Snowbasin

Located north of Salt Lake City and the Cottonwoods, Snowbasin isn’t quite as well known as some other Utah destinations. The mountain is somewhat newer to the destination resort game than its competitors—much of its footprint was built out for the 2002 Olympics that occurred on-premise—but it stands out with a unique footprint, diverse terrain, and absolutely incredible on-site facilities. That being said, the Snowbasin experience does come with a few drawbacks.

Comprising just under 2,200 skiable acres, Snowbasin is comparable in size to resorts like Alta and Snowbird. The mountain feels wider than it is tall, with most areas generally lappable by one lift (albeit a lengthy one). The resort may not be the largest destination in North America, but it boasts a distinctive footprint with rolling slopes, varied terrain, and striking upper-mountain rock faces. The area also doesn’t attract the typical destination crowd and feels less commercialized than many competing mountain resorts.

Across the footprint, guests will find a mix of traditional below-treeline trails, varied glades, and open bowls. In general, the resort can be broken down into three zones: Needles, the most central area with a wide variety of terrain, John Paul, which mainly comprises steeps, and Strawberry, which specializes in light glades and wide-open bowls.

Snowbasin enjoys the light, dry snow one might expect from the Rockies and regularly sees powder throughout the season. However, the resort fails to receive nearly as much accumulation as nearby mountains in the Cottonwoods, which are known for receiving some of the highest snow totals in the country. The resort also sits at a lower base elevation than those areas, resulting in less favorable snow preservation. That being said, all of Snowbasin’s key mountain zones stay reliably open throughout the season, and the area boasts a quite extensive snowmaking footprint that allows for reliable early-season conditions.

It’s not every day that you visit a ski resort for its lodges, but Snowbasin’s on-mountain facilities truly elevate the resort experience. The caliber of these lodges is significantly above that of other resorts, with luxury bonafides such as fancy chandeliers and carpets, finely-upholstered seats, and panoramic views of the beautiful surrounding topography. Even going to the bathroom is a treat—individual stalls are located in their own enclosed rooms, giving guests the utmost of privacy, and the resort provides guests with fancy hand towels, rather than the plebian paper variety. And most importantly, the lodges are conveniently located with enough capacity to seat guests at peak times. On-site food is expensive but not overly so.

Snowbasin may be large and distinct, but it offers very little for beginners. The Littlecat beginner zone is a great place to learn—with a dedicated high-speed lift and terrain park—but it’s small, and it barely extends up the mountain. Only a handful of other green trails exist; the lower-mountain Becker and Wildcat lifts each service one, but they extend into the same long runout. Beginners shouldn’t even try to ski upper-mountain areas—there are no easy ways down. Even though the resort technically added one small green trail off the top of Middle Bowl, beginners should beware—the run only extends down to the nearby Needles Lodge, and beginners who aren’t comfortable with blues will then have to download the gondola to get down the mountain.

Snowbasin starts to make sense once you reach intermediate proficiency. Not all areas are intermediate-focused, but the ones that are offer a variety of trails and bowls. Snowbasin’s Strawberry zone offers some of the best intermediate bowl skiing in Utah, although the resort usually only grooms a small path through the terrain, so it can get bumped up as guests ski it out. Intermediate visitors will also want to check out the groomers off the Needles lifts for some excellent cruising terrain and fantastic resort vistas. Freestyle enthusiasts should make their way to the Blue Grouse and Orson’s terrain parks, which host a series of boxes, rails, and jumps.

Snowbasin offers groomed and ungroomed terrain for advanced visitors. Steep groomers can be found off every lift—a rarity for a Rockies resort. The Grizzly run off Allen Peak, which was specifically designed to be the 2002 Olympic Downhill course, allows for some of the fastest speed runs at any mountain when groomed. But the majority of Snowbasin’s blacks are steep and ungroomed, making for demanding, mogul-riddled trails across all mountain areas. John Paul generally hosts the best all-around black runs, while Strawberry is the place to be for advanced and expert bowl terrain. For the most part, the blacks in the Needles area are somewhat shorter than those in the other two zones; these are a good place to start for those just reaching advanced proficiency.

Surprisingly, Snowbasin doesn’t make sense for those looking for the most extreme terrain. While perilous peaks adorn the resort, they’re not actually in bounds, meaning that guests will have to enter the backcountry for many of those highly visible extreme lines. However, a few seriously technical challenges exist within Snowbasin’s boundaries. The most notable of these include the Lone Tree and Middle Bowl Cirque trails off DeMoisy Peak, which are riddled with cliffs and rocks, and a number of obstacle-riddled zones within John Paul.

You’d expect a really special experience from an area serviced exclusively by tram, and Snowbasin’s Allen Peak, which is just above the John Paul Lodge, delivers in some regards. The top provides absolutely amazing views of both the resort and the city of Ogden, and the low uphill capacity helps preserve snow much longer than other resort areas. However, the trails serviced by Snowbasin’s Allen Peak Tram are really quite short and not that special terrain-wise compared to other resort areas. The one exception is the No Name bowl—this area requires an additional hike after the tram ride and rarely sees any traffic during the day, providing a uniquely isolated in-bounds experience. Lines can really build up for the 15-person Allen Peak Tram—especially on powder days—so guests will really want to think through if the wait is worth the short ride down.

The rest of Snowbasin’s lift infrastructure is generally competitive, and the overwhelming majority of resort areas can be accessed via a high-speed lift. The resort has made significant lift investments in recent years; the current Wildcat Express six-pack replaced a triple chair a few years ago and now provides fast access to some great lower-mountain trails, and the Middle Bowl lift, which services the upper half of the Needles zone, has also become a six-pack for the 2021-22 season. These investments have made it much more desirable to lap shorter trail pods than in previous seasons. However, a couple of slow, fixed-grip triple chairs with agonizingly long ride times remain—though much of their terrain is accessible from high-speed alternatives. Snowbasin’s lift scanning technology is behind the times, and guests must have their passes physically out to get scanned.

For the 2023-24 season, Snowbasin installed the DeMoisy Express six-passenger chairlift, adding a second lift to serve the Strawberry area. While this lift doesn’t add high-speed lift service to any new terrain, it resolves what was basically the resort’s only remaining chokepoint—its Strawberry base. Instead of riding the Strawberry Gondola, guests now have an additional desirable lift option to serve much of the same terrain—and one that doesn’t require skiers and riders to take off their gear. The DeMoisy chair also runs along a shorter, less wind-prone lift line than the Strawberry Gondola, therefore allowing the resort to keep the Strawberry area open under gusty conditions that force the gondola to close.

All other resort sections funnel back to the base. The John Paul Express high-speed quad provides the only access to John Paul terrain, but it’s relieved by the advanced-centric nature of the terrain it serves and nearby Needles lifts.

Lodging

Given the top-tier caliber of its on-mountain lodges, one may be shocked to find out that Snowbasin doesn’t offer any on-site accommodations. The nearest options can be found in the town of Ogden or in Salt Lake City. That being said, Snowbasin recently announced a series of real estate investments, and on-site lodging is on track to finally become available in 2024.

Apres-ski

Given the lack of a true base village, aprés-ski at Snowbasin is pretty much nonexistent.

Verdict

Snowbasin doesn’t knock it out of the park in the typical categories, such as snow and challenge, that many Utah resorts are known for. But it offers a uniquely impressive experience thanks to a distinctive combination of facilities that make you feel like royalty, local vibes, and incredibly beautiful surroundings. Some may be turned off by the lack of on-site lodging, but for the right crowd, it’s hard to deny the appeal of this Utah mountain.