A Fantastic 2023 Ski Experience
Part of: Ski Experiences • Adventure Travel • North America
Our 2023 ski experience in Park City was outstanding.
My two daughters and I headed west for a winter ski trip together — something the three of us hadn’t done in decades. As a bonus, Park City had just received over three feet of fresh snow in the weeks leading up to our trip, promising excellent skiing conditions.
I had visited Park City more than thirty years earlier with my husband Bob and remembered it as a fun mountain with wide intermediate slopes and a charming ski town filled with shops and restaurants.
Fast forward to 2023 and the experience is even better — largely because the resort has grown dramatically into what is now the largest ski resort in the United States.
🏔️ The Layout of Park City Mountain Resort
Park City Mountain Resort sits only 35 minutes from Salt Lake City, making it one of the most accessible major ski resorts in North America.
The resort now features:
- 7,300+ skiable acres
- 41 lifts
- 330+ trails
- 8 mountain peaks
The terrain breakdown is ideal for strong recreational skiers:
- 8% beginner
- 42% intermediate
- 50% expert
Danielle and I are both strong intermediate skiers, so we were thrilled to discover the mountain offers a huge selection of long, wide blue runs.
However, beginners might find some other resorts more beginner-friendly.
🏔️ How Park City Became So Large
Today’s Park City ski area is the result of several resorts merging together.
Between 2013 and 2015, Vail Resorts acquired and combined:
- Park City Mountain
- The Canyons Resort
- Park City West terrain areas
The connection between the mountains was completed with the Quicksilver Gondola, which allows skiers to move between the two main sides of the resort.
When planning your ski days, it’s best to focus on one side of the mountain at a time rather than trying to ski everything in one day.
We found:
- Canyons side: more sheltered from wind
- Park City side: bigger open terrain but windier
🚗 Parking and Transportation
One of the biggest challenges at Park City today is parking.
The resort has grown faster than the roads and parking capacity.
We rented an Airbnb about two miles north of the Canyons base, which worked perfectly.
Good options include:
- Canyons Cabriolet Lot – limited free parking with lift access
- Upper Canyons lot – free but requires a walk
- Downtown Park City lots – reservation required
Fortunately, the free Park City bus system is excellent and connects:
- hotels
- downtown
- both resort base areas
Many skiers simply park at the Canyons and take the bus to the Park City base area.
🏡 Where to Stay
Park City offers an enormous variety of accommodations:
- Luxury slope-side resorts
- Major hotel chains
- Timeshare condos
- Airbnb and VRBO rentals
Our 3-bedroom Airbnb condo had:
- garage parking
- a gas fireplace
- easy access to the Canyons base
Tip: Book early during the off-season to secure better rates.
💳 Saving Money with the Epic Pass
Lift tickets at major ski resorts now cost $200–$300 per day.
Fortunately, we saved a lot by using the Epic Pass.
The Epic Pass provides:
- multi-resort access
- discounted lift tickets
- equipment rental discounts
- buddy passes
That’s how Lori joined us for the trip.
The Epic mobile app also turned out to be extremely helpful for navigating the mountain and tracking ski routes.
🍽️ Dining in Park City
🍔 Eating on the Mountain
Slope-side restaurants have improved over the years, but they remain expensive.
Typical lunch prices:
- $20–$25 per person at casual lodges
- $30–$40 at nicer restaurants
We alternated between bringing our own lunches and eating at lodges during our four ski days.
🍷 A Special Dinner at Deer Valley
One evening Danielle made reservations at The Rime Restaurant.
The restaurant sits high on the slopes of Deer Valley Resort, reached via a funicular railway.
The setting was stunning with incredible views of the mountain.
The food was good, but honestly not as exceptional as we expected, though the service and scenery were excellent.
🍻 Dining in Downtown Park City
Downtown Main Street Park City is lively and full of restaurants and bars.
We tried twice to get into the famous High West Saloon, but both nights the wait was over two hours.
Instead we ended up at Fletcher’s Park City, where we enjoyed appetizers and drinks at the bar.
The food was good but not outstanding.
🌮 Best Meal of the Trip
Ironically, the best meal of the trip came after we left Park City.
On our final night in Salt Lake City, Danielle found the famous Red Iguana, known for its traditional mole sauces.
Our waiter brought us a sampler plate featuring nine different mole sauces, each with unique flavors and spices.
Without question, it was one of the best Mexican meals I’ve ever had.
🎿 The Skiing Experience
Day 1 – The Canyons
We arrived at the Canyons base at 8:00 AM and waited for lifts to open.
Two primary lifts serve the base area:
- the Canyons Gondola
- the Orange Bubble Express chairlift
The Orange Bubble chairlift features a tinted weather shield that protects skiers from wind and snow — a nice touch during stormy weather.
Some of our favorite runs included:
- Mainline
- Echo
- Eclipse
The snow was soft and perfect after the recent storm.
Day 2 – Crossing the Resort
On day two we explored both sides of the mountain using the Quicksilver Gondola.
This lift travels from the Canyons side over the mountain ridge and down to the Park City terrain.
The blue runs on the Park City side were long, steep, and incredibly fun.
Danielle’s ski tracker recorded over 20 miles of skiing that day.
Day 3 – Bluebird Ski Day
After dropping Lori at the airport early Sunday morning, Danielle and I returned for a beautiful bluebird day.
Clear skies, fresh snow, and minimal lift lines made for one of the best ski days I’ve had in years.
We explored dozens of runs and logged more than 25 miles of skiing.
Day 4 – A Snowy Finale
Our final day brought heavy snowfall and strong winds.
Visibility dropped and the snow kept piling up, turning many blue runs into mogul-covered black runs.
It was challenging but exciting skiing.
By mid-afternoon the weather became too intense, and we decided to call it a day.
❄️ Final Thoughts on Skiing Park City
After skiing many great mountains across North America — including Colorado, Lake Tahoe, Taos, and Mount Baker — Park City now ranks near the top of my list.
The combination of:
- massive terrain
- fantastic intermediate runs
- easy airport access
- charming ski town
makes it an outstanding destination.
And sharing the trip with my daughters made the experience even more special.
