The pass situation: A weekday lift ticket starts at $49, and for the weekend, $59. Recurring riders can find season pass options on their website.
Where to après, eat, and drink: On the third floor of Giant Steps Lodge, head to the classic and lively Last Chair Saloon. With live music every Saturday, the bar offers both barbecue and a large beer selection (the signature No.9 Pale Ale is named in honor of Brian Head).
Where to stay: For convenience and comfort, book a stay onsite at Brian Head Resort. It’s just a two minute shuttle ride to the slopes and offers an outdoor hot tub, game room with old school video games, and a spa with a sauna. With the resort’s Stay and Ski Free option, guests can book a two-night stay in either a queen or king room and receive free lift tickets.
Brighton
Brighton is the oldest ski resort in Utah. An hour from the Salt Lake City airport, the resort is on the small side at 1,050 skiable acres and 66 trails. However, its ski lifts reach the top of the resort in four ski pods, each area serving a different terrain (for one: off of Snake Creek lift, there’s the option of Thor, an undulating, twisting run through deep trees). As one of two ski resorts in Big Cottonwood Canyon just above Salt Lake City—it also sits just off of the Great Salt Lake—the location has catered to its favorable snow conditions with more snowfall. The resort has a laid-back atmosphere and groomer runs with few flat sections. There are also options for beginners and intermediate riders who wants heaps of space, with wide area green and blue runs through tall trees—uniquely, the resort is home to both aspens and pines. For this season, the resort has introduced even more options for night skiing, opening a vast terrain inclusive of 30 trails. It was one of the first in Utah to allow snowboarders—and still caters to the boarding community with terrain parks and jumps. Kill two birds with the SolBright trail to access Solitude.
The pass situation: Brighton is on Ikon Pass. Otherwise, lift tickets start at $64, valid for up to seven hours. For an additional $10, adults can purchase the all-day for a full 12 hours of riding.
Where to après, eat, and drink: Molly Green’s is an upbeat, mountain-lodge-style bar at Brighton Resort—and one of the classic après-ski hotspots in all of Utah.
Where to stay: Book at the on-site Brighton Lodge for a rustic-style stay. Here, purchase a package, where for a three-night reservations, guests are offered a daily lift ticket.