The Canyons Resort

Think bigger is better? The Canyons is one of the five largest ski and snowboard resorts in the country. Which means that their 3,500 acres of terrain offer endless options with something for everyone in your family or group of friends. The melee after a storm is well worth it here. A little persistence and good timing will earn you a hefty amount of vertical steep & deep on the Ninety Nine 90 chair. Explore the rest of the mountain afterwards to seek out hidden stashes. Don't try to ride every lift in one day or you will spend the whole day on access roads doing just that. This place is "expansive". Intermediate skiers will find the Dreamscape lift has groomed, un-groomed, and mogul runs to suit their ability. Snowboarders will feel at home anywhere here with a terrain and rail park and plenty of board friendly terrain including six natural half-pipes. Don't judge The Canyons by what you see at the bottom, the real mountain starts at the top of the gondola.

Snow conditions hotline: 435-615-3456
Reservations: 1-888-CANYONS
Website: www.thecanyons.com

Park City Mountain Resort

Park City offers possibly the widest variety of terrain in Utah. The beginner area is secluded from the upper mountain taking away much of the intimidation factor for new skiers. Most of the mountain is accessible by green runs allowing newer skiers to use a variety of runs. Tons of intermediate terrain of all kind, including groomed blacks and mogul skiing. The terrain parks are well maintained and numerous. This place has the best half-pipe I've ever seen which was the venue for the 2002 Olympics and the world championships. Jupiter and McConkey's lifts offer endless expert terrain with bowls, chutes, and good tree skiing. Those signs mean it when they say "NO EASY WAY DOWN"! Don't go on these unless you are a confident advanced skier. Town Lift gives convenient access to and from Main Street. Best blue run cruisers are on the King Con lift. There’s also plenty of snowmaking, so it skis well in lean snow years.

Information: 800-678-9914
Snow report: 435-647-5449
Website: www.parkcitymountain.com

Deer Valley Resort

Host to the 2002 Olympic slalom, mogul and aerial events, it may not surprise you to hear that Deer Valley Resort is consistently ranked # 1 in North America for service by the readers of SKI magazine. I'd be doing you a disservice if I didn't start with the following statement. Come ski here for a day and draw your own conclusion. The sun seems to shine just a little brighter, the powder is a little lighter and the wind less biting, ok enough already. But really, there are more runs here with better aspects for sun exposure, and there are areas of the mountain that are protected from wind more than others and I made up the part about lighter powder, it's the same as everywhere else. The food is fantastic and the service is top notch, from the free ski check attendants to the friendly lift operators. They all smile, it’s called the Deer Valley® difference! The beginner area is quiet and secluded and the instructors are second to none. The groomed runs are seemingly endless and almost all are manicured to perfection every night. A monstrous snowmaking network makes it hard to tell a lean snow year from others. Two areas offer bowl skiing and some of the Daly Chutes are more extreme than I. Numerous Aspen glades make for incredible tree skiing. As yet snowboards are not allowed here. Deer Valley Resort gives you the opportunity to relax and be pampered for the ideal winter vacation experience.

Information: 800-424-3337
Snow report: 435-649-2000
Website: www.deervalley.com