Park City is home to three major ski areas: Deer Valley, Park City and the Canyons. This collection of resorts, each with its own character and flavor, is the bomb for families. All three are less than 45 minutes from Salt Lake City's airport. All three deliver skiing on Utah's famous snow, all three have something for everyone in the family and all three share the former mining town that is the heart of Park City. Add to that a couple of terrific nearby movie theaters, bowling alley and ready access to a Whole Foods market to stock the fridge of your condo.
Deer Valley
Deer Valley's reputation for being one of the nation's finest and most family-friendly resorts is well deserved. Deer Valley opened in 1981 with the goal of providing an outstanding upscale skiing experience for families and the resort maintains that tradition as it celebrates its 30th anniversary.
The experience starts with “ski valets” who help unload the skis from your car and continues through skiing on Deer Valley's famously groomed slopes. Each day skiers will find a plethora of well prepared trails. For kids, especially those learning and still improving, ice, bumps, deep snow, etc., can be particularly challenging. Deer Valley’s outstanding grooming minimizes these challenges on many trails.
The kids' ski school is among the best in the Country. Deer Valley offers private lessons to children of all ages, taught by ski instructors specifically trained in techniques for teaching children. Age groups range from the Fawn Special for 3 year olds, to the Teen Escape, for 13-18 year olds. Each group offers lessons of all ability levels, time for lunch, and activities that apply to that age group including story time, art projects and more.
Deer Valley has tons of slope-side lodging. The grand hotel of the resort is the Stein Eriksen Lodge, named for the Norwegian Olympic Gold Medalist, which is a true 5-star resort. A stay there will be the premiere ski vacation experience.
Among the newer accommodations is The Montage, opened in December 2010. This hotel features a 35,000 square foot spa with indoor lap pool, fitness center (if the skiing doesn’t tire you out) and all spa treatments.
A final note that may be good or bad depending on your point of view . . . Deer Valley is one of only three ski resorts that ban snowboards. Skiing there recently, I must say I did notice a more genteel aura, whether that’s due to the lack of snowboarders, or the resort itself can be debated. If one of your brood is a snowboarder, don’t despair, Park City Mountain Resort which allows snowboarding is a short shuttle ride from Deer Valley.
Park City Mountain Resort:
Where Deer Valley is about refinement, Park City Mountain Resort is about fun and excitement. Whether on the slopes or off, PCMR will keep your heart thumping. Your kids will love Park City's Alpine Coaster, a thrilling toboggan-style ride that whisks you down 4,000 feet of curves and turns way faster than you could ski it. And the skiing is great too. There’s more than 3,300 acres of terrain, ranging from double black bowls to bunny slopes, with plenty of cruisers mixed in. PCMR is also a favorite among members of the US Ski Team, don’t be surprised if you see Olympic skiers training there.
Park City's Signature 5 Program is designed for children ages 6–14 and offers a unique small-group experience spending the day learning proper technique and refining existing skills in skiing and snowboarding. Kids enjoy the lunch of their choice at one of Park City's on-mountain restaurants. But here's the best part: maximum class size is five students.
Park City Resort offers a wide range of accommodations. Great for families is the Hotel Park City located in town and providing access to all three area resorts. This all-suite hotel (having a kitchen makes family travel much easier) offers luxury accommodations, a full "skier's breakfast" each morning and easy access to skiing via the hotel's own shuttle, or the free and frequent Park City public buses.
The Canyons:
The Canyons remains a well-kept secret, but we believe that will be changing soon. This huge (its 4,000 skiable acres makes it the largest ski resort in Utah) resort offers something for everyone, with loads of family-friendly cruisers and varied options from almost every lift. We are fans of their Little Adventures Children’s Center for nonskiers age 6 weeks to 6 years. This light-filled center offers gorgeous views and tons of age-appropriate activities and most days will see the little ones searching for moose as they ride the gondola to mid-mountain for some outdoor fun. Parent’s Night Out gives parents the chance to enjoy a night on the town and leave the kids at the Children’s Center for activities, movies and snacks.
The lift system at the Canyons is ideal for kids. It includes an enclosed gondola to transport skiers up or down the mountain, a brand new enclosed chairlift with heated seats and the Cabriolet lift that shuttles guests from the parking area to the lifts is great fun for little ones.
In Town:
And there is tons more to do in the Park City area. Here are a few of our favorite things:
- Jupiter Bowl delivers fun at 16 lanes of modern, ultra-chic bowling plus a billiards lounge, arcade, a full-service restaurant and laneside dining. They attract many “mixed-aged” families with something for everyone from tot to teen.
- Java Cow. Right on main street, Java Cow offers homemade ice cream, delish coffee and oodles of cow-themed gifts. It's a don't miss.
- Olympic Park. It's a trip down Olympic memory, a chance to ride a bobsled and the opportunity to see ski jumpers train. And it's right down the road.
- Color Me Mine. Yup, it's a paint your own ceramic kinda place. But something about doing that, with the kids, on vacation, well, let's just say I have two mugs emblazoned with moose prints in my cabinet that remind me daily of some wonderful times in the mountains.
