These Are The Best Resorts in the West for a Weekend Getaway
These are the resorts to choose when you've got no time to lose, according to SKI's Reader Resort Survey. Check them out here.
14. Snowbasin Resort, Utah
As Salt Lake City grows and the Park City resorts and Little and Big Cottonwood Canyon hills get packed on powder days, Snowbasin, Utah is popping up on more skiers’ radars. It’s super-easy to get to, boasts a quick and efficient lift system, and has some of the most underrated terrain in the Wasatch.
Truth be told, there’s no lodging at the base and thus virtually nothing going on after the lifts stop spinning. But thanks to its role hosting the downhill, combined, and super-G events at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, the resort’s on-mountain lodges are a treat. (Not to mention, the jaw-dropping views from John Paul and Needles Lodges.) And get this: The on-mountain food is so good, it gives Deer Valley’s cuisine a run for its money. Between Earl’s Lodge at the base and John Paul and Needles on the slopes, the offerings are robust and tasty.
The secret, it seems is out. This just might be the year to get off the beaten path and venture north to Snowbasin.
No. 14 in the West: Snowbasin Resort, Utah
Snowbasin Resort Mountain Stats
| Annual Snowfall | Acres | Lifts | Trails |
| 300″ | 2,830 | 11 | 106 |
Snowbasin Resort Pass Info
Snowbasin is on the Ikon Pass. Ikon Pass holders get 7 days at the resort; Ikon Bass Pass holders get 5 days at the resort. Snowbasin is also on the Mountain Collective pass, where skiers get 2 at the mountain and 50 percent off additional lift ticket.
Trip Planning
Read up on the SKI Editors’ top recommendations for the best places to eat, sleep, play, and ski at Snowbasin this winter.
What’s New
As noted above, Snowbasin switches to the Ikon Pass for the 2022-’23 season after three years on the Epic Pass.
Also, the resort is planning to get a leg up on the ski season this winter by adding 22 new snowmaking machines across 10 acres of terrain. The mountain hopes to be able to open terrain off of the Middle Bowl Express chair.
On-Mountain Eats
Try the massive house-cured pastrami panini at the John Paul Lodge amid 360-degree panoramic views of the resort.
Bragging Rights
Grizzly Downhill, the men’s course from the 2002 Winter Games, drops from 8,481 feet to 6,391 feet.
Mandatory Run
Nearly three-mile-long Elk Ridge is just one example of the resort’s keen ability to lay beautiful corduroy.
Dinner Pick
Needles Lodge’s “Culinary Expeditions” evenings feature prix-fixe menus exploring different food cultures.
Off-the-Map Trail
Hike a bit off the Allen Peak Tram to the summit of No Name for true adventure skiing.
Snowbasin’s Website
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All-Inclusive Club Med To Anchor Snowbasin’s Massive New Village
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From extreme steeps to top-to-bottom groomers, these are the 10 resorts in the West with diverse enough terrain to please all comers.
Snowbasin, Utah
Discover Utah’s famous light and dry fluff at Snowbasin, Utah.
Summer Resort Guide: Utah
Forget the hot deserts, get up to Utah's ski resorts to cool down and have a ball this summer.
Summer in the Mountains: Snowbasin, Utah
Under all that snow is a summertime paradise for mountain enthusiasts.
Sun Valley and Snowbasin Go Epic
The two resorts will join the pass for 2019-2020 ski season, but will remain independently owned.
Six Olympic Runs You Can Ski
Pretend you're the fastest skier in the world or just get down these world-famous runs.
Powder Days, Urban Nights
Meet Utah's new power couple: Snowbasin and the nearby ski town of Ogden
Resorts of the Year 2019: Awards in the West
Readers and editors agree: These resorts in western North American are head-and-shoulders above the rest in their respective categories.
Warren's World: Rookie Racer
Warren Miller's racing with the The Parking Lot Brigade and the Sun Valley Ski Club.
Get Ready To Watch the Sun Disappear!
Trust us, you're going to want to find yourself on the “Path of Totality” for Monday’s historic Great American Eclipse, and a bunch of resorts are ready to help you do it.
