Sundance (Utah)
A historic ski area, with lots of soul. This little known mountain resort just South of Salt Lake City has all the perks of the dry Utah powder and awesome terrain, without the crowds! Article by: ~Z. Phelan~
Powder skiing without the crowds
Where can you ski the best powder in the world and avoid the madness that has become Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons with their freakish crowds, high prices and frequent avalanche closures? Well just hop on I-15 and head South down to Provo, UT! One of the best ski areas in Utah nestled in the Wasatch on Mount Timpanogos is one that few people have heard of and even fewer have skied: Sundance Mountain Resort.
Those in the know, regard Sundance highly for its awesome alpine terrain including steep bowls, chutes, trees and of course perfect corduroy. Plus they offer Winter Zip Line rides, Nordic Skiing and some of the best slope-side dining in the state.
Sundance is not very forthcoming with their stats, but they should have nothing to hide. The trail variety is fantastic, the snowfall is abundant and the vertical is more than enough to keep most skiers and boarders entertained! Keep scrolling for the full stats.
But honestly, there’s something about this ski area that transcends the stats and the steeps, and that’s the vibe! Sundance is one of those “feel good” ski resorts that just has positivity emanating from every acre of it. No swollen lift lines here, no inflated prices and stinging sense of corporate greed that has made so many modern mega-resorts feel like a hollow shell of their former selves. Sundance has history, and soul and is worthy of a place on anyone’s road trip list.
320″
Annual Snowfall
60
Named Runs
2,150′
Vertical Feet
540
Skiable Acres
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Lift System & tickets
Sundance made 2 lift upgrades preceding the 2022-23 season and now has 5 quad chairs, 1 triple chair and 3 magic carpet lifts. Lift tickets can be purchased online or on site at the ticket window. Sundance offers season pass reciprocation with 9 other ski areas around the Mountain West including: Pajarito & Sipapu in NM, Brian Head & Nordic Valley in UT, Hesperus, Cooper & Purgatory in CO, Snowbowl in AZ, and Snow King in WY.
Transportation
Sundance is roughly 15 miles from downtown Provo on routes 189 > 92, the ski area is also on the 880 bus route from the city, schedule here. Parking is “mostly free” at Sundance, but the new management has instituted a dynamic parking policy to encourage carpooling and fees are now incurred on some days in certain lots. Read the policy here.
Amenities
Sundance has luxury slope-side lodging available at the Sundance Resort. Plentiful lodging options such as hotels, motels and Airbnb’s also exist just down the road in the city of Provo, Utah. The base area of Sundance has a café, day lodge, fine dining restaurant and a gift shop. There is also a warming hut at the summit with drinks and snacks. The resort is unique for having the third longest zip line in the country that is open for rides all year round!
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Best Utah Ski Area that no one knows about
Purchased in 1968 by famous movie actor Robert Redford, and slowly built into the humble and unassuming ski area that is today, Sundance might well be the Best Utah Ski Area that no one seems to know about. The ski area recently changed hands, as Mr. Redford had better things to do in his twilight years than worry about running a ski area, but his legacy endures and the new owners kicked off their acquisition with some cool improvements!
After the sale, the new ownership took steps to update the resort slightly and have upgraded one of their mid-mountain lifts as well as installing a brand new quad with expanded terrain including 40 acres and 10 added trails. These changes have doubled their beginner terrain and made passage quicker and easier through the middle of the mountain.
Sundance already has a generous helping of advanced and expert terrain, and some perfectly gladed tree skiing that will make your mouth water. Steeps are plentiful here, as is dry snow, stunning views, good vibes and small crowds. Anyone looking for an an authentic Wasatch skiing experience would be generously rewarded with a trip here. Terrain is available for all levels, the prices aren’t outrageous, and they even have night skiing 4 days a week! What’s not to like?
– Far East Ridge
$129
Full Day
$89
Children
$65
Senior
$59
Night skiing
Robert Redford
Owned for more than 50 years by famous film actor Robert Redford, remanence of his legacy can be found throughout the resort.
Lift Lines?
Sundance has two separate base areas, each with it’s own parking. Massive lift lines aren’t really a thing here, just good powder skiing and a great vibe.
Lift ride
Sundance has both high speed and fixed grip quads sprinkled throughout the resort and have opened a brand new chair and new terrain as recently as 2022.
Epic Terrain
Head out to the “Far East” ridge and take your pick of several advanced and expect runs that are as challenging as they are fun.
All roads lead to here
“The Pipeline” is the main confluence for all trails from the Far East and Bishop’s Bowl which constitutes the majority of Sundance’s expert and advanced terrain. This runout trail narrows to a thin gully that lets out to the Flathead Lift, where you can load up and do it all over again!
Top notch beer
When your palette needs quenching, pull up a chair in or outside of the café, and enjoy from some of the finest beer selection offered in Utah.
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Location and hours
The following is address and operational schedule for Sundance Resort.
8841 Alpine Loop Scenic Byway, Sundance UT. 84604
Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat: 9am – 9pm, Tue, Thu, Sun 9am – 4:30pm
Early December to Early April
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