Park City Mountain: A Complete Guide

Nestled on the back of the incredible Wasatch Mountains, Park City, Utah, is a premier skiing and winter recreation destination that attracts visitors from around the world. With  abundant snowfall, diverse terrain, and large-scale world-class resorts, Park City offers an unparalleled skiing experience for all ability levels and interests. Beyond the slopes, a charming historic mining town exudes a vibrant atmosphere with welcoming and cozy accommodations, gourmet dining, and lively après-ski scene. Join us as we dive into the best spots, tips, and hidden gems that make Park City the ultimate ski town destination. 

Park City Mountain Resort

Formerly operated as two separate ski resorts, Park City Mountain and Canyons Resort officially combined operations and united under one lift ticket and season pass in 2015. Upon completion of the merger, the “new” resort became one of the largest in North America, second only to Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia. 

Park City Mountain encompasses around 7,300 acres of lift serviced skiable terrain, accounting for a whopping 330 ski runs accessed by 40 chairlifts, gondolas, and surface lifts. Park City has a vertical drop of 3,190 feet, ranking it among the top 15 resorts for skiable vertical in North America. With an average of around 350 inches of the Greatest Snow on Earth® each year, Park City offers excellent skiing and riding conditions and a good chance of a powder day during your visit, even in lower snow years. 

Tickets and Passes

Skiers and snowboarders at Park City Mountain have a variety of tickets and passes to choose from to visit the resort. For day tickets, I highly recommend that you purchase ahead of time to save on higher prices at the window at the resort. You can choose from 1 to 7 days within a 1 to 10 day period, allowing for a few off days to explore town and refresh those ski legs. Generally speaking, the further ahead of time that you purchase tickets, and the more days you purchase at once, the greater the per day discount will be.  

For season passes, the full Epic Pass provides unrestricted access to all of Vail Resorts in North America with limited access to resorts abroad, while the Epic Locals pass provides a discount, but with some restrictions and blackout dates during peak times. The highly customizable Epic Day pass is a great option if planning ahead for a trip, it offers 1 to 7 days with flexible dates and a lower per day cost than purchasing day tickets. 

Where to Park and Start Your Day

While Park City Mountain Resort is all one mountain on one pass, it does have two separate base areas, plus two additional access points, from which you can start your day on the mountain. Mountain Village and Canyons Village are the two main base areas, each with ample parking, a plethora of dining and lodging options, and a variety of chair lifts to access the mountain. Town Lift and Silver Star provide additional access points to those who live or are staying in close proximity to these areas.

Mountain Village

The Mountain Village base area has three main parking areas consisting of the main or upper lot, the First Time lot with overflow across the street, and the underground parking beneath Mountain Village accessed near the top of the First Time lot. For skiers who are wanting to get up the mountain and out to other lifts/areas as quickly as possible, I suggest parking at the main lot, then walking up through the village to access Crescent Lift. For beginners, terrain park skiers and snowboarders, or those wanting to save a walk in their ski boots, park in the First Time lot and walk right onto the snow to hop on First Time, Three Kings, or Eagle chairlifts, as well as the magic carpet learning area. 

It should be noted that parking is paid prior to 1pm and reservations are required at Mountain Village. You can get free preferred parking in the First Time lot by carpooling with 4+ people. You can also pay more to park in the underground Mountain Village parking garage on extra cold and snowy days and save yourself the trouble of brushing off your car or shoveling out at the end of a long powder day. You can view more parking details here.

Canyons Village 

If you are skiing and riding at Canyons Village, you can park for free in the main cabriolet lot and reservations are not required. From there, skiers and riders will take the cabriolet lift up to the main village where you can choose from the Orange Bubble Express or the Redpine Gondola to get up the mountain and start your day. Visitors can also choose to pay for parking in the upper lot and skip the cabriolet lot, or pay to park underground at the Pendry and then walk across the roundabout into the village core. 

Starting in the 2025/26 season, the new Sunrise 10-person gondola will open next to the Pendry, allowing those residents within the Pendry, Hyatt Centric, Lift, and Apex properties another corridor to get up the mountain quickly. Once that gondola opens, if I were skiing on a busy powder over Christmas or President’s Week, I would opt to park underground at the Pendry then hop on the Sunrise gondola to beat some of the base area congestion. 

