Snowbird
City:
Snowbird
Region:
Rockies
Updated:
October 31, 2024
79
PeakRankings Score
To give each resort a Mountain Score, we assess 10 equally weighted categories that paint an overall picture of the typical mountain experience.
[Year] Rankings
Overall Rank
#
4
Rank In
United States
#
3
Rank In
Utah
#
2
Category Scores
Snow
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The resort gets top accumulation and snow that forms in a way that feels light and powdery all the time.
9
The resort sees very good accumulation and gets powder that takes awhile to track or feels notably light.
8
The resort sees very good snow accumulation each season that tends to stay powdery for several days in a row.
7
The resort sees very good, powdery snow accumulation each season, but powder doesn't always last long at certain places in the resort.
6
The resort sees good accumulation that forms a solid base each season and sometimes sees powder but sometimes suffers from variable cover.
5
The resort sees decent accumulation each season but sometimes suffers from variable cover and rarely sees powder.
4
The resort sees okay accumulation each season. Non-snowmaking trails regularly suffer from thin or variable cover.
3
The resort sees mediocre accumulation each season. Thin cover is a given on all non-snowmaking trails.
2
The resort receives poor accumulation each season and must heavily rely on snowmaking to stay open.
1
The resort would have little to no snow if it weren't for snowmaking. If you're not on a trail, you probably don't see any accumulation.
0
The resort doesn’t get any snow.
10
Lifts
Criteria Breakdown
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10
High-speed lifts exist across every mountain area. Helper lifts are high-speed as well.
9
Most lifts are high-speed, with only a few areas serviced by helper fixed-grip lifts.
8
All but a few areas are accessible by high-speed lifts. Helper lifts may be fixed grip.
7
Most areas are accessible by high-speed lifts. Helper lifts are fixed grip.
6
Many areas are accessible by high-speed lifts, but some are only serviced by fixed-grip lifts.
5
About half of areas are accessible by high-speed lifts.
4
A few areas are accessible by high-speed lifts, but most areas only see fixed-grip lift service.
3
All lifts are fixed grip but some are at least modern.
2
Lifts are extremely old or low-capacity. Some places are only serviced by surface lifts.
1
Surface lifts only.
0
No lifts.
7
Resiliency
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The mountain can quickly recover from the worst conditions and deliver the exact same experience as on a good day.
9
The mountain can quickly recover from almost any poor conditions thanks to excellent poor snow and weather mitigation.
8
The mountain successfully mitigates snow or weather issues in nearly every mountain area and across all terrain categories. A few parts of the resort may occasionally see significant impacts.
7
The mountain successfully mitigates snow or weather issues in most mountain areas, but some parts of the mountain are highly affected by inclement weather or poor conditions.
6
The mountain successfully mitigates snow or weather issues in many mountain areas, but other parts are highly susceptible to inclement weather or poor conditions.
5
The mountain has some capabilities to avoid inclement weather or poor conditions, but struggles to mitigate poor conditions in many mountain areas.
4
The mountain has some capabilities to avoid inclement weather or poor conditions, but is regularly forced to close a few major parts of the mountain. Under severe circumstances, the mountain may be forced to completely suspend operations.
3
The mountain has some capabilities to avoid inclement weather or poor conditions, but is regularly forced to close multiple major mountain areas. Occasionally, the mountain may be forced to suspend operations completely.
2
In the event of any inclement weather, the mountain loses most of its skiable terrain, with restoration regularly taking several days or weeks. A few small runs may stay open.
1
In the event of any inclement weather, the mountain loses its entire skiable footprint and may take weeks to recover.
0
Any inclement weather issues are season-ending.
8
Crowd Flow
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The mountain's infrastructure is perfectly set up for crowd flow and capacity and does the best possible job to mitigate crowding.
9
The mountain's lift infrastructure is mostly direct and well-placed with excellent capacity.
8
The mountain's lift infrastructure is mostly direct and well-placed with good capacity. One or two areas could use a capacity upgrade.
7
The mountain's lift infrastructure is usually direct and well-placed with good capacity. A few areas could use a capacity upgrade or better placed lifts. Trails themselves rarely become chokepoints.
6
The mountain's lift and trail network is usually direct with good capacity. Some areas suffer from indirect lift placements or poorly thought out junctions.
5
The mountain’s lift and trail network comprises a comparable mix of direct, well-placed routes and indirect or capacity-constrained ones.
4
The mountain's lift and trail network is set up in a way that causes major crowding or indirect routing for many popular routes. Some areas are served by direct, well-placed lifts.
3
The mountain's lift and trail network causes serious crowding or indirect routing for most areas, but a few places are served by direct, well-placed lifts.
