Best For: Cinephile families with a range of abilities
executive summary by darmansjah
Home to the U.S. Ski Team, three sprawling ski resorts, and
Utah’s feathery, desert-dry powder, Park City has established itself as one
of the premier ski towns in America. A 19th-century mining outpost turned
glossy tourism boomtown, its chairlifts launch directly from downtown, where a
skier's bridge delivers you to the city's historic Main Street and its lineup
of high-end restaurants, boutiques, and art galleries.
More than anywhere in the state, Park City has a vibrant, sophisticated bar
scene. Think jazz and martinis. The Sundance Film Festival arrives every
January, when movie stars abound and the town becomes known as “No Parking
City.” Fortunately, shuttle service from the Salt Lake City airport (45 minutes
away) and free buses to the ski hills make car-free trips here possible.
Park City Mountain Resort is the “right there” option, with access from
town, four terrain parks for snowboarders and freestylers, night skiing, a
cutting-edge ski school, and remarkably well-rounded terrain, from gentle
beginner runs to powder-filled bowls that rival fellow Wasatch Mountain areas
Alta and Snowbird. Deer Valley, only one mile away, is unapologetically
upmarket. Its skier numbers are capped, grooming is scrupulous, on-mountain
restaurants are gourmet, and snowboards are not allowed (no word on baggy
pants, but suffice it to say, there is no terrain park). The Canyons, four
miles from town, is the ever-expanding upstart that has quickly grown to become
the largest ski area in Utah. Impressively, each of Park City’s areas offer a
hundred or more runs, bevies of high-speed lifts, and around 3,000 feet of
base-to-summit vertical.
Ask a Local
Artist and painter Dori Pratt grew up skiing in Park City
and has been a ski instructor at either Deer Valley or Park City Mountain
Resort since 1980. Here are her recommendations.
Best Digs
Budget: Chateau Apres in Park City has private rooms and dorm-style lodging.
Swank: Montage Deer Valley, located mid-mountain
Best Eats
Cheap: El Chubasco in Park City
Gourmet: The Mariposa on the mountain at Deer Valley
Best After-Ski Party Spot
Try Legends Bar in Park City Mountain Resort’s Legacy Lodge for ápres, then
the No Name Saloon & Grill on Main Street for nighttime.
Best Rest-Day Activity
Visit the Park City Museum or see a Sundance movie.
Park City’s Classic Ski Run
Park City Mountain Resort: PayDay; Deer Valley: Perseverance
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