Town Lift and Silver Star

Town Lift is the conduit and connector from Park City Mountain into Old Town and Main Street that really makes the resort feel like it is integrated with the town of Park City. The ability for skiers and riders to drop into town for a quick lunch at Davanza's or apres at the world's only ski-in, ski-out whiskey distillery at High West is a really unique feature of Town Lift and the adjacent ski runs that lead into town. Alternatively, those who want to stay in the heart of town on lower Main Street, Park Ave, Norfolk Ave, or Woodside Ave, have the option of being within a short walk of amazing dining and shopping options, while also being just a few steps from the ski lift. 

Tucked away behind the Park City municipal golf course, and home to the infamous Silver Star Cafe along with the Silver Star condos, townhomes, and cottages, Silver Star is a bit of a hidden gym when compared with the other base areas of Park City Mountain. Tucked away at the base of the Silver Star lift, this area has everything you need for a ski-in, ski-out vacation, while also being just off the beaten path. This is one of my favorite places to purchase ski in ski out property for those seeking ski access to Park City Mountain.

Where to Ski At Park City Mountain

As the second largest ski resort in North America, Park City Mountain has a wide variety of terrain to choose from, including plenty of options for those who are just starting out skiing and snowboarding and are still building their confidence on the slopes, to those who are wanting long, steep runs, deep powder, and tight tree skiing. 

Mountain Village

Beginner Skiing at Park City Mountain Village

The Mountain Village side of Park City Mountain has some excellent beginner skiing and snowboarding terrain, from true beginner areas with magic carpets for those who are just taking their first turns, to long meandering green runs higher up on the mountain for those who want to experience more terrain at higher elevation, but aren’t quite ready to graduate to more advanced terrain. 

Located adjacent to the First Time parking lot, the learning area at Mountain Village is as convenient as it gets from car to snow, minimizing the time and effort it takes for first time skiers to walk and carry gear to start their ski day, and lessening the barriers to learning to ski and snowboard. This is particularly advantageous for parents teaching young kids to ski and snowboard for the first time. Being able to boot up in a warm car, and having snacks at the ready right next to the magic carpet, makes this a great place to get youngsters started on snow. Once they are ready to graduate to a chairlift, the First Time high speed detachable quad chairlift makes for fast lift rides as well as easy loading and unloading. The runs are gradual and wide, giving everyone plenty of space to spread out and learn the ropes.

Once comfortable with the First Time chairlift and confidently linking turns and stopping, beginners can graduate to the Crescent chairlift, and do longer runs on the King Con chairlift, connecting ¾ Load, to Claimjumper, to Broadway. From King Con, skiers can take Claimjumper over to the bottom of Silverlode, and ride up to the top for lunch or a warm up and hot cocoa break at Summit House Lodge. From there, drop into Home Run which will ferry skiers and snowboarders all the way back to the base of Mountain Village, and to the bottom of Payday, Crescent, and First Time lifts. 

Intermediate Skiing At Park City Mountain Village

Some of the best intermediate and blue runs in Park City are located off of the King Con and Silverlode chairlifts, but there are a number of other options scattered around other parts of the mountain. Many of these intermediate runs have the type of pitch and width where more timid intermediate skiers and riders can take it slow and maintain a comfortable pace, while more advanced skiers and really open it up and go fast. For groomers, Parley’s Park — which can be accessed from Silverlode or Motherlode — is always a good bet, while Mel’s Alley provides opportunities to try riding through some generously spaced Aspen Tree groves, and Powder Keg is a good intermediate bump run. 

If Silverlode is busy, try dropping down to King Con, or popping over to Bonanza for some fun cruiser laps on Jonesy’s. Not to worry, the steepest part of Jonesy’s is at the top of the run, and from there it dog legs to the left and mellows out with gentle undulations and gradual turns to the bottom of Bonanza chairlift. Pioneer chairlift is a sneaky option that is usually not very busy unless it’s a powder day. If there isn’t fresh snow and other lifts feel congested, head to Pioneer for runs on Hawkeye, Comstock, and Red Fox, and if you’re feeling daring and up for a challenge, try out to the black diamond bump run on Sampson. 

