The Best Utah Vacations start with Luxury Retreats

A desert state sandwiched between Nevada and Colorado, Utah offers wide open spaces, amazing canyons to hike, and of course, some of the best skiing anywhere in the U.S. The state’s motto, emblazoned across car license plates, is “The Greatest Snow on Earth”, and we have to say, on a fresh powder day at Park City, they may well be right. Add to this the fact that Park City Resort is only a 45-minute drive from Salt Lake City airport, and you could be on a flight from NYC or Boston after breakfast and on the pristine slopes in time for lunch.

Famous across North America as one of the continent’s best ski destinations, Park City Utah along with its skiers-only sister mountain Deer Valley, forms the largest ski area in the USA. You’ll find some of the best powder skiing anywhere in the world right here - and almost guaranteed conditions as the region receives up to 30ft of snow every year.

Since merging with the neighboring Canyons ski resort, Park City is a force to be reckoned with for any level of skier or snowboarder. The resort boasts over 300 trails, including 14 bowls, across over 7,000 acres of terrain. Park City hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002, and a lot of the facilities created for the event are still up and running. A well-organized system of shuttle buses will take you anywhere you need to go around the resort.

What’s more, its ski lifts go all the way down to Main Street in downtown Park City, making life easy for groups where not everybody loves to ski - you can easily meet up for lunch with family or friends spending the day downtown before heading back to the mountain. For non-skiers that still want to enjoy the snow, there’s (deep breath…) tubing, ice skating, snowshoeing, day spas, dog sledding, and even snow biking.

In mid-January, the town takes on a glamorous new aspect as the movie industry’s brightest stars gather for the Sundance Film Festival. Started by Robert Redford (who also owns a restaurant, Zoom, in town), the festival runs for 10 days and is dedicated to showcasing the best new independent films. A number of screenings are open to the public - you can buy festival passes in advance, or hope to get a spare seat on screening day. In addition, there’s a number of free events open to the public. If you’re visiting during the festival, take some time to see a movie or two, and you might get to watch the next emerging talent before anyone else.

Deer Valley has the reputation of being one of the most luxurious resorts in the country, and it’s well deserved. The resort limits daily ticket sales to make sure the mountain never gets too crowded, the runs are perfectly groomed every night and no snowboarders are allowed to disrupt the flow of downhill skiers. The on-mountain cafeterias use real plates and proper silverware, and everywhere you go there is a feeling of organized calm. All this combines to make Deer Valley a firm favorite with skiing families, many of whom return year after year for the excellent snow and white-glove service. What’s more, much of the terrain is considered beginner to intermediate, so it’s a great choice for visitors learning the sport. Our Deer Valley rentals , with ski-in-ski-out access, are perfect for families heading to the resort for a winter getaway.

While the Wasatch Mountains may make Park City an ideal winter playground, there’s plenty to enjoy in warmer weather here too.

Visitors with kids will love the Olympic Park during the summer when younger ones can get a taste of sports including bobsled and even ski jumping. A favorite is the Fly ski jump experience where kids can enjoy a day’s coaching in ski jump or freestyle, maybe even working up to a full jump - where you test your mettle on the ramp before enjoying a watery landing in the swimming pool. And if that’s not enough excitement for one day, there’s the Drop Tower - a 377 ft zip line that soars through the forest canopy ending in a 65ft freefall drop.

For avid hikers, there’s close to 400 miles of trails around Park City. Expert hikers will love the Fantasy Ridge trail, a strenuous six-mile route that makes its way through pine groves along the mountain ridge to the Canyons peak, almost 10,000 ft above sea level. From the top, the views are truly spectacular. As always if you’re setting out on a day hike make sure you take snacks, water, and warm clothing as conditions can change quickly in the mountains.

Experience our luxury homes for rent in Utah

Our comfortable ski chalets in and around Utah’s best resorts make it easy to plan an extended winter weekend or a summer mountain escape.

Looking for accommodation in the biggest ski resort in North America? We’ve got some great options for you. Our Park City vacation rentals range from luxurious condos for snow-loving couples all the way up to private homes that sleep up to 12 people - ideal for groups of friends traveling together. If you prefer to be close to shops and restaurants opt for our luxury rentals in the historic Old Town district, where you can easily stroll downtown to enjoy your morning coffee before hopping on the Town Lift and heading for the slopes.

With its resort reserved only for skiers, Deer Valley is a favorite with families. We have plenty of great options along the slopes at Deer Valley and also in the gated community at Deer Crest. With ski-in-ski-out access to Jordanelle from every property, our Deer Crest homes are the ideal choice for people who want to make use of every available minute on the mountain. Our stunning homes here sleep up to 21 people and feature open fires, hot tubs, equipment rooms, saunas and more.