Travel to Snowbird with ski insurance from Essential Travel

The resort is located to the east of Salt Lake City, in Little Cottonwood Canyon, and boasts panoramic views in addition to its impressive ski and snowboard facilities.

Snowbird is a purpose-built resort encompassing a charming, upmarket pedestrian village that allows direct access to the slopes. Snowbird’s services and facilities are top notch, and accommodation is plentiful at the ski resort. Families are welcome here, and parents can rest assured that their little ones will be well looked after in the various childcare programmes offered at the resort.

Snowbird’s 85 slopes cater for all levels of ability, with 27 per cent of the total number of slopes devoted to beginners, 38 per cent to intermediates and 35 per cent to advanced/expert skiers. The longest run at the ski resort is four kilometres, and the vertical exceeds 900m. The slopes are connected by 10 lifts with the combined ability to transport as many as 16,800 people per hour.

Lodging at Snowbird includes numerous hotels and condos situated conveniently close to the slopes and cumulatively offering thousands of beds. Off-slope activities at the ski resort include: snowshoeing, ice-skating, indoor tennis, racquetball and squash.

There is also a fitness centre and numerous shops, and the Cliff Lodge offers yoga and spa facilities. Nightlife is provided by a selection of restaurants, plus lounges and bars in several hotels.

Snowbird’s ski season runs from November to May, with special deals available for children under 12 and skiers over 65. The most practical method of reaching the ski resort is to fly to Salt Lake City and take a bus to Snowbird.

Skiing in Snowbird

Located in Little Cottonwood Canyon, east of Salt Lake City, Snowbird is one of America’s premier ski resorts, and features skiing and snowboarding on a wide range of slopes. Snowbird is highly rated for its testing expert runs, commendable tuition programmes and powdery slopes. The ski village is purpose-built, with slope-side accommodation and superb views of the surrounding areas.

Snowbird offers skiing on 85 slopes, split among beginners (27 per cent), intermediates (38 per cent) and advanced/expert skiers (35 per cent). Ten lifts, including quads, bubbles and gondolas, have the ability to transport as many as 16,800 people to the slopes per hour. The longest run at Snowbird is four kilometres and the vertical is over 900m, the largest in all of Utah.

In addition to the downhill runs, the resort encompasses three terrain parks and a massive super-pipe. Snowbird does not offer any cross-country skiing; however, there are five kilometres of Nordic skiing at nearby Alta.

Snowbird resort offers skiing from November to May, with the best snow conditions in February and March. The most convenient way of travelling to Snowbird is to take a flight to Salt Lake City and a bus to the resort.

Après-ski in Snowbird

Non-skiing leisure options at Snowbird include: indoor tennis, racquetball, squash, fitness facilities, ice-skating and snowshoeing. Snowcat and heli-skiing are also available, and the Cliff Lodge resort offers yoga and spa facilities. Laid-back après-ski is provided by a host of restaurants, as well as lounges and bars at the Cliff Lodge, the Inn and the Iron Blosam.

There are thousands of beds in hotels and condominiums with ski-in/ski-out accessibility at Snowbird resort. The Cliff Lodge is a particularly popular choice, with its spa, and rooftop pool with hot tub. The village features numerous shops, and childcare facilities are available for kids from six weeks to 12 years.

Salt Lake City, offering a host of cultural, recreational and entertainment attractions, is a must-see away from the slopes. The region surrounding the city is permeated with beautiful national parks that provide fabulous holiday opportunities. For more skiing, head to Alta ski resort, located close to Snowbird, and offering fabulous powder and some cross-country skiing.

Transportation in Snowbird

Snowbird ski resort is situated in Little Cottonwood Canyon of Utah state, 40kms southeast of Salt Lake City. The easiest way to reach the resort is to fly to Salt Lake City and take a shuttle bus transfer to Snowbird. Other viable options for getting to Salt Lake City are road or rail transportation.

If you opt for self-drive, Salt Lake City can be accessed by I-80, which runs east to west from New York to San Francisco, or I-15, running north to south from Alberta to Los Angeles.

If you hire a car from Salt Lake City Airport, Snowbird resort can be accessed by taking I-80 east and I-215 south, then exiting on to highway 190 south (Wasatch boulevard). About 10kms from the I-215 junction, take highway 210 (Little Cotton Canyon road), from where Snowbird is clearly signposted.

The closest major airport to the resort is Salt Lake City International, receiving flights from all over the US and Canada, as well as major world cities. Shuttle buses provide transportation from the airport to Snowbird, and the UTA light rail and UTA bus service provide transportation to the resort from the city centre. You can also transfer by hire car.

Salt Lake City is also served by Amtrak trains and Greyhound buses from various destinations across America.

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