Table of contents
Skiing and Snowboarding
Enjoy Utah’s famous “The Greatest Snow on Earth” with world-renowned skiing and boarding less than an hour from the U of U campus.
In the Cottonwood Canyons to the south of Salt Lake City proper are
- Solitude - The most accessible resort, tons of intermediate terrain and some epic stuff in Honeycomb Canyon.
- Brighton - The most popular snowboarding resort. Really popular for terrain park lovers.
- Snowbird - The most famous and (one of) the most expensive resort. Lives up to the hype.
- Alta - Skiers only. Some of the most technical terrain, but also a ton of beginner terrain. Gets the most snowfall (903” in 22/23!). A more old-fashioned ski town vibe.
Over in Park City,
- Deer Valley - Skiers only. Where the celebrities ski. Also a great place to learn.
- Park City Mountain Resort / Canyons - Absolutely massive amount of terrain, the only Epic pass resort. Tons of great tree skiing.
Up north a little ways,
- Snowbasin - Where the 2002 Olympic downhill ski events were held. Golden faucets in the bathrooms.
- Powder Mountain - Largest resort in North America. Cat skiing. The lodges are at the top.
All of these resorts are world-class you will have a great time at any of them. Each resort sells day passes and season passes. Multi-resort passes are also very popular.
- Ikon - Unlimited uses to Solitude. Limited days, depending on pass level, to Brighton, Snowbird, Deer Valley, and Snowbasin.
- Epic - Unlimited uses to PCMR/Canyons.
Both multi-resort passes get days to resorts outside of Utah, so they are very useful if you intend to travel and ski during the winter.
Campus Clubs
There are a few clubs on campus that you can join to give you significant discounts on season passes/multi-resort passes. All are fairly similar, so look around and see which fits your vibe and desired pass discount best.
Rentals and Lessons
The Outdoor Adventures office provides ski/snowboard rentals at about the best prices you’ll find. They also have discounted lift tickets to Solitude and Brighton.
Brighton offers an intro package of a rental + lift ticket + 2 hour beginner lesson at one of the best prices you’ll find. Another great option is Alta’s learn-to-ski program.
Hiking and Backpacking
Some local favorite trails (in no particular order)
- Grandeur Peak Trail
- Living Room Lookout
- Bells Canyon Lower Falls
- Avenues Twin Peaks
- SLC Overlook via Desolation Trail
- Dog Lake
- Cecret Lake
- Silver Glance Lake
- Lake Blanche
- Red Pine Lake
- Lake Mary
- Sunset Peak (and Brighton Lakes)
Remember to bring plenty of water and snacks, the high altitude can hit you hard. The OA is a great place to rent backpacking and camping gear.
Cycling
See the commuting page for info on bike shops/etc.
Road
These are some route ideas to get you started.
- City Creek Canyon
- Emigration Canyon
- Wasatch Boulevard
- Millcreek Canyon
- Big Cottonwood Canyon
- Little Cottonwood Canyon
Mountain Bike
TODO