Best Ski resort in Utah

[canthon Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close canthon]

What is the best Ski resort in Utah for beginners?

[Cheryl17 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Cheryl17]

I've found a lot of useful information about ski resorts at www.skisnowboard.com. Each resort is rated on how appropriate it is for skiers at different levels (first-timer, beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert), and the mountain layout page for each resort describes the runs in detail. There is also information about other activities, dining, nightlife, etc.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

I was an intermediate eastern skier the first time we went to Utah. I was totally lost at Snowbird the slopes were to steep for me!

Park City might have been more enjoyable but I had never skiied in 2 feet of powder before and lost my skiis more than would be enjoyable. Looking for them with poles for 20 minutes at a time can be annoying.

Alta was my favorite at that point.

[samsarmy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close samsarmy]

I had exactly the same experience as Lawren last year on my second-ever ski trip (I'm a Florida flat-lander). My wife and I tried three places. Alta was my favorite for the green slopes. Park City Mountain Resort was fun, but more expensive without advance purchase, and further away for us. We stayed at Snowbird, and the green slopes there were scary for my experience level. We ended taking the bus five minutes up the mountain to do Alta most of the time! Nice and easy.

Mike

[hudson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hudson]

Park City has wonderful ski schools

Park City Resort, Canyons and Deer Valley all have excellent ski schools.

Let them help you understand how to look for the right slopes for your needs and importantly, which part of the mountain to do at which time of day..........that makes a difference for the sun angles, snow pack and crowds or lack therof.

No snow boards permitted at Deer Valley, however.

Hudson

[Steamboat Bill Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Steamboat Bill]

The answer is clearly Deer Valley.

This is the best mountain for beginners as most runs are groomed, their ski school is fantastic, there is limited lift lines, there are NO snowboarders allowed, they have many services available including ski valet, boot driers, great food, etc.

The only downside is that Deer Valley is also the most expensive.

I would rate The Canyons as second, park city third.

I highly do NOT reccomend Snowbird/Alta for beginners....these are hard mountains.

[samsarmy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close samsarmy]

Man, we should have moved around some more! Next time.

Mike

[talkamotta Member Find all posts View Profile Close talkamotta]

Brighton and Solitude are good for beginers. They are located in the Cottonwood Canyons in Salt Lake County. I dont think there are any timeshares in that canyon.

[Fletcher921 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fletcher921]

I agree that snowbird is NOT fun for beginners. I attempted to ski to the BEGINNER lift, ended up in tears and walked back to the car, headed to the spa and consoled myself there with a very nice massage. Their greens are tough.
Babs

[funtimeagain Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close funtimeagain]

Deer Valley and PCMR

I own at Park Station which is a smaller timeshare right next to Marriott Summit Watch. The wonderful thing about Park City ski vacations is that you do not need to rent a car. This saves a few hundred dollars as well as the hassle of parking, scraping off windshields, chains etc. You can catch a shuttle called All Resorts Express, right from the airport for abour $30 which will take you to your hotel. There is a great bus system that will take you all around town for free. You are actually dropped off at the base of the mountain at PCMR or Deer Valley which is closer than the closest parking spot you could ever find and much closer than the nether regions of parking lot. Deer Valley is a very nice ski experience because it is skiers only, no snow boarders. It's easy slopes, short lines and great food and scenery.
Lots of boomers skiing there thinking it's still the 80's!

[dvcforus Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dvcforus]

I agree with Deer Valley, their ski school is great and it's a wonderful mountain that doesn't allow snowboarding which I think is great for beginners. It's a beautiful resort and we've never found it crowded.

[hudson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hudson]

Would not use All Resorts Express

You can catch a shuttle called All Resorts Express, right from the airport for abour $30 which will take you to your hotel.

All Resorts Express has a habit of doing things like making unscheduled stops in downtown Salt Lake on the way from the airport to Park City. This happened to a friend of ours this winter when someone on the shuttle wanted to purchase lift tickets from a Salt Lake ski store before arriving in Park City. Makes me wonder if the driver is on commission.

I've used Lewis Brothers Stages ( www.lewisbros.com) for door to door service for over 20 years with professional and excellent service every time. I wouldn't use any other in Park City for airport transfers.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

All Resorts Express has a habit of doing things like making unscheduled stops in downtown Salt Lake on the way from the airport to Park City. This happened to a friend of ours this winter when someone on the shuttle wanted to purchase lift tickets from a Salt Lake ski store before arriving in Park City. Makes me wonder if the driver is on commission.

I've used Lewis Brothers Stages ( www.lewisbros.com) for door to door service for over 20 years with professional and excellent service every time. I wouldn't use any other in Park City for airport transfers.

We also really like Powder for the People. In addition to reliable (door to door) airport transfers, they do daytrips from Park City to Snowbird/Alta/Solitude/etc... with good deals including lift tickets. Our friends also use them as an on demand taxi service in lieu of car rental.

[ondeadlin Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ondeadlin]

The choice is Deer Valley, hands down.