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Deer Valley Ski Resort
When it opened in 1981, Deer Valley was one of the first resorts in the world to offer valets to carry guests' gear from cars to the slopes, free shuttles from the carpark, tissues in lift lines, complimentary overnight ski storage – you get the picture, exceeding expectations is its bread and butter.
Earning controversy on the slopes, authorities felt one of the best ways of ensuring excellence was to ban boarders… The move was bold but brilliant, from a management perspective, as a whole host of clientele comes for this reason alone.
On the skiing side of things, DV continues to impress. With 2026 skiable acres, across 6 mountains, it also has some of the fastest, best thought out lifts in the country and its groomers are manicured to pisted perfection. Heated decks gaze up at the Jordanelle Resevoir and the dramatic, craggy peaks of the Wasatch Range, which are coated in 300 inches a year of that famous Utah snow each year. The snowmaking facilities are also extensive, making sure coverage is the same high quality as everything else.
Facilities and luxurious lodges are divvied between 3 base areas - Snow Park Lodge, Silver Lake Village and Empire Pass - with some of the world’s most expensive ski palaces among them (one once on the market for nigh on $50 million…). Yes, you’ll have to pay a premium to stay here, but with this level of luxury and smiley staff who think of everything, you get what you pay for. Alternatively, Park City, a 19th century mining town, is just a 3-minute complimentary shuttle ride away with lots more affordable lodging. It’s got soul, it’s got spunk and a lot of the Deer Valley set stop by for the shopping alone.
Stats & FAQ
Location: Utah, USA
Established: 1981
Open: December - April
Downhill: 2026 acres / 101 runs
View our detailed Deer Valley snow forecast or snow report and see all live webcams, piste maps, road and travel maps and lift pass prices. For a picture of historic snow conditions see the snow depths month by month with our Deer Valley snow history.
| Nearest Airport & Transfer Time: | |
| Salt Lake City International (SLC) | 40 miles, 1 hour |
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| Top Altitude: | 9570ft / 2920 m |
| Bottom Altitude: | 6570ft / 2000m |
| Resort Altitude: | 6570ft / 2000m |
| Longest run: | 2.8 miles / 4.5km |
| Slope Orientation: | |
| Vertical Drop: | 3000ft / 910m |
| Skiable Vertical: | |
| Night Skiing: | No |
| Glacier: | No |
Snow Report
Web Cam
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| Downhill Runs: | 2026 acres / 101 runs |
| Beginner slopes: | 27% |
| Intermediate: | 41% |
| Advanced slopes: | 31% |
| Lift Pass Price: | $135 (single day adult pass) |
| Nearby resorts: Park City | |
Skiing/BoardingSkiing in Deer Valley
With some of the finest fall line groomers to be found anywhere, much of Deer Valley’s 2026 acres are preened to perfection and have the awards to show for it. Split between 6 different peaks, with a little patience poring over the piste map, epic adventures await for beginners and intermediates. DV is also known for limiting ticket sales to 7500 a day, so bottle necks are never going to ruin the experience – nor, for that matter, are boarders...
Just above the main Snow Park Lodge base, the Wide West area is a protected run and the place to inspire you with ski confidence with instructors who know what they’re doing. When you’re feeling confident, move on up the Carpenter Express for a good first full-length trail, green Success. From there you’re pretty much off and away on any of the green runs on any of the 6 peaks. All are designated “slow zones”, so trailblazers from the blue or black runs that feed into them will be considerate. Take Sunset and Sunset West, wrapping around Bald Mountain for the highest and longest in the resort and some of its most rewarding views.
With blue and double blue trails every which way, DV spoils intermediate skiers rotten. Be sure to ski Jordanelle, 3km from Little Baldy Peak to the bottom of the gondola. But there really is very little groomed terrain you can’t travel. It’s worth testing your skills with the unique NASTAR races held daily on Bald Mountain, where you can win platinum, gold, silver or bronze medals depending on how speedy your schuss is.