2
The mountain's lift and trail network is not equipped to handle crowds on a normal day and sees backups of more than half an hour.
1
The mountain's crowd flow logistics are seriously flawed. Poor lift placement and uphill capacity can cause backups of more than an hour.
0
The mountain's crowd flow logistics are so bad that you shouldn't expect to get on the mountain on a typical day.
6
Size
Criteria Breakdown
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10
7000+ skiable acres
9
3500-7000 skiable acres
8
2500-3500 skiable acres
7
1800-2500 skiable acres
6
1200-1800 skiable acres
5
800-1200 skiable acres
4
500-800 skiable acres
3
250-500 skiable acres
2
100-250 skiable acres
1
1-100 skiable acres
0
0 skiable acres
8
Facilities
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The mountain boasts easily accessible, high-capacity lodges at every major and minor junction area.
9
The mountain boasts easily accessible, high-capacity lodges throughout most mountain areas.
8
The mountain boasts several lodges or huts across the resort. A few minor mid- or high-elevation areas lack easy access to high-capacity facilities.
7
The mountain boasts several lodges or huts across the resort. Some major mountain areas lack easy access to high-capacity facilities.
6
The mountain boasts several lodges or huts across multiple areas, but some places lack easy access to the closest facilities.
5
The mountain consists of high-capacity lodges at each base area but suffers from limited, low-capacity, or impractically placed on-mountain facilities.
4
The mountain consists of high-capacity lodges at each base area. Any on-mountain facilities are limited, low-capacity, and impractically placed.
3
The mountain consists of at least one high-capacity base lodge but no on-mountain facilities.
2
The mountain consists of a moderately-sized base lodge but no on-mountain facilities.
1
The mountain consists of a singular base lodge that's either impractically small or hard to reach.
0
The mountain doesn't consist of any on-site lodge facilities.
7
Terrain Diversity
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The mountain has an abundance of terrain in all categories for all ability levels.
9
The mountain offers multiple options in all terrain categories you'd typically find at a ski resort.
8
The mountain offers at least some options in all terrain categories you'd typically find at a ski resort.
7
The mountain offers terrain in most categories for a range of ability levels, but may fall short in one or two areas.
6
The mountain offers terrain in many categories but either falls short or lacks terrain in a few others.
5
The mountain offers terrain of varying lengths, gradients, and widths but lacks terrain in multiple categories.
4
The mountain offers similar terrain of moderately different lengths, gradients, and widths.
3
The mountain offers similar terrain of slightly different lengths, gradients, or widths.
2
The mountain consists of runs that are similar to one another but vary slightly by difficulty.
1
The mountain only consists of runs that provide nearly identical terrain experiences.
0
The mountain has no terrain.
8
Navigation
Criteria Breakdown
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10
It's easy, direct, and clear to get anywhere on the mountain from any place.
9
It's easy, direct, and clear to get anywhere on the mountain from most places. A small fraction of trails don't have direct access to all other mountain areas.
8
It's easy to get to and from most mountain areas. A few minor areas aren't directly accessible from all other parts of the resort or may be hard to find.
7
It's reasonably simple to get between most major mountain areas. A few areas require catwalks or traverses to get to or from or are hard to find. Some areas require multiple direct lift rides to travel between.
6
It's reasonably simple to get between many major mountain areas, but some areas require more effort due to poor signage, indirect lifts, or catwalks.
5
Some mountain areas are easy to navigate while others require more effort due to poor signage, indirect lifts, or catwalks.
4
Some mountain areas are easy to get between, but navigating many major areas can be confusing. Some major trails may suffer from poor signage or require catwalks.
3
It can take multiple lifts or be notably confusing to get between major resort areas. Many resort areas suffer from indirect trail routes, poor signage, or multiple catwalks.
2
It takes a substantial amount of effort and multiple indirect lifts to get between resort areas with little enjoyable terrain in between. Expect to occasionally get lost.
1
Expect to regularly get lost at this resort due to poor signage and lift placement. Getting between mountain areas requires notable effort and extremely unenjoyable terrain.
0
It's impossible to get around this resort. You will likely get lost or spend your whole day trying to get from one place to another.
6
Challenge
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The resort boasts truly extreme terrain across several prominent areas. Any double blacks should not be attempted, even by experts, without using extreme caution.
9
Select resort areas boast some of the most challenging runs in the world. The most challenging terrain should not be attempted, even by experts, without using extreme caution.
8
The mountain boasts extremely demanding terrain with sustained pitches, cliffs, drop-ins, and/or tight turns.
7
The mountain offers a range of very steep, ungroomed terrain with features like cliffs, drop-ins, or tight turns.
