For five years in a row, Snowbird and Alta have shared the title of the Number One ski resort in the United States by SKIING Magazine. With over 500 inches of low-density, "dry" Utah powder annually, Snowbird's ideal geography and a phenomenon called Lake Effect, means this resort has the longest ski and snowboard season in Utah, running from mid-November through mid-May with conditions permitting.
Snowbird has four slope side lodges. The Cliff Lodge, Lodge at Snowbird, The Inn, and Iron Blossom, offering a total of 882 rooms. Rooms can rented by the night, week or longer. There are also timeshare opportunities at the resort. Other amenities include fifteen restaurants serving everything from fine dining to burgers and beers. There are four bars, a luxury spa and a full four seasons worth of activities.
Snowbird, Utah is in the heart of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Little Cottonwood Canyon. It is twenty nine miles from Salt Lake City International Airport and twenty five miles from downtown Salt Lake City. This translates into a forty five minute drive from the airport.
Snowbird Resort Statistics:
Annual Snowfall - 500 inches
Ski-able Acres - 2,500
Vertical Drop - 3,240 feet
Base Elevation - 7,760 feet
Top Elevation -11,000 feet
Number of Runs - 89
Beginner - 27 percent
Intermediate - 38 percent
Advanced/Expert - 35 percent
Lifts - 1 tram, 4 high-speed detachable quads, 6 doubles
Uphill Capacity - 17,400 skiers and snowboarders per hour
Tram - holds 125 people, and covers 2,900 vertical feet in seven minutes
Snowbird has a Terrain Park and Superpipe located on the lower part of the Big Emma run. There is a Mountain School with many options from class lessons to women's ski and snowboard camps.
The Cliff Spa on the top two floors of the Cliff Lodge offers a full complement of services provided by a staff of forty. There is over 29,000 square feet of dedicated meeting space with all contemporary A/V equipment, conference services and catering. Snowbird's meeting space expands to 44,000 square feet with an outdoor tent with a 1,000-person capacity.
There is a plethora of activity choices for summer. You can choose from hiking to summer festivals like Oktoberfest.
Other summer activities:
Aerial Tram Rides - to the 11,000 ft. summit of Hidden Peak
Peruvian Chair & Tunnel
Take the tunnel to Mineral Basin
Alpine Slide - Race down 1.300 linear feet of twist and turns
Bungee Trampoline
Climbing Wall
Mechanical Bull
Zip Rider - A 1,000 ft. zip line suspended above Chickadee
Inflatable Castle and Slide
One online reviewer says, "I have had my best riding the days it dumps at snowbird. They get a ton of storms coming thru that dump 2 to 5 feet of snow at a time. You need to stay at the resort when it snows since the road closes often and makes for the best days when everybody from salt lake can't come up there. Snowbird has a ton of steeps. cliffs and trees to ski. The tram to the top gives you good lines in every direction. If it gets icy in the front then go to mineral basin in the back for better snow. Snowbird also has some great backcountry runs accessible off of Gad 2 lift in scottys bowl. Little Cottonwood Canyon is the most avalanche prone area in the lower 48 so bring you avalanche gear. Its April 7 today and they have 550 inches with 2 feet more in the forecast. Where else that has dry snow has that much besides snowbird's neighbors alta and solitude.''
Another reviewer states, "Snowbird is a Ski/Snowboarders paradise. I've done a lot of skiing in the Northeast US and loved it, but Snowbird just makes you realize what real skiing is all about. Any one who has ever liked this sport must make it to Snowbird.''
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