Expert Skiing at Park City Mountain Village

If you are an expert skier or rider and want to go fast, like blisteringly stupid fast, head up Crescent Lift and try your hand at any of the black diamond runs that drop down the front side of Crescent Ridge. While not all of these runs are groomed on a regular basis, Crescent and Willy’s Run, when they have been groomed overnight, are an opportunity for even the best skiers to test their speed limit, and these runs that are rarely if ever busy. Another great option for high speed groomers is taking Parley’s Park to Prospector, which runs right underneath the Silverlode chairlift allowing you to show off your skills to those who are riding up. 

The steepest and most challenging terrain at Park City on the Mountain Village side can be found off of the McConkey’s, Pioneer, and Jupiter chairlifts. McConkey’s, named after the legendary extreme skiing pioneer and former ski school director Jim McConkey, offers excellent views over Guardsman Pass and the Heber Valley below, and provides access to the steeper, but shorter side of the hike only Jupiter Peak. Directly underneath the chairlift is McConkey’s Bowl, a great first run if you can get it fresh on a powder day. Just down the ridge to the skiers right, are some very steep and tight tree skiing runs through Molly’s and the Black Forest. The sooner you drop in the steeper it is, and further down the ridge it gets (slightly) less steep. 

Pioneer is, in my opinion, a somewhat underrated and overlooked area on the trailmap. Blue Slip bowl is fairly short but steep shot, and 10th Mountain holds some excellent steep but spaced out tree skiing. Some people avoid Pioneer due to being an older, slower three person chairlift, but on stormy days when the upper chairlifts are closed or on wind hold, Pioneer often has the goods. 

Jupiter chairlift is an old school two seater blast from the past, and I hope it never changes. There is a plethora of terrain accessed off of the Jupiter lift, with runs straight down through Main Bowl or Silver Cliff, some great runs that require only a modest, downhill traverse to access like War Zone, Rhino, and West Face and then there is the hike accessed terrain including Scott’s Bowl, Pinecone Ridge, and Jupiter Peak. Scott’s will be the most easily accessible hike accessed terrain requiring just a few minutes of boot packing, but it’s amazing how just a short hike can deter crowds and keep the snow fresh. If you’re up for an adventure and want to experience the best views and steepest runs on the entire mountain, then traverse out towards West Face and take the bootpack up to the top of Jupiter Peak. Main Chute is the most direct line to take down the face of Jupiter Peak, however there are plenty of other routes — just be aware that some end in massive 100+ foot cliffs so you need to know where you are going and what the exit strategy is. 

Canyons Village

Beginner Skiing at Canyons Village

Beginner skiing terrain at Canyons Village is primarily located around the High Meadow Express chairlift, just above Red Pine Lodge. This wide open learning area is unique in that it sits at a higher elevation in the middle of the mountain, so even those skiers and snowboarders who are just starting out, can get out in the middle of the resort and enjoy the full ski experience instead of being relegated to a dedicated beginner area at the base of the mountain. High Meadow can be easily accessed from the top of the Orange Bubble or Red Pine gondola. 

Intermediate Skiing at Canyons Village

Intermediate terrain at Canyons Village ranges widely from mellow tree skiing runs, to narrow, rolling groomers amongst $20,000,000 homes, to wide open high speed cruisers, and everything in between. Saddleback Express — while known for groomers like Kokopelli and Painted Horse — holds some of my favorite mellow tree skiing runs at Canyons Village, whether dropping into the north facing Pines on or the Aspens on the south side. This terrain is great when other lifts like Ninety-Nine 90, Peak 5, or even Tombstone are on wind or snow hold on stormy days. Instead of sitting in line waiting for those other lifts to open, go to Saddleback and spin some fun laps through perfectly spaced trees. 

