PlanetSKI Reporter Returns to Park City

15th February 2025 | Nick Dalton, Park City, Utah.

Last modified on February 19th, 2025

There have been a few changes taking place since our roving reporter, Nick Dalton, last visited. Make that loads.

What a difference a decade makes.

Park City, the little, historic Utah mining town turned ski mecca, isn’t so little any more.

It’s been nine years – my last visit – since the gondola link with the stylish, car-free Canyons down valley created the biggest ski area in the USA but things haven’t stopped.

Park City’s tasteful clapboard homes and Victorian brick downtown have been – and still are being – joined by much more in the same style, spreading farther and farther.

The town’s second ski area, plush Deer Valley, a standalone community rich with mansions that would dwarf those of your average Premiership footballer, used to really stand alone.

Now grandiose development on both fronts is making the dividing line much harder to spot and serving up new bars and restaurants like never before.

And in a world where it becomes ever more difficult to expand a ski area, either due to cash constraints or environmental concerns, Deer Valley, is making startling changes.

PlanetSKI has reported on them earlier:

Deer Valley expands with much more to come

Copyright © 2023 Deer Valley Resort Company.

Three new lifts opened this season with seven more to follow for the start of 25-26 – with another six hot on their heels.*

That means 20 new runs already plus another 80, bringing the resort total to 238 runs, almost doubling the run tally.

Deer Valley’s horseshoe shape is extended by the runs than pour down to new East Village, across Highway 40 from the peak-fringed beauty of Jordanelle Reservoir.

From there I rode six-person Keetley Express chair which, with heated seat and canopy, is a world away from most of the resort’s lifts.

On the ride one sees the work ploughing ahead on a 10-man gondola for next year, only the resort’s second non-chair lift.

What’s impressive is the cruisy green that now runs three miles from the top of 9,100ft Flagstaff Mountain to East Village, the new McHenry section lower down with stirring reservoir views.

New Deer Valley McHenry run to East Village, with reservoir view – image © PlanetSKI

It’s apparently the longest green run in the US but will be outshone next season by the already lengthy Green Monster that will meander almost five miles.

It takes in Park Peak, only just being developed and which will be home to many of the new runs.

Quiet February day in Deer Valley – image © PlanetSKI

Unbusy Park City – image © PlanetSKI

Powder Day in Park City – image © PlanetSKI

East Village promises to be a monumental affair.

It has just seen the 436-room ski-in ski-out Grand Hyatt open and a futuristic Four Seasons (134 rooms and 123 residences of up to six bedrooms) is underway.

Hyatt Deer Valley East Village – image © PlanetSKI

Hyatt East Village 2 – image © PlanetSKI

Then there’s the 60-acre Velvaere ‘wellness community’ with its own ski lift; of 124 residences, prices up to almost £10m, the first is complete.

Deer Valley will by next season have 10 peaks, four of them new:

Park
Big Dutch
South
Hail

Two will top 9,000ft, turning the horseshoe into a full circle with a huge amount of skiing with reservoir views.

It’s pledged that if any lift isn’t completed on time, snowcats will transport skiers until it is.

And that’s on top of the busy new photo opportunity at a junction near the top of Flagstaff Mountain, where there’s a choice of Ontario or Trump – both runs from the 1980s that, like so many here, were named after mining claims.

Ontario – Trump! Nick Dalton in Park City image © PlanetSKI

At the main Snow Park Lodge base, the car park will be sent underground, allowing a gondola to replace the chairlifts, and bringing in shops and apres-ski options.

Town Lift from Park City downtown – image © PlanetSKI

Sunny Park City – image © PlanetSKI

The huge St Regis hotel sitting on a lofty bluff is now connected by private funicular to its grand residences that opened next door to the lifts in 2024 – and work is well underway on another wing for 2026.

St Regis hotel & extension – image © PlanetSKI

The Canyons end of Park City has also widened in the past 10 years.

The Grand Summit hotel is now surrounded by Canyons Village, the coolly contemporary Pendry hotel the latest to open.

Next season a 10-person gondola will run from the village, improving access.

When I visited, Park City was just getting its breath from the Sundance Film Festival that finished at the weekend.

It was preparing for Freestyle International, three evenings of moguls and aerials at Deer Valley.

It’s free but hundreds went for the $200 Freestyle Feast VIP tickets that included several drinks along with unlimited gorging, oysters to ice-cream and lots in between.

Moguls Deer Valley – image © PlanetSKI

Park City continues to be a place for apres-ski.

The constantly changing Alpine Social Aid & Pleasure Club, a hip lounge, is sister of Alpine Distilling whose Utah Single Bourbon (a very moreish 46.2%) is served alongside Alpine Gin, an award-winner in London and many other places.

Old Town Cellars, reborn after a disastrous flood, is a wine-rich subterranean retreat with creations by founder Stephen MacKay who went from ski jumper to aviation to sommelier to wine blending.

Park City at night – image © PlanetSKI

And Utah’s first brewpub, the Wasatch, is now reborn as Top Of Main with Salt Lake Brewing Co’s ales including the tongue-tingling Coalition Hellfire chilli and Polygamy Porter (its catchphrase ‘Why have just one!’ a cheery nod to local Mormons).

Top of Main Park City – image © PlanetSKI

And at Mountain Town Olive Oil Co I tasted the best – along with High West’s Campfire Whiskey, a blend of rye, bourbon and scotch.

There’s always a new drinking spot, alongside timeless favourites such as the always packed No Name Saloon.

Park City and Deer Valley ski areas live in harmony although with the former owned by Vail Resorts and on the Epic pass, the latter owned by Alterra Mountain Company and on the Ikon pass, the rope that divides the areas (runs at the top of Deer Valley’s Empire Express lift and Park City’s McConkey’s Express) is unlikely to see a ceremonial cutting.

There are other things to do during the day.

Utah Olympic Park just outside town has a free museum but the bobsleigh track – home to runs in the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and already preparing for the 2034 Games – is the big attraction.

I loved every bone-rattling second but at $225 for a ride that lasts only 49 seconds it’s far from cheap – but worth it.

Same price but lasting three hours is the Historic Snowshoe Tour from the Jans company.

Starting close to the top of Main Street, it heads straight up Daly Canyon past mine buildings, dynamite store and other landmarks, with fascinating commentary by guide Karri, herself a former ski racer.

A second-to-none free transport system allows you to jump from place to place, day and night.

Added to the free buses and shuttles that run late into the evening, the DV Direct app serves those staying in the many properties (such as Lodges At Deer Valley, a rustic apartment village with café, bar and outdoor hot pool) run by Deer Valley itself.

The free Uber-like system allows guests to summon transport within minutes – it may be a people carrier, if you’re lucky it may be a Range Rover – to get to Deer Valley lifts, but also to head to Park City itself, for shopping or carousing.

When I arrived, the green of the surrounding countryside was a little disturbing due to the lack of snow the area has endured this season.

Yet, a sudden storm lasting almost 24 hours meant that I was able to leave having skied approaching a foot of Utah’s fabled powder.

What a difference a day makes…

* New For 2024/25/26: Considerable snowmaking machines have been added on the lower Canyons slopes, ensuring important connections – Chicane and Another World – are definitely open early.

The multi-year project will enter its second phase with utility and infrastructure improvements and establishing a lift corridor on the mountain in 2024.

The third phase removes the Sunrise chairlift and the Sunrise Gondola will be installed. The opening of the new Sunshine gondola planned for the 2025/26 winter season. Full details of the project here.

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