Park City, only a 35-minute drive from Salt Lake City (and its direct flights from London) is a Victorian-era mining town that’s turned into a hip and happening year-round destination. Winter, however, is perhaps when it is at its best, its main street twinkling with lights, snow on the ground and its ski resorts noted for some of the world’s best powder snow.
Park City Mountain
Park City panorama
Generally just referred to as Park City, skiing started here in 1963 with possibly the world’s most unusual ski lift. The mountains sit on more than 1,600km (that’s 1,000 miles) of tunnels and a mine train used to carry skiers 4km in complete darkness to a mine lift that took them to the surface 540m above. Later, mine cableways were converted to passenger use and many of the towers still remain.
Now part of the nationwide Vail Resorts group, this is the biggest lift-served ski resort in the US. In 2015 it was linked by gondola to what had been a separate resort, Canyons (which had first opened in 1968 as Park City West).
Canyons, now known as Canyons Village, at the opposite end of the ski area from Park City itself, has expanded hugely from the original Grand Summit hotel to a full base resort, with the likes of the Pendry, a boutique hotel with contemporary mountain lodge atmosphere, while a 10-person gondola arrives for 2025-26 season, increasing speedy access to the slopes. The united area (the base an impressive 2,073m while top point is a very snowsure 3,056m) is a third bigger than Vail itself and allows for long end-to-end and back again day trips, although many skiers stick to the area of their accommodation. Park City is more open with wide runs, Canyons does what it says on the tin – while still having runs for every level, the terrain is more enclosed.
The Town Lift base area
Park City Mountain Village, the main base area, is a 15-minute walk from the old town’s heart but the resort is served by a string of bus lines, free to everyone not just lift pass holders. However, it is possible to ski the pretty blue Quit’n Time run into town, the piste crossing an iron bridge over Park Avenue – just remember that Town Lift is a slow, long chair back up, although there is wildlife – I saw a beautiful ermine, snow white with coal-black tail tip, playing not 6m below me.
Deer Valley
The base area of Deer Valley with the hilltop St Regis hotel
Posh skiing where the slopes are as sleekly perfect as the accommodation. The resort, in Park City, opened in 1981 on the site of the Snow Park ski area that started operating in 1946. Since then it has maintained its push for excellence and is in the middle of major expansion. Three new lifts arrived this season, providing 20 new runs, with seven more lifts to follow for the 2025-26 season. Another six are set to swiftly follow bringing a further 80 runs, creating a resort total of 238, not far short of doubling the skiing.
East Village and the waterside Grand Hyatt hotel
Just opening is East Village, a whole new base area in a beautiful spot alongside Jordanelle Reservoir. I was one of the early riders of the Keetley Express, a fast chairlift from the base with canopy and heated seats, after cruising down the long, new McHenry piste, part of three-mile run from 9,100ft Flagstaff Mountain. Already open is a 436-room Grand Hyatt hotel to be followed by a Four Seasons with plenty of rooms plus residences, along with the Velvaere ‘wellness community’, homes up to $10m and with its own ski lift. A gondola in this area is already being built and another is set for the resort’s main Snow Park Lodge base, along with more restaurants and shops when the sprawling car park is sent underground.
Skiers here will, by next season, be able to access 10 peaks (Park, Big Dutch, South and Hail, adding to the current six), all neatly part of a resort where ease of access is as important as piste perfection. Service also includes free ski storage at the base.
Park City and Deer Valley – Close friends
At their highest points, Park City and Deer Valley ski areas run alongside each other, and there is a ridgeline piste on either side of a rope fence. It would be so easy to combine the two areas, but that rarely happens in US skiing. And certainly not here, despite everyone being on friendly terms. Park City is owned by Vail and on the multi-resort Epic Pass, while Deer Valley is part of Alterra Mountain Company and its Ikon Pass.
Where to stay
The foyer lounge at Lodges At Deer Valley
There’s plenty of slopeside places. Park City Lodging has plenty of options, not least the condo community of Snow Flower, opening right onto the base area piste at Park City Mountain Village.
Canyons Villages is filled with hotels and condos. Deer Valley runs much of its own accommodation, including Lodges At Deer Valley, a charmingly timbered collection of everything from hotel rooms to three-bedroom apartments, with Brass Tag bar/restaurant and year-round outside pool and hot tub.
