Brighton Ski Resort is for those who don’t want the distractions of happy hours, apres offers, and hot tubs surrounding the ski runs. If you’re going to drive north of Salt Lake City to see Brighton then your intent must be to carve and tack on as many runs as possible. We mean that, too, as it’s one of the only resorts in the state that offers night skiing.

This resort boasts its consistently empty slopes, thanks to being about the farthest ski area from Salt Lake City. It isn’t huge, but the terrain distribution is solid, and great for families, and the snowfall remains strong at over 400-inches per year. If you’re tired of crowds and want the claim as one of the only people in your friend group who has been here, head to Beaver Mountain.

If you’re the type of skier/rider who loves to get off of the groomed trails and discover something that, perhaps, no one else has created trails on before, then Powder Mountain is for you. The mountain is aptly named as it receives ample snowfall per year to keep you cruising in champagne pow-pow all day. On top of that, you can explore more with their cat skiing and backcountry terrain.

Back in 1969 Robert Redford started the Sundance Ski Resort; seriously. The resort itself is quite small but the mountains climb straight up, creating dramatic scenery year-round. Speaking of other seasons, you may want to visit for a wedding or simply a weekend getaway when you can take a short hike to a huge waterfall and dip your head under.

The sheer variety of terrain over 3,000 vertical feet make Snowbasin one of the most interesting resorts in Utah. Additionally, it’s located far north from where the majority of the other resorts are, so the views are unique as well. You may want to make this a daytrip, however, as the lodging is lacking, and there is no base village to enjoy apres.

Bowl-lovers will find solitude at Solitude as this rarely-visited resort offers countless runs over three bowls. Locals love Solitude but savvy tourists will know to find their way to this ski area only 45-minutes from Salt Lake City. Better yet, it’s now part of the new Ikon Pass which includes world-class resorts such as Steamboat, Winter Park, Squaw Valley, Aspen and, you guessed it, Solitude.

Folks familiar with Colorado ski resorts would equate Alta to the likes of Arapahoe Basin (A-Basin) where there’s a storied history and respect for the way things were. Over 500-inches of snow annually on the mountain means you get a long ski season. This remains one of the only skiers-only resorts in the world, so take that as you will.

This is the fancy resort in the Park City area, which means you’ll be paying a pretty penny to have the pleasure of skiing here, but they’ll treat you like royalty while you do it. You may note that we didn’t use the terms “riding” or “snowboarding,” this is because it is one of the last skiers-only resorts in the world; we consider that a poor decision by the resort.

The namesake of the charming nearby mountain town is Park City Mountain Resort. This resort is the largest ski resort in the country, boasting over 7,300 acres of skiable terrain, and a whopping 38 ski lifts. While this ski area draws a lot of crowds, those people are fortunately spread across the vast resort.

This iconic ski area is a must for enthusiasts. At the very least you’ll want to experience the unique 125-passenger tram. Be prepared for some intense skiing and riding at this resort, as it doesn’t cater to beginners very well. Enjoy the heavy dumpings of powder that consistently baptize the mountain with smooth runs.