Park City Mountain Resort

Park City Mountain is the largest ski resort in the United States, and the scale genuinely takes a day or two to get your head around — two connected base areas, Park City and Canyons Village, linked by the Quicksilver Gondola, with terrain that runs from gentle groomers to steep bowls above the treeline. Beginners have some of the best learning terrain anywhere; strong skiers can chase fresh snow all day without repeating a run. The resort doesn’t shut down in summer. The lifts keep turning for lift-served mountain biking and hiking, and the Alpine Slide, Alpine Coaster, and ZipRider are a reliable hit with kids and anyone who’d rather not earn their turns. Mid-mountain restaurants stay open, so a lazy lunch with a view is easy to arrange. Winter runs roughly late November through early April, with the best conditions in January and February. Buy lift tickets well ahead — walk-up prices are steep — and use the free town bus rather than fighting for parking at the base. If you’re here during Sundance in late January, expect the town to be busier and book everything earlier than you think you need to.