A special experts-only trail map points the more advanced in the right directions. Smatterings of black runs in the Mayflower Bowl and Empire Canyon (including Olympic Mogul Venue, Champion) provide interest. Off the tracks, the Daly chutes offer eight steep chutes (one is the steepest in Utah) for a challenge. Then there are 800 beautiful acres (324 ha) of glade skiing.
With a whopping 500 instructors, the DV Ski School is any army of smiling servicemen and (one of the largest in the country). How they manage to maintain such levels of service with these numbers, we don’t know. For one thing, adult group lessons are never more than 4, so they can live up to their promise of paying you personal attention.
Deer Valley Apres Ski
In a resort where Bollinger gets knocked back like water and you can watch champagne being sabered open each afternoon (Mountain Terrace, we love you), there’s a certain level of unashamed extravagance to DV’s après scene. But not everywhere is a raised pinky kind of place. Head to Edgar’s Beer and Spirit Lounge for Hot Buttered Rums and Oomph Popcorn. All-out, boot-stomping blowouts, however, are less to DV’s taste…
You’ll want to be sober at any rate, to enjoy the deliciousness delivered in the resort restaurants. The Glitrerind at the Stein Eriksen Lodge is one to save the pennies for, while the Mariposa in Silver Lake wins hearts for its artistic seafood creations. From here, a nightcap in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows in the Chateaux’s Buvez Bar is a scenic way to end an evening.
If this all sounds a bit sedate, Park City is just a 5-minute drive away with about 100 restaurants and 20 bars, which many make the trip from Salt Lake City for. Whether you want to kick it with Hollywood starlets (try Silver), nurse a beer at Utah’s oldest brewery, or tuck into Bison burgers in an old-fashioned saloon - this is well worth a trip, or you may prefer to base yourself here.
The selection of après activities at DV doesn’t let the side down. Try snowshoeing, dog sledding, sleigh rides or take a hot air balloon trip over the Wasatches. Making sure your snaps do the scenery justice, Sharpshooter photography courses will show you how to point and shoot.
Best time to go
Best time to ski Deer Valley
Best time to visit & ski Deer Valley
A bounty of 300 inches hits the slopes every season in Deer Valley, and with 600 acres of snow guns firing on all cylinders, you’re unlikely to be disappointed. With 22 lifts, even at its busiest queues are kept at bay, making for fantastic skiing even at peak dates.
Peak Dates
There’s magic in the air at Christmas in Deer Valley where Santa and his elves put in appearances around the resort and a torchlit parade is a tradition. A copy of the resort cookbook makes a great last-minute gift.
Complimentary mulled cider and cookies often accompany a torchlit parade for New Year in Deer Valley, and prix fixe menus are in plentiful supply. Meanwhile, over in Park City you’ll find everything from comedy shows to all-night dance parties.
The February school holiday isn’t a thing in the US, meaning Half Term in Deer Valley is all the more likely to be a peaceful break for all the family.
The Easter bunny pops in for Easter in Deer Valley, when the views over the Wasach Range are spectacular.
Families in Deer Valley
Deer Valley’s wonderful atmosphere and top-notch customer service are complimented by great lessons and child care, making it a super kid-friendly resort. With lots of ski-in ski-out accommodation among its 5* lodges, it couldn’t be more convenient for little skiers. For those that aren’t yet comfortable in the slats, the Children’s Center accepts kids from 2 months to 12 years and the Paintbox club at the Montage hotel offers kids aged 5-12 activities like scavenger hunts, tubing and weekly movie nights. To keep a teen content, there’s Daly’s Pub and Rec area with arcade games, table football and a bowling alley, while guests of all ages will love stuffing faces with the complimentary gooey s’mores the resort often does.
On the mountain, have fun finding historic “mining” markers and look out for children’s adventure zones on the map. There are also several race courses scattered about the resort that both parents and kids can participate in for medals.
GroupsGroup Holidays Deer Valley
For an all-out, unforgettable group ski holiday, Deer Valley is sure to deliver.
Competitive types can engage in a little competition on the resort’s NASTAR race tracks, available for all abilities thanks to a handicap system. Results are posted online for quick and easy comparison – so no cheating!
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