There’s always some debate over where’s the best ski resort to head to if you cross the Atlantic to visit North America? Then there’s also a separate debate as to which are the world’s best ski towns? Park City, Utah is probably the only destination that can top both of these tables, it’s truly a ski town like no other!
Two World-Class Ski Areas
To begin with, unlike most ski towns, Park City has not one but two world-class ski areas on its doorstep. You can actually ski down to Park City’s famous Main Street from Park City Mountain (PCM), which, with 7,300 acres of terrain and 330 individual ski runs is America’s biggest ski area, with something for everyone.
But Park City also has another ski area, Deer Valley, which has been topping skier polls for decades for its unparalleled quality of service and has now announced a massive terrain expansion to become one of the five biggest ski areas in the US.
Both Deer Valley and PCM ski areas were also key locations during the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics and they’re both currently celebrating record snowfalls last winter which left Park City buried in what Utah has rightfully trademarked “The Greatest Snow on Earth”…
Beyond The Slopes
But despite having its fabulous, abundant, powder snow and incredible choice of extensive skiing on its doorstep and that winter Olympic heritage, Park City’s status goes way beyond snowsports. It’s a vibrant, year-round community choc full of hundreds of great cafes, eclectic eateries, enticing boutiques and galleries as well as brilliant restaurants and bars. Many of these are located in historic buildings dating back to the city’s origins which are closely tied to silver mining in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, giving them a great ambience and character. The town even has its own distillery and several sumptuous spas as well as a huge range of accommodation options, from family-friendly, to cool and quirky to ultra-lux.
Sustainability
Well aware of the fact that they’re living in probably the best ski town on earth, Park City’s local community have been working to preserve all that they have. Sustainability is a big part of the town, with everything from free public transportation throughout the town that includes electric buses, to huge roof top solar arrays to generate clean energy.
Park City worked with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council to launch their own Sustainable Tourism Plan to help the town become a certified sustainable destination. This means respecting the health of the local environment and natural resources and fostering the local spirit, values, sense of place and the well-being of the community—residents, employers, employees, and visitors alike. Park City is also working to ensure that the benefits of the visitor economy are shared equitably by people of all races, ages, gender identities, sexual orientations, abilities, and income levels and by wider Summit County’s communities surrounding the central resort town.
Getting There
For visitors, the icing on the cake is that Park City is one of the easiest ski towns in the world to reach, just a 35-minute drive from the wonderful, spacious Salt Lake City International Airport, on a dual-lane all-weather highway that avoids taking you into the state capital.
Read InTheSnow > Park City Resort Resort Showcase