Aside from the town’s buses, Deer Valley has DV Direct, an Uber-like set-up, where anyone in Deer Valley lodging can use an app to get a free ride, in 4×4 or minibus, to and from the lifts or even downtown. All are visited by Ski Butlers, and a bookable ski hire service.
A stylishly timeless room at the Lodges
Other activities
Snowshoeing here is fascinating with tours from the edge of town up narrow Daly Canyon and past mining heritage – entrance buildings, dynamite stores and other landmarks. https://whitepinetouring.com/historic-snowshoeing-tour.php
There are walking tours through Park City, looking at heritage but more often looking at the food and drink, not least the craft beers and the small batch spirits. https://www.deliciouscities.com/parkcityapres
Sundance Film Festival
Banksy’s cinematic rat
The country’s biggest independent film festival fills Park City with lights, movies and stars each January (January 22-February 1, 2026). Even if you can’t get tickets for movies (or the celeb parties) the place is alive and there’s a great chance of seeing someone you recognise in one of the bars. https://festival.sundance.org
Utah Olympic Park
Getting ready for the bobsled
Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 winter games and is already gearing up for their return in 2034. This is the home of the ski jump and the bobsled and is open to the public. There are two free museums, one devoted to the Olympics and Paralympics, the other to the local ski achievements. But the big attraction is the bobsled. The track is open most days with sessions in a real bobsled with driver – it’s $225 (around £175) for the ride that lasts less than a minute, but it’s a wild bone-shaking experience you’ll never forget.
More info here.
Nightlife in Park City
Park City is one of the liveliest ski towns in America, perhaps because it’s not simply filled with rental shops or casual bars. There’s an artiness amid the historic architecture – Main Street is on the National Register Historic Districts.
And even Banksy, here for the 2010 film festival, made his mark – well, 10 of them – two were painted over by an anti-graffiti squad and two were lost in redevelopments but three remain, including a rat wearing 3D cinema glasses.
Alpine Distilling
Bars range from the expected (No Name Saloon, the busiest bar in Utah and also serving half-pound buffalo burgers) to the esoteric (Alpine Distilling Social Aid & Pleasure Club, hip with ever-changing décor, the feel of a private club with sofas and cocktails but also with its own craft distillery, Alpine Distilling, and the Alpine Gin Making Experience).
The names speak volumes – Burgers & Bourbon, Daly’s Pub & Rec, a gastropub with microbrews, darts and bowling alley, Boneyard Saloon, Old Town Cellars, a private label winery with tasting room, High West Saloon (another noted distillery) and on and on.
The southwestern cuisine and atmosphere (‘Southern Mexico to Southern Utah’) of Chimayo is excellent. And at Grub Steak you can get a 40oz tomahawk ribeye, although it is $139.75 (about £108) but does include fries and a starter.
Just one of the high-end drinks on offer…
At Deer Valley there are options in Snow Park Lodge (Edgar’s, a smart take on a sports bar with ski décor; Cast & Cut, a $127 multi-course seafood bounty) while the nearby St Regis hotel has an upmarket selection (Rime for seafood/steaks, Brasserie 7452 (French), Vintage Room (champagne and sushi) and La Stellina (a plush take on simple Italian fare).
Park City’s Egyptian Theatre, dating from 1926, features everything from musicals to hip rock bands such as the North Mississippi Allstars.
Verdict
The big sky that surrounds the slopes of Park City and Deer Valley
Two top US ski resorts in one picturesque, lively town. As with US winter trips generally, you don’t simply get a ski holiday, you get an American holiday, full of history, culture, food, drink and other experiences. Park City is a gem that you’ll never get tired of – and living life in the fast lane doesn’t get faster than the bobsled.
How to do it
Delta has three direct flights a week from Heathrow to Salt Lake City International Airport (famed as the first newly-built airport in the US this century) along with flights via other hubs. Iglu (igluski.com) can arrange packages including flights and accommodation. Park City Lodging and Deer Valley Resort have a wide array of options.
Airport Transfers: Haroon Transportation offers transfers from the airport in everything from Cadillac saloons to 10-person vans and you stand a good chance of spotting moose on the snowy hillsides).
More information about Park City here.