6
The mountain offers a range of steep, difficult terrain, with expert features like cliffs in some places.
5
The mountain offers some fairly steep groomed and ungroomed runs.
4
The mountain offers some steep runs but very little ungroomed terrain.
3
The mountain primarily offers groomed terrain with moderate pitches.
2
The mountain offers mostly gently-sloped terrain.
1
None of the mountain's terrain is more difficult than a typical bunny hill.
0
The mountain is completely flat.
10
Mountain Aesthetic
Criteria Breakdown
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10
The resort offers one-of-a-kind views, terrain, isolation, and vibes. You probably won't find a resort that feels like this again in your lifetime.
9
The resort offers unique terrain, views, and isolation that you'll rarely find anywhere else.
8
The resort clearly distinguishes itself with class-leading views, terrain, and isolation.
7
The resort feels unique, with high-quality views, terrain, and isolation across the footprint.
6
The resort doesn't boast the same unique terrain as some competing resorts but offers excellent views and isolation in many areas.
5
The resort offers some cool terrain and great views and isolation in some areas. Some areas may feel commercialized or built-up.
4
The resort offers decently cool terrain, nice views, or pockets of isolation in places. Major areas may feel commercialized or built-up.
3
The resort either feels commercialized or built-up around more than half the resort or offers only moderately interesting terrain, views and isolation.
2
The resort either feels commercialized or built-up in most areas or offers only mildly interesting terrain, views or isolation.
1
The resort barely feels like a mountain, with intense commercialization and very little in the way of views, terrain, or isolation.
0
The resort is completely flat or indoors.
9
Good To Know
Aprés-ski:
Limited
On-site Lodging:
Limited
Nearest City:
Salt Lake City (40 mins)
Pass Affiliation:
Ikon Pass
Epic [Backend]
Ikon [Backend]
Mountain Collective [Backend]
Other [Backend]
Recommended Ability:
From
Intermediate
To
Extreme
Beginner [Backend]
Intermediate [Backend]
Advanced [Backend]
Expert [Backend]
Extreme [Backend]
Pros
- Top-tier snow quality and accumulation
- Diverse terrain, including extremely demanding expert runs
- Innovative mountain logistics
Pro Con Item [Backend]
Cons
- Limited beginner and low intermediate terrain
- Limited on-site lodging
Pro Con Item [Backend]
Mountain Stats
2500
acres
Skiable Footprint
2500
acres
Total Footprint
86
%
Lift-Serviced Terrain
11000
ft
Top Elevation
3240
ft
Vertical Drop
13
Lifts
169
Trails
8
%
Beginner
22
%
Intermediate
70
%
Advanced/Expert
Comprehensive Review
Only a short drive from Salt Lake City, Snowbird is located in the Little Cottonwood Canyon, directly next to Alta and only a few miles from other resorts. Some other mountains offer bigger footprints, but it’s hard to beat Snowbird as a whole package due to the resort’s top-tier snow quality, innovative mountain logistics, and expert terrain.
You can’t talk about Snowbird without first mentioning its snow. Not only does the area see more snow than almost any other resort in the country, but the accumulation is dry and light, allowing for ideal, non-packed powder even a few days after a storm. The snow on the south-facing Mineral Basin isn’t quite as good as that on the north-facing front side, but both are still hard to beat. Many will be sold on Snowbird for this attribute alone.
On rare occasions with especially heavy snowfall, Snowbird will close and force everyone indoors for avalanche control. Visitors trying to leave the area will be out of luck when this happens, but the resort efficiently carries out operations and reopens with safe, fresh powder. In recent years, Snowbird has employed snowmaking at the beginning of the season to ensure a resilient base layer of snow.
Snowbird does a good job of attracting visitors with its well-rounded terrain, although the mountain falls on the more difficult side compared to other resorts. The mountain essentially consists of three parts: the Peruvian Gulch and Gad Valley areas on the front side, and the Mineral Basin bowls in the back.
Snowbird specializes in difficult terrain, and offers quite a lot for advanced visitors. Throughout the mountain, you’ll find a mix of steep moguls, drop-offs, glades, and bowls. The double-black terrain here is extremely difficult and mostly consists of dangerously steep pitches and cliffs off mountain ridges. Even the most capable skiers will want to think twice before committing to some of these runs.
Beginners will be attracted to the frontside Baby Thunder and Chickadee lifts, where the overwhelming majority of Snowbird’s green terrain lives. These lifts are slow and only extend up a fraction of the mountain, but they offer gentle, isolated terrain for those learning. Intermediates will find cruisers in many mountain areas, most often as windy routes down valleys. However, some blue trails are ungroomed or more difficult than one might expect. The Mineral Basin area contains easy bowl terrain that’s quite unique for a ski resort.
