Park City, once known for its Olympic greatness, was among a handful of ski resorts plagued by overcrowding complaints last year after a colossal season fueled by discount tickets.
The complaints were many and extreme. Locals deemed the resorts “ruined” and tourists saw pictures of chairlift lines on social media with horror. It was down to Vail Resorts, the conglomerate behind most of America’s ski and snowboard destinations, offering discounted season passes with its Epic Pass.
A wave of thrill seekers and budding snow bunnies snapped up the cheaper tickets and headed for the slopes, to the dismay of the loyal locals or wealthier tourists who had always been able to afford previous, more expensive trips.
But a visit to Park City Mountain Resort, the largest ski area in North America, at the end of the 2021-2022 season confirmed to this lifelong skier that it remains one of the best resorts in the United States.
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Park City Mountain Resort in Utah is America’s largest ski area with over 7,300 skiable acres and 330 winter trails
Saved you a seat! DailyMail.com’s Jennifer Smith visited Park City in late March and found almost no lines for chairlifts and plenty of room on the slopes
Park City Mountain Resort spans 7,300 skiable acres. It contains not only the original Park City Mountain Resort, but also the adjacent Canyonlands, purchased in 2015.
Admittedly, the best snow had come and gone, but even with that in mind, there was more than enough ground to keep our group of nine skiers entertained for four full days.
As always, getting out early reaped great rewards. If there was a line, it was short. And as we ventured higher up the mountain, the lines disappeared.
The mornings were blissful atop Jupiter Peak, especially on the scenic Georgeanna Trail. Claimjumper, a long and windy green, was another favourite.
It was late March when the afternoon sun melted most of the lower paths to collapse at 14:00 or 15:00 – which is to be expected this late in the season, and a section of the pistes was already closed for the season when we got there.
But the earlier finishes made for a shameless retreat to après-ski.
Legends, a bar grill at the base camp, promised delicious Aperol Spritz cocktails in the sunshine, and The Pig Pen Saloon offered a more boisterous experience.
For dining, restaurant options on the mountain were plentiful, although the menu of hot dogs, chili, and mac ‘n’ cheese could do with a little updating.
At lunchtime, families gathered alongside groups of friends and solo skiers on outdoor picnic benches. Windbreakers were removed and sunscreen was reapplied to cheeks and noses.
The post-lunch rush of skiers and snowboarders was generally the only time the chairlift lines felt long.
Otherwise, the only traffic we encountered was April Fools, when local skiers and resort workers take over the slopes for a fancy dress, prank-filled blow-out.
Spoiled for Choice: Park City Mountain Resort is America’s largest ski area with over 7,000 skiable acres across the original Park City Mountain (left) and Canyonlands (right)
This year, lift wait times will be helped by improvements to some of the busiest chairlifts
To order Park City tickets for the 2022-2023 season, please visit Epic Pass website here before prices increase on October 9
It’s not for the faint of heart and should generally be avoided by families with young children (some of whom were left terrified by the older experts whizzing by after a few too many lunchtime beers.)
Tickets for the 2022-2023 season went on sale earlier this year but are still available.
An unlimited Epic Pass, which provides access to Park City and 39 other resorts for the entire season, costs $879.
A Local Pass provides unlimited access to Park City except for holiday dates for $655, and a four-day pass costs $362 — less than $100 a day.
The earlier finishes provided a shameless retreat for après ski. Legends, a bar and grill at the bottom, promised delicious Aperol Spritz cocktails in the sunshine
Prices are due to increase on October 9.
This year, the resort is determined to keep the crowds at a reasonable size.
The new vice president and COO of Park City Mountain Resort, Deirdre Walsh, says she will enforce caps on ticket sales this season.
She is eager to smooth the tensions between the community and the resort.
“I think there’s an opportunity to reset right now,” she told The Salt Lake Tribune in a recent interview.
She may be met with opposition from a handful of locals who recently blocked improvements to the Silverlode Express chairlift (the resort wanted to add seats to reduce wait times).
A court sided with the locals. Vail Resorts is appealing the decision.
Deirdre Walsh, COO of the resort, told DailyMail.com: ‘We will continue to pursue our permission to upgrade the Silverlode and Eagle chairlifts because we are committed to investing in the guest experience at the resort. Once we have resolved our permit with the city, we plan to acquire the lifts and equipment necessary for the installation.
‘In the meantime we will be moving the two previously purchased lifts to Whistler Blackcomb where, subject to approvals, they can have a positive impact on the guest experience in time for the 2023/24 season.
“We are very optimistic about the future of Park City Mountain and look forward to sharing more about upcoming projects and capital investments soon.”
Even without the planned improvements, a trip to Park City is a safe bet for a group of friends or a family eager for a fun mountain vacation.
To order Park City tickets for the 2022-2023 season, please visit Epic Pass website here before prices increase on October 9