Wintersports
Snowboarding
Top 9 snowboarding spots in Utah
There is more than enough action on the slopes to satisfy even the most experienced of winter sports enthusiasts.
Professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones is an 11-time Big Mountain Rider of the Year and a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, so you can be sure he has ridden on the biggest and baddest mountains all over the world. One of his favorites is in Utah.
“My spot is located on the edge of the Brighton Resort. It serves as a training facility of sorts for me and a couple of my friends to get our season started and practice up on our outdoor skills. It’s special because it’s all hand-built and it’s exclusive to our group and close friends that we invite in. It’s filled with love and delivers the ‘funnest’ snowboarding of the year for us,” he said.
Brighton is also one of our top picks for snowboarding in Utah, where the rugged terrain is the perfect setting for winter sports. Read on for our list of top places to go snowboarding in Utah - from large resorts to local gems.
1 min
Snow Barrels in Utah
Jeremy Jensen puts the 'surf' in powdersurfing and captures the essence of getting barrelled on the mountain. No bindings – just a rider and the unbeatable feeling of slashing the weightless powder.
01
Park City Mountain
- Location: Park City, Utah
- What makes it unique: Park City Mountain is one of the largest resorts in the world, with over 7,300 acres of terrain suitable for skiing and snowboarding. Less than an hour away from Salt Lake City’s airport, it is a premier and convenient destination for tourists.
- Interesting fact: It’s featured in Shaun White Snowboarding, a 2008 video game and it's where Scotty James became the first-ever snowboarder to win 3 consecutive World Championships.
02
Sundance Resort
- Location: Park City, Utah
- What makes it unique: Sundance is one of the older resorts on this list, hosting ski races as far back as 1941. Located on the slopes of Mount Timpanogos, this resort sits at an apex of 8,250 ft and has trails for beginners (20%), intermediate-level (40%) and experts (40%).
- Interesting fact: This resort was the original host location of the famous Sundance Film Festival in 1978. The festival was moved to Park City Mountain in 1984.
03
Snowbasin
- Location: Huntsville, Utah
- What makes it unique: One of the oldest ski and snowboarding resorts in the country, Snowbasin opened up in 1938. Snowbasin is less friendly to winter sport newbies, with only seven of its 104 trails being graded for beginners. However, for those with experience, this resort is one of the best spots to prove your skills.
- Interesting fact: When the 2002 Winter Olympics were held in Salt Lake City, Snowbasin hosted the alpine skiing downhill and Super-G races.
04
Snowbird
- Location: Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah
- What makes it unique: A year-round resort, Snowbird first opened in 1971. Snowbird offers the longest ski season in Utah, not closing until late May in most years.
- Interesting fact: Snowbird is home to one of the best ski and snowboarding schools in the country, The Mountain School. The school offers lessons from December to April.
05
Solitude
- Location: Brighton, Utah
- What makes it unique: Solitude offers most of its 1,200 acres for intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders. However, there is more than enough for beginners to explore. The name of this resort isn’t a lie, as Solitude has very few crowds. You will find local regulars who know all the ins-and-outs though.
- Interesting fact: Solitude got its name in the 1860s for the long and treacherous road silver miners had to walk to get from the mines back to civilization.
06
Brighton
Brighton Resort
© Photo by Jackson Blackhurst on Unsplash
- Location: Brighton, Utah
- What makes it unique: The oldest resort in Utah, Brighton is renowned for its five terrain parks, giving snowboarders ample space to test out their tricks. Given its close proximity to Solitude, many visitors purchase passes that allow them access to both slopes.
- Interesting fact: Brighton also has one of the most active night riding scenes in the country. The slopes are open for night riding Monday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., mid-December through mid-March.
07
Canyons Resort
- Location: Park City, Utah
- What makes it unique: This is a great place for snowboarding but may not be the most beginner friendly. Snowboarders will find lots of deep gullies and massive powder bowls. There are also many natural half pipes and a first class superpipe.
- Interesting fact: Canyons Village is now part of Park City Mountain resort, but crowds are usually lighter here.
08
Brian Head
- Location: Brian Head, Utah
- What makes it unique: Located on the western base of Brian Head mountain in southern Utah, Brian Head ski resort is rather small, holding 650 acres of skiable terrain. While the resort has something for everybody, most of its trails are best suited for newer snowboarders, with 70% of the terrain labeled at the “beginner” or “intermediate” difficulties.
- Interesting fact: Nobody truly knows where the name for the mountain comes from. Some say that explorer John Wesley Powell named the peak after a USGS official, while another story is that the nearby town of Parowan named the peak after politician William Jennings Bryan.
09
Powder Mountain
- Location: Eden, Utah
- What makes it unique: Like Brian Head, Powder Mountain is away from the hustle and bustle of Salt Lake City, making it a winter sports haven for locals and enthusiasts who are looking for a challenge. Only 25% of the runs go across beginner terrain, but newbies won’t feel out of place. The locals often help out those who are new to the area, showing them secret runs and hidden trails that aren’t bustling with tourists.
- Interesting fact: Powder Mountain is the largest ski resort area in the United States in terms of skiable area, measuring at over 8,400 acres.
Conclusion
In the warmer months, Utah is well known for its biking trails, with events like Red Bull Rampage taking advantage of the unique terrain available here. However, in the cooler months when the snow begins to accumulate on the ground, there is more than enough action on the slopes to satisfy even the most experienced of winter sports enthusiasts.
If you can’t make it out west but still want to find some interesting snowboarding locations, check out the Red Bull Slide-In Tour for some recommended spots in the Northeast.