For a less frequented but just as enjoyable area full of fun blue runs, and some easier black diamonds, head over to Dreamscape and Dreamcatcher. Equally fun on a mid-winter powder day or in spring time slush and corn snow, Dreamscape rarely has a lift line, and offers a nice mix of generously spaced tree runs for those looking to dabble off trail, along with fast groomers including Alpenglow and Deja Vu, and long, meandering cruisers like the Trance and Sandman trails. Those looking to push their abilities can step up to the relatively mellow and wide open black runs off of Dreamcatcher including Pipe Dream and Boogeyman. 

Expert Skiing at Canyons Village

The terrain at Park City Mountain above Canyons Village is an expert skiers dream, especially along the upper ridgelines. From steep, wide open faces, to long powder filled tree runs, to blisteringly fast groomers, there is a plethora of options for expert skiers and snowboarders. On a big powder day, my go to lifts are Peak 5 and Ninety Nine 90. Head towards Tombstone Express and spin a few laps under the chair until the rope drops to access Peak 5. If Ninety Nine 90 is open, hop on immediately, otherwise take Peak 5 for some runs in the trees until ski patrol finishes avalanche mitigation on the terrain above Ninety Nine 90. For an extra long run, do an around the world lap by traversing to the north across East Face, dropping into Red Pine Chutes, then hitting Pinball Alley on your way back to Chicane and down to Tombstone for another lap.

An underrated lift for steep, expert terrain — especially on a cold, mid-winter powder day — is the Super Condor Express. Colder temperatures and a lower sun angle found during January are favorable to better conditions on the south facing side of Condor, so it’s not always the best when March rolls around. But if there is a big, cold storm, the runs on skiers right of Super Condor offer long, steep, sustained pitches and fast laps. For an added challenge, hike up to the top of Murdock Bowl for wide open, high alpine riding, then dive into weaving drainage of Canis Lupis on your way back to the lift. 

Where to Stay at Park City Mountain

Where to Stay in Old Town 

For those who love to be in the heart of the action within walking distance to the most popular bars and restaurants, skiers and riders of Park City Mountain can stay in Old Town and access the mountain via Town Lift. Be aware, if you’re visiting very early in the season or during the last week or two of the season, Town Lift often opens later than the main base areas and closes earlier, so make sure you check the schedule before booking. 

For hotels, the Marriott Summit Watch, located conveniently at the bottom of Main Street, is a popular 3-star option that has everything you need and nothing you don’t. Start the day by walking across the plaza and grabbing a coffee and breakfast sandwich at the esteemed Atticus Coffee & Teahouse (& Bookstore!) and then walking across the street to hop on Town Lift. 

Other options include staying at the Park Station condos, or for larger groups, renting out a beautifully remodeled historic home on upper Woodside or Norfolk Avenue. Start the day at Harvest with a healthy breakfast or green smoothie, or opt for more traditional morning fare at Bridge Cafe. No ski trip stay in Old Town is complete without ending the day at Highwest Distillery, and to continue the apres, head up Main Street to No Name Saloon or The Spur. 

For a top shelf luxury condo experience in Old Town, the Parkite is the only choice. Located at the top of Main Street, the Parkite is not walking distance to Town Lift, but these gorgeous, NYC loft style luxury condos put you within arms reach of everything Old Town, and are well worth riding on the Main Street trolley for a few minutes to get to and from the lift to start and end your ski day. 

Where to Stay at Park City’s Mountain Village

For a more ski resort centric experience, stay at the Mountain Village base area to be right next to the snow with access to all of the main Mountain Village lifts to start your day. Within the base, Marriott MountainSide is the primary hotel, with outdoors pools and hot tubs right next to the Payday chairlift, providing the apres ambiance of staying right on the mountain. A variety of other lodges and condo buildings exist within the village and immediately adjacent to the base area, offering rooms ranging from studios up to four bedroom, two level condo units with incredible views looking up the mountain. For dining options within the Mountain Village base, check out the locally owned Corner Store for a stout pre-ski breakfast or finish the day with beers and live music on the patio. Pop into Baja Cantina for the chicken flautas and margaritas, and head to the Pig Pen Saloon if you’re seeking a proper skiers bar that can get a bit rowdy during spring skiing weekend afternoons.