Snowbird boasts impressive lift infrastructure. Save a few minor edge-case runs, all non-beginner areas enjoy high-speed lift service. The aerial tram, a defining feature of the resort, delivers quick base-to-summit service over striking terrain. The tram isn’t always practical due to its long headways, but high-speed lift combinations from both Peruvian and Gad provide the same access.
But what really sets Snowbird apart from the pack is its one-of-a-kind ski tunnel. This 600-foot magic carpet through Hidden Peak starts at the top of the Peruvian lift and spits out at Mineral Basin, significantly expediting travel to the resort’s back bowls and offering a unique through-mountain experience.
However, a few crowd flow issues exist. Base area lines become lengthy on busy weekends and holidays. In addition, the Mineral Basin lift, which provides the only return service from the back bowls to the base, can get especially backed up in the afternoon. For the 2021-22 season, the resort has instituted the Fast Tracks program, which allows guests to pay a premium to skip the lines at many popular lifts.
Overall, Snowbird isn’t bad to navigate. Getting to most terrain requires two or fewer lifts, and it never takes more than one lift to return to a base area. While the Gad and Peruvian bases are fairly far away from each other, a few trails connect the areas. However, the trails from Gad to the Peruvian Base require some black terrain, so less confident skiers may have to rely on additional lifts to make this journey. If you’re looking to go in for a break or grab a meal without going all the way down to one of the bases, you’ll find sizable lodges at Mid-Gad and the Hidden Peak summit.
Snowbird’s biggest navigation shortcoming manifests in its double-black diamond offerings. By nature of living on ridges and requiring long traverses, a lot of expert terrain is hard to lap. If you don’t factor in the sometimes-impractical tram, very few double black trails will take you back to the lift you started at. This makes it frustrating to spend your entire day on the resort’s toughest lines.
It’s also worth noting that some expert runs require hikes to get to or from. However, those who don’t care about the absolute freshest snow should find themselves satisfied with the resort’s lift-accessible double blacks.
Snowbird offers fantastic views and scenery throughout the resort. Neighboring peaks and ridges offer striking visuals as you navigate the mountain, and on a nice day, you can see parts of Salt Lake City from the top. However, the imposing tram and large summit lodge keep the resort from feeling truly isolated.
Snowbird comprises a decently-sized footprint, and it should take a few days for most to cover the whole mountain. But for those who want more, Snowbird offers direct lift access to and from the neighboring Alta ski resort. Alta does not allow snowboarders, so this option is only available to skiers. Visitors can hit both mountains on the same day with an AltaBird ticket or the Ikon Pass. Skiers staying for multiple days may want to split their days between the two resorts.
Getting There
With no traffic, Snowbird is approximately 30-60 minutes from parts of Salt Lake City, and about 40 minutes from the Salt Lake City airport. The road into the Little Cottonwood Canyon is a two-lane highway that can get backed up in the early mornings on powder days and weekends.
A number ofshuttle servicesexist between Snowbird and the airport, Salt Lake City, and the nearby ski town of Park City. The public UTA bus system providesdirect servicefrom several nearby Salt Lake City suburbs and transfer service from most other Salt Lake metro area towns.
For the 2021-22 season, the resort is mandating paid parking reservations for several lots. The resort will retain limited free first-come, first-serve parking in some areas, but these spots will likely fill up fast.
Lodging
Lodging accommodations at Snowbird are limited. All are slopeside and have hot tubs and pools. Rates are generally pricey but more reasonable than Alta’s.
Salt Lake City is only a 30 minute drive away, and some may find it easier to book lodging down there. However, the Snowbird access highway can get seriously backed up on weekends or holidays. In addition, this road can close due to inclement weather.
Aprés-ski
Snowbird has a limited nightlife scene. Still, there are a couple of fun aprés-ski bars with happy hour specials. The popular Tram Club sports bar is the best option here and offers billiards and darts.
Verdict
So Snowbird isn’t the biggest mountain out there, and other resorts may offer better experiences for inexperienced visitors. But this resort delivers superb snow quality, invigorating terrain, and impressive lift infrastructure. Lift tickets undercut many other Rocky Mountain destinations, arguably making Snowbird a bargain for the experience you get.
Best Winter Wonderland Getaway
The resort is a true winter wonderland, with stunning scenery and fantastic skiing conditions. The après-ski activities were a blast, and the staff went out of their way to ensure everything ran smoothly. I especially enjoyed the variety of trails and the relaxing atmosphere after a day on the slopes.
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