PARK CITY UTAH

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