Our Ski Trip to Utah (and what I would do differently!)

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That Glow Though

Justin and I recently took a 5-day trip out to Park City, Utah to go skiing! My family would do regular trips out to Colorado to go skiing when I was in high school, and as we’ve gotten older, we’ve shifted over to skiing in Utah.

It’s admittedly been a while since I’ve been to Colorado to ski, but I’m always so happy with skiing in Utah that I don’t feel much desire to try anywhere else!

Justin joined our family ski trip when we were dating (possibly engaged? I can’t remember!) and he took to it immediately. We both genuinely love to ski, so it’s really an ideal trip for us to make together!

For this trip, Justin and I chose to stay at the Hyatt Centric Park City, which is on the Canyons side of the ski area. The Canyons seems to be a bit more geared toward stronger skiers with lots of blue and black runs, but it connects via a Gondola to Park City Mountain which has a greater variety of runs.

Justin and I typically spend 99% of our time skiing on blue runs. We will occasionally take a black run if it means we have to connect to a place we’re trying to go, but we don’t often seek out black runs.

We have skied at Park City before but this was our first year on the Canyons’ side!

We spent the first day skiing the Canyons runs to explore, and we enjoyed it. On the morning of the second day, we made the trek over to Park City Mountain to ski those runs. We had to take a few chair lifts and a gondola but overall it was easy to do. Once we were there, I was instantly reminded about how much I love Park City.

The runs were wider, the layout seemed easier to navigate (this could also be from familiarity!), the views were spectacular, and the snow was groomed a bit better.

After skiing down a few runs we made a plan to spend the rest of the trip skiing on that side of the mountain. It’s hard to explain without being able to show you, but the conditions were just better on the Park City side versus the Canyons side.

We take these trips mostly just to ski, so our days are centered around that. We wake up early, eat breakfast, and try to get to the chairlift at the time it opens to get on the mountain early. We eat on the mountain at one of the restaurants/dining halls and then spend the rest of the afternoon skiing until the lifts start to close.

After we spent the day on the mountain, we developed a routine of returning to the hotel, changing into our swimsuits, and heading out to the hot tub. It felt so good to warm up after being in freezing cold temperatures all day.

Then, we would take a quick shower and get dressed in some warm clothes to go out to dinner. We ate near the hotel on the first night because we were exhausted, but on the second and third nights, we went to downtown Park City. It’s a really sweet little mountain town with fantastic food options! The hotel had a shuttle we used to get downtown, but we also used Uber for a ride home. It was only about a 12-minute ride from the hotel to Downtown Park City.

Overall, we had such a wonderful trip and really enjoyed the quality time together. It has been over 2 years since the two of us got away together without the kids, and it was very special to have that time. The length of time was perfect to have 3 full days of skiing, bookended with two travel days. The only thing I would do differently for the next trip is to stay on the Park City side of the mountain!

I thought it may be helpful to share a bit more about this trip in Q and A form so see that below!

One. Where did you stay? We stayed at the Hyatt Centric Park City which was on the Canyons side. It is a Ski In/Ski Out hotel but we learned that the chairlift at the hotel was not operating due to limited staffing (likely a result of Covid). The hotel was clean with friendly staff, and I would definitely stay there again. We used the pool table in the “game room” off of the lobby every night! The only thing I didn’t love about this hotel was the lobby restaurant.

Two. Where did you fly into? We flew into Salt Lake City and flew Delta. We had a non-stop there and back. Highly recommend a non-stop if you can swing it. The drive from the airport to the hotel was about 40 minutes.

Three. Deer Valley versus Park City? Deer Valley is a ski resort near the area that doesn’t allow snowboarders. We’ve skied there and at Park City in the past. At the end of this trip, I was reminded about how nice it is to ski on a mountain with only other skiers. I’m sure the snowboarders would say the same thing. Skiing and Snowboarding require different moves around the mountain, so it can get a little tricky when you’re both racing through a narrow part of a run.

Four. Where did you eat? We ate a fantastic breakfast at Drafts Burger Bar, which is just a 3-minute walk from our hotel. On the mountain, we ate at a few different places for lunch, and they were always fantastic. One note if you are traveling during the pandemic, proof of vaccination is required to get into a few of the mid-mountain restaurants! They accept a photo of the vaccination card for proof, and will then give you a sticker for your helmet so you don’t have to show the staff every time you try to eat mid-mountain.

