If you’re looking for a mountain with good vibes and a wide range of terrain, Deer Valley is the place. Located within Park City, Utah, Deer Valley Ski Resort has 2,026 skiable acres, 21 chairlifts, and over 100 runs to check out. And as if that wasn’t enough, the mountain is expanding and will have even more terrain to check out over the next few years.

Parking at Deer Valley Ski Resort

As I’m writing this (February 2024), parking at Deer Valley Ski Resort is free. If you’ve been skiing at other resorts, you’ll realize this is a very! big! deal! (Looking at you, Vail Ski Resort and your $40 parking fee.)

If you’re driving to Deer Valley, you’ll want to head to the Snow Park Lodge – where you’ll find multiple parking lots. But don’t be fooled — while parking is plentiful, it often fills up by 10 AM on the weekend. If you’re stuck in one of the back lots, don’t worry — Deer Valley provides a complimentary trolly that takes people to the lodge (which is very handy when you’re in uncomfortable ski boots and carrying ski equipment).

Know before you go: Deer Valley edition

Some things to keep in mind when planning a trip to Deer Valley Ski Resort:

• Skiers only: Sorry, snowboarders — Deer Valley is a skier-only mountain.
• Complimentary ski equipment check: If you’re spending multiple days skiing at Deer Valley, the resort offers a free ski check at its Snow Park Lodge. Simply drop your skis and poles off at the end of the day, take a number, bring your number back the next morning, and pick up your equipment.
• Deer Valley limits the number of skiers per day: There’s a maximum number of skiers allowed on the mountain each day. That means you need to plan ahead before heading to the mountain. If you’re buying a lift ticket, reserve it in advance (don’t try to buy one the morning of — especially on a weekend or holiday). If you’re an Ikon pass holder, you must make a reservation ahead of time to ski at Deer Valley (which you can do through the Ikon website).*
• Grooming galore: With 80% of the mountain being groomed, Deer Valley Ski Resort is the perfect place for people who want to cruise down well-maintained trails.
• Free ski tours: You can join a Deer Valley mountain host for a complimentary ski tour every day of the week. If you’re looking for advanced terrain, tours are offered at 9:30 AM and 1:30 PM, while intermediate tours are at 10 AM and 1:30 PM. All tours meet at the top of the Carpenter and Homestake Express ski lifts.
• Morning > afternoon skiing: Since the mountain only allows skiers, all of those crisp turns can cause the trails to get bumpy and skied off by the afternoon. If you’re heading to Deer Valley, I recommend getting on the lifts as early as you can — morning conditions are definitely better than the afternoon.
• Complimentary tissues and ski maps: Most of the bigger lifts throughout the resort have complimentary tissues and trail maps — though they do tend to run out of tissues after the first couple of hours. But still, they definitely come in handy!

*Ikon holders: In my experience, getting a reservation at Deer Valley hasn’t been difficult. For weekend skiing, I recommend making a reservation the Wednesday or Thursday beforehand. For weekday skiing, you should be able to make a reservation as late as the morning of (I’ve done it). If skiing on a holiday weekend (specifically MLK or Presidents’ Day weekend), make your reservation a few weeks in advance as they tend to sell out of reservations for high-traffic holiday weekends.

Exploring the different areas of Deer Valley

Bald Mountain

Bald Mountain has some steep blue (intermediate) and black (advanced) trails, