The 10 Best Things to Do in Alta, United States

Alta turns 70 next winter. Alta's place in the ski world is unique, its history storied. Alta's culture blends this past with the future as it presents, along with Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort, America's first lift-served interconnect. Alta and pure, unspoiled skiing are synonymous. Alta's wide variety of terrain, breathtaking alpine scenery and superb snow conditions combine to create a unique setting. Alta continues to offer a ski-only experience.

Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort is a ski-in, ski-out retreat that offers a variety of lodging, dining and most especially year-round sporting activities. In the winter, the resort is known world-wide for it's skiing and snowboarding terrain. In the summer, they have a number of amusement park attractions, along with a variety of hiking and mountain biking trails. The Bird is also known for their large Oktoberfest celebrations, that run each weekend from Mid-August through Mid-October. Location: Snowbird, Utah is in the heart of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Little Cottonwood Canyon, one mile down canyon from Alta. Lifts: One Aerial Tram, 10 chairlifts including six high-speed detachable quads and four doubles (most with arm and leg rests) and two conveyer lifts. Uphill Capacity: 17,400 skiers and snowboarders per hour. Runs: 169 Acreage: 2,500 acres. Terrain: Beginner: 27%, Intermediate: 38%, Advanced: 35% Elevation: Top of resort is 11,000-foot Hidden Peak, lowest point on the mountain is bottom of Baby Thunder chairlift at 7,760 feet. The 125-person Tram covers 2,900 vertical feet in approximately seven minutes. Longest Run: Chip’s Run, 2.5 miles. Longest Descent: Gad Valley, 3.5 miles. Terrain Park: The Snowbird Terrain Park is located on the lower part of the Big Emma run. It is accessed by the Mid Gad or Gadzoom lifts. Snowfall: Snowbird averages approximately 500 inches of low-density, “dry” Utah powder annually. Thanks to ideal geography and a phenomenon called the Lake Effect, Little Cottonwood Canyon powder is known worldwide. Season: Utah’s longest ski and snowboard season, mid-November through May (conditions permitting). Mountain School: Snowbird’s Mountain School offers a plethora of instruction from class lessons to women’s ski and snowboard camps. Accessibility: Snowbird is 29 miles from Salt Lake City International Airport with more than 600 daily non-stop flights from most major U.S. cities and 25 miles from downtown Salt Lake City. Snowbird is a scenic 45-minute drive from the airport, making same-day skiing and flying a reality. Lodging: Four slopeside lodges – The Cliff Lodge, Lodge at Snowbird, The Inn and Iron Blosam – offer rooms by the night, week or longer as well as timeshare opportunities. Snowbird offers 882 total rooms. Restaurants:15 serving everything from fine dining to burgers and beers. Bars: Five. Spa: The luxurious Cliff Spa on the top two floors of The Cliff Lodge offers massages, wraps, yoga, weight room, full service salon, exclusive rooftop pool and hot tub. Winter Mountain Tours: Every morning at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 the Snowbird Mountain Hosts lead a complimentary orientation tour of the mountain departing from the Plaza Deck. Depending on the weather conditions the tour will show all three drainages of Snowbird, how to easily get around the mountain, where all the important facilities are located, and the notable landmarks. The tours are aimed at the lower level intermediate through advanced skiers and riders. Meeting Space: Snowbird’s mountain village includes 50,000 square feet of dedicated meeting space that includes contemporary A/V equipment, conference services and catering and an outdoor tent with a 1,000-person capacity.

Located in the Wasactch Mountains, this wilderness region offers a limitless range of recreation for outdoor enthusiasts.

Brighton is Utah’s only resort that can boast that 100% of its terrain is accessible by high speed quads. Our five quads, one triple and magic carpet service 1,050 acres and 1,875 vertical feet of incredible Utah skiing. Other amenities include The New Millicent Chalet, three additional day lodges, high quality rentals, top notch ski and snowboard school, lockers, cafeterias, a pub, frequent public bus transportation from many points in downtown Salt Lake City and park & ride lots around the valley. What’s more, kids 10 and under ski and ride free. DAYS/HOURS OF OPERATION Seven days a week from mid-November through mid-April. Daily Hours: 9 am – 4 pm Night skiing: 4 – 9 pm Monday through Saturday early December through March.

All ski resorts have chair lifts, but ours take you to new heights. That’s what we mean when we say,” Refined by Nature.” Solitude Mountain Resort is located a short 40-minute drive from the Salt Lake International Airport. With over 1200 acres of skiable terrain, Solitude is one of Utah’s most intimate and inviting winter resorts. Over 500 inches of annual snowfall covers: 65 named trails, three bowls and groomers for every ability level. We also offer a Fun Park, as well as a Nordic Center. And don’t forget Honeycomb Canyon. It has some of the most awe inspiring, lift-served terrain in the country.With hardly any lift lines you won’t have to wait to find your Solitude. You’ll be deep in powder before you know it.

Mountainous forests, great for hiking and biking.

At Christy Sports, we strive to provide our customers with the right gear and equipment for their needs. We carry several ski and snowboard rental package options for adults and children of all ability levels. Our demo rental packages are great for putting this year's latest gear to the test on the renowned Snowbird terrain.

Powderbird offers private and small group helicopter skiing opportunities in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, the coastal ranges of Greenland, and to other exotic locations worldwide.