utah, with several Park City venues selected to host events:
- Deer Valley Resort (freestyle moguls and aerials),
- Park City Mountain (slopestyle skiing and snowboarding, freestyle
skiing, and halfpipe skiing and snowboarding) - Utah Olympic Park (bobsled, freestyle ski cross, luge, Nordic combined skiing, skeleton sledding, ski jumping, snowboard parallel and snowboard cross).
Image c/o Park City