Ski Resort Guide 2016: Best On-Mountain Food
Here are the ski resorts with the best on-mountain food, because brown bagging doesn't always cut it.
Season Pass Roundup 2015-16
Find your ski pass for next season—and the best deals—here.
Trip Ideas: Snowbasin, Utah
It’s steep, sustained (enough to host the Olympic downhill in 2002), and never crowded.
Winter Dew Tour: Snowbasin
The last stop of the Winter Dew Tour was this weekend in Snowbasin, Utah. Here's what happened, and who came out on top.
Dinosaur Park
Get hands-on with the dinosaurs that used to live in Utah.
The Treehouse Museum
An interactive museum for the whole family.
Indoor Skydiving
Free falling.
Union Grill
Steaks and more in a historic train station.
Snowberry Inn
A traditional B&B in nearby Eden.
Moose Hollow Condominiums
The closest lodging to the Snowbasin slopes.
Rooster's Brewing Company
Brewmaster Steve Kirkland pleases the masses with 26 beers.
Ogden Marriott
A good option in Ogden.
Shooting Star Saloon
The Star shoots straight: burgers and beer only.
Bistro 258
Located in one of Ogden's oldest buildings, this bistro is worth the trip to town after skiing at Snowbasin.
Utah's Homestead Crater
Explore Homestead Crater in Midway, near Park City, the hot-spring pools inside a 55-foot-high beehive-shaped limestone dome formed from mineral deposits thousands of years ago.
Olympic Downhill Courses at Snowbasin
Skiing two miles downhill without taking a break is hard enough. Try doing it at 80 mph on a sheet of ice. That's what it feels like to be an Olympic racer, and you can still ski the 2002 Olympic Downhill Course at Snowbasin if you're willing to give it a try.
Tona
Another sushi restaurant in ski country that didn't disappoint.
Recent Utah Snow
A few images from the recent storm that pummeled Utah ski resorts. Some resorts claimed as much as 48 inches from the weekend system, a necessary addition to the base before holiday skier traffic.
Get Drunk in Utah
Sure, Utah's 13 resorts are known for their unbelievable snow. But the drinking scene has remained, well, questionable. Not anymore: Utah's changed their liquor laws. And that's only one of many improvements the state boasts for the 2009-10 ski season.
Utah Ski Lodging
Snowbasin and Powder Mountain Ski areas
Best Snow: Alta/Snowbird, Utah
The heavens really open up in Utah. These neighboring resorts at the end of Little Cottonwood Canyon typically get more than 600 inches a year.
Utah Ski Lodging
Lodging at Snowbasin and Powder Mountain ski areas.
Utah's Big Secret: Snowbasin
Terrific terrain. Great cuisine. and lodges fit for the Olympics. Why is Snowbasin still the best resort in the West that you’ve never skied?
Utah's 13 Resorts
A behind-the-scenes look at a group of skiers' attempt to ski Utah's 13 resorts in 24 hours.
Utah's Big Secret (slideshow)
Why is Snowbasin still the best resort in the West that you’ve never skied?
Mission: Ski Utah's 13 Resorts In a Single Day
Can it be done? Is it stupid? The answers, respectively are maybe and yes. But a group attempted to do this for the first time last winter. Here's what happened.
Top 3 Reasons to Visit Ogden, UT
Home to Powder Mountain, Snowbasin, and Wolf Creek Utah, Ogden is America's Adventure Capital
4th of July Ski/Board Race at Snowbasin
Check out SKI Magazine's author page.
Snowbasin, Utah Almanac
Features
The Inside Line: Snowbasin, UT
Inside Line
Slow Start, Fast Finish
Turning Points
Post-Olympic Gold
Mountain Life
Rahlves In the Hunt
Competition
Peek-a-who?
Face Shots
Hidden Stashes
Travel
No Go Again at Snowbasin
Features
Olympic Travels
Travel
Sleeping Giant
Features
Sleeping Giant, Part 2
Features
Still Going Strong At 65
From the Top
Wax Wizard
Mountain Life
Mountain Chronicle Snowbasin's Metamorphosis
Mountain Life
Grizzly's A Bear for Some
Advice