Another winter is coming, and there are plenty of changes coming to Utah’s ski resorts. We’re highlighting everything from improved eats to new lifts, so you can better plan your snowy season ahead.
Wannabe skiers and snowboarders: Don’t forget that January is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month nationwide. Many Utah resorts participate and offer packages containing a lift ticket, rentals, and first-time lesson for $45. It’s a great way to try your hand at wintersports on the cheap.
Alta
Not a new program, but worth a mention. If you want to get in a few afternoon turns or are a beginner looking to practice your skills, visit after 3:00 p.m. for $10 tickets on the Sunnyside lift. For just $35, get a Sunnyside Season Pass and ski after three all winter long.
Brian Head
Owner John Grissinger’s Kansas-style BBQ is enormously popular here. To keep up with demand, the resort built a new 2,000-square-foot restaurant and barbecue pit to increase their serving capacity for dinner every Friday and Saturday. On the ski side, first-time skiers and riders will love the risk-free University Program, which allows you to test-drive either sport. Brian Head guarantees you’ll be skiing and riding in just three lessons, or you get a full refund.
Brighton
This isn’t new information, but it’s still news. Brighton will again offer free skiing or riding to all kids 10 and under. So bring ‘em young!
Cherry Peak
For its second season in operation, this resort is adding a third lift, called the Summit Lift, which doubles their skiable terrain to 400 acres. Cherry Peak has also added more lights to allow for night skiing at 100% of the resort.
Deer Valley
The Brass Tag at the Lodges at Deer Valley is celebrating its third year with a new chef and a revamped menu. The new menu features Deer Valley-inspired brick-oven cuisine: seafood skillets, seared meats, oven-roasted fish, locally sourced produce, seasonal flatbreads, and more.
Park City Mountain Resort
Now in its second season, the Epic SchoolKids program gives kids in Kindergarten through 5th Grade five free days of skiing and riding at Park City Mountain this winter. It also includes a free first-timer lesson and rentals during the month of January. If you ride often at Park City, get EpicMix. The app tracks your vertical feet, lifts ridden, and new this year includes EpicMix Time, which shows you wait times at lifts across the mountain.
Powder Mountain
Fun fact: Ticket sales are capped at 2,000 per day and the resort sets a limit of 3,000 season passholders annually. So if you’re looking to ski without crowds at a resort, Pow Mow is worth the drive.
Snowbasin
Purchase a Snowbasin season pass and become part of the Powder Alliance, which gives you three free days at the 14 other participating resorts nationwide. Can you say road trip time?!
Snowbird
The Creekside Lodge in Gad Valley is being massively reconstructed to triple the square footage. Yay for finding a seat at lunchtime! Also, the new facility will house Snowbird’s Mountain Ski and Snowboard School lessons, eliminating shuttling students so there’s more time to ski.
The iconic Cliff Lodge (a perfect skication destination for locals) is getting a refresh this year with renovations like new counter tops, comfortable ergonomic mattresses, energy efficient lighting, improved entertainment systems, and enhanced WiFi for faster, better connections.
Solitude Mountain Resort
The Roundhouse has been renovated for the winter season, and the expanded menu will include Himalayan and Wasatch-inspired mountain cuisine. Solitude is also joining Brighton this season on the M.A.X. Pass, which gives skiers and riders five days at 32 mountains in North America with zero blackout days.
Sundance Resort
The resort is replacing the old triple chair, Arrowhead Lift, with a new quad with safety bars that will speed the ride and reduce lift lines significantly.
Whisper Ridge Cat Skiing
This new operation out of Ogden Valley opens on December 26 and plans to take skiers and snowboarders to over 30,000 acres of private skiing and riding terrain. They’ll offer single and multi-day cat tours and optional first descent helicopter drops. Their three unique mountaintop yurt villages with wood-fried hot tubs, chef-prepared meals, and wellness offerings are perfect for those looking to extend their stay in Utah’s backcountry.
