Ski in Utah, Even on a Budget

The Lay of the Land

First, a quick lesson in the geography and economics of skiing around Salt Lake City. All seven ski areas are under an hour's drive from the airport, but they're really in three different locations. There's an excellent, interactive map on the Ski Utah Web site. And one key note: Alta and Deer Valley do not allow snowboarding.

Deer Valley, Park City Mountain Resort and The Canyons are in and around Park City, 36 miles east of the airport off Interstate 80. The other four resorts are in two canyons: Alta and Snowbird are in Little Cottonwood, while Solitude and Brighton are in Big Cottonwood, also east of the city, but farther south, off of Interstate 215 and state Route 210. Each canyon has its own road up, separated by about 10 miles, and both are steep and prone to restricted driving conditions during snowstorms.

Park City, one of the truly great ski towns, offers glamour, world-class shopping and après ski activities, plus the Sundance Film Festival (Jan. 15-25, 2009, this winter, when lodging rates skyrocket). Lodging tends to be expensive, and the resorts are generally costly, with daily, midwinter lift ticket prices in the $79-to-$83 range. On-mountain and downtown dining and services also tend to be pricey.

Lodging options at the Cottonwood Canyons resorts are limited, and also expensive. But these areas can be much cheaper than Park City. You'll give up some après ski, the shopping and a lot of dining options -- but you'll find a pure skiing or boarding ambience, smaller crowds and a range of family-friendly (Solitude), local (Brighton) and hard-core (Alta) attitudes far different from Park City.

Lift tickets at Alta, Brighton, Snowbird and Solitude range from $58 to $64. For the budget traveler, the advantages don't stop there. Because they're so close to Salt Lake City and the eastern metro area, they offer easy access to cheaper, down-canyon lodging and dining options.