For dinners, we ate at Drafts Burger Bar the first night and it was outstanding. On the second night, we went to the oldest business in Park City, Red Banjo, a pizza place. We both enjoyed it, and I loved their Moscow Mule. Then on the last night, we ate at The Eating Establishment downtown Park City. The food was very, very good and I liked the atmosphere.

Five. Would you go back? Absolutely, but I would stay on the Park City side. We both liked the skiing better over there, so it makes a bit more sense to stay on that side of the mountain. The resort area at the base of the mountain also has a bit more to offer than what is available at the Canyons side–but I do know they are doing a lot of construction to build it out!

Six. What did you wear skiing? Did you rent equipment? Justin and I bought helmets of our own a few years ago so we travel with those, but we rent the boots, skis, and poles. I bought this ski jacket from Amazon and it worked perfectly for me. I only wish it had a few more interior pockets. Beyond that, wool socks, a neck warmer, ski pants, lots of layers, and waterproof gloves are what you would need to stay warm! I ended up wearing a long sleeve lululemon top, a Zella quarter zip, and then my jacket.

In the evenings, I wore my leggings under my black denim and layered a shirt under my sweater. It was very cold so layers were really essential. I also wore these boots and really loved them. They are lightweight and easy to walk in!

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Laura Wilkerson says · 02.09.22

So happy to hear you liked the eating establishment! I live in Utah county and once a year my friends and I do a staycation in PC and have to eat there. They serve a cocktail called the pamplemousse which is so delicious year round and easy to replicate at home.

Also, Delta has a main hub in SLC so highly recommend flying through them when going through here. The terminal has great food options and reduces the walking you’ll do in other terminals.

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Jen P says · 02.09.22

So glad you had a great time!!! We love Park city for the town, skiing (deer valley is my favorite) and the lower altitude! Loved following along with you in your vacation!

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Margarita says · 02.09.22

Great info thanks!!
What hotels did you see on the park city mountain side that you recommend because of centrality? Or kid friendly options.
Thanks

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Andrea says · 02.09.22

Our family always stay at the Marriott Mountainside and love it! Multiple hot tubs, great pool, and an awesome kid play room. It has always been very clean and the staff is always so welcoming. I don’t ski or snowboard (shame on me since I’ve lived in Utah for 20+ years) so we go in the summer.

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Amy says · 02.09.22

I did not realize you were skiing at Park City. I assumed you were at Deer Valley because I’ve heard you talk about that resort before. We were also skiing at Park City for the exact same dates. I love the light midweek crowds on the slopes and in town. We think next time we’ll try to make it over to the Canyons a bit because this time we just stuck to the PC side. Highly highly recommend dinner at Fletcher’s. I’ve never had better service anywhere. Thanks for sharing the trip report! Glad you a wonderful trip. And yes, it was seriously soooo cold!

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Kris says · 02.19.22

Yes. Fletchers is the absolute best as well as any of the Bill White restaurants. For a lighter option I recommend Teriyaki Grill (near the liquor store area off Kearns Blvd.)

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Dina Bradshaw says · 02.09.22

Love Park City! Live in Utah so ski there quite often. Park city itself is such a cute ski town love going to the outlets there too!❤️Their children’s ski teaching is the best too!

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Emily says · 02.10.22

Utahn here, so glad you had a great time! Park City is beautiful this time of year! I never comment but wanted to hop on and thank you so much for mentioning vaccination. I know you’ve been quiet about it on IG and it’s so good to hear/see that you and your husband are vaccinated! Thank you for being responsible and safe in this pandemic!

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Allison says · 02.10.22

We’re planning a trip to Utah in September. Would Park City be a good location to stay in the off season?

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Amy says · 02.13.22

I have been to PC in September and it’s gorgeous! Definitely can’t go wrong with a visit there then. Also Snowbird has Oktoberfest the whole month of September and October and it’s really fun for grownups if you like that sort of thing. (My under 21 so was not such a fan). Enjoy!

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Lauren Brackett says · 02.13.22

I love this review! I lived in Salt Lake for about a year (just moved away) and have skied PC & Deer Valley a handful of times. So interesting that you liked PC better than Canyons! I find it’s so weather dependent. Chimayo and 5 Seeds are amazing food options for next time!

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Elizabeth Salzberg says · 02.13.22

We love Park City too! Heading there for spring break with a few families. We stay at Marriott Mountainside (someone above also mentioned this), it’s perfect for families.

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