For a top tier, premium ski-in, ski-out experience, check out the new King’s Crown development located on Rothwell Road just up the street from the Mountain Village base. King’s Crown features high end, luxury townhomes, condos, and single family homes with up to six bedrooms with premium fit and finishes, and ski-in, ski-out access from the King’s Crown run. Built into the mountainside, many properties at King’s Crown have walkout patios and decks with beautiful views overlooking town, and private lockers and gear storage in the ski tower make early mornings getting to the snow a breeze. King’s Crown has also turned into one of the most sought after new properties to buy in Old Town. 

Where to Stay at Canyons Village

Compared to Mountain Village, Canyons Village has a substantially broader range of options for where to stay in the village. Generally speaking, the most affordable options will be lower down near the main parking lot and the base of the Cabriolet lift, with the most high end, luxury accommodations being at the top row of the village. Options range from spacious townhomes, to modest condos, to a variety of hotels, to brand new options that are currently under construction. There is a pricepoint and style for nearly everyone to stay in Canyons Village. 

If you are traveling in a larger group or have a few families together and need more than three bedrooms, but don’t want to break the bank, check out AirBnb listings in the Redpine subdivision. Most Redpine Townhomes are four bedrooms with four bathrooms, with some units outfitted with one or two bunkrooms, so there is plenty of space to pack everyone in. Two parking spaces per unit give you room to have multiple vehicles during your stay, which is often not the case at many properties. The Redpine community also has multiple outdoor hot tubs and heated pools for apres ski. On the smaller end of the spectrum Red Pine also has one and two bedroom condos with access to the same amenities, but at a smaller size and pricepoint. 

For those looking for a traditional hotel over a nightly rental on VRBO or AirBnb, there are a variety of options at different tiers and pricepoints. The Hyatt Centric and Grand Summit Hotel are both solid 4-star options with nice amenities, while the Westgate  Grands Summit is a shorter walk to the main lifts, however guests at the Hyatt can utilize the Sunrise Lift (soon to be the 10-person Sunrise Gondola opening in 2025) to get over the Red Gondola and Orange Bubble Express more quickly. Grand Summit gives guests more of a feel of being in the action in the middle of the village, whereas Hyatt Centric sits on the periphery a short walk from the village core, but in a quieter, more relaxed setting. 

The best hotels at Canyons Village are the Pendry Park City and Waldorf Astoria Park City. The Pendry is the newest hotel property at Canyons Village with excellent amenities, many rooms with stunning mountain views, and the premium design elements, service, and dining that Pendry is known for. Three different buildings comprise Pendry with amenities scattered throughout, including a rooftop pool. The hotel dining options include an apres bar and lounge, laid back baja style mexican cuisine at Dos Olas, and an upleveled Japanese and sushi dining experience at Kita. The Waldorf Astoria is known around Park City for an excellent spa with a great year round outdoor pool area, and upscale new American fare and cocktails at their in house restaurant, Powder. Skiers and riders at Pendry can walk into the village center to access the Orange Bubble and Red Pine Gondola, and in the 2025/26 season can ski in and ski out of the hotel on the new 10-person Sunrise gondola. Residents and guests of the Waldorf start and end their ski day by utilizing the Frostwood Gondola up to the village center to access the Orange Bubble and Red Pine Gondola.

The best condos and short term rentals in Canyons Village are located in the Lift Condominiums building and at the ski-in, ski-out Apex Residences project. Lift condos contain two, three, and four bedroom units and is located adjacent to the Pendry Park City hotel and forthcoming Sunrise gondola. Apex Residences contain three and four bedroom condos, and three, four, and five bedroom townhome residences, many of which offer some of the best views in Canyons Village while remaining within walking distance of the village center and offering true ski-in, ski-out access. 

For those who need more room and privacy than what a condo or hotel offers, look up the hill towards The Colony at White Pine Canyon for single family homes to rent in Canyons Village. While there are length of stay restrictions, and some hefty price tags, associated with short term rentals in The Colony, the privacy and ski access is as good as it gets. These are true ski-in, ski-out homes, many of which sit on parcels ranging from two to 20 acres, providing a secluded, high alpine retreat. With homes ranging from 4,000sf to 25,000sf and larger, there are plenty of options for ski-in, ski-out homes at Canyons Village that can host multiple families or corporate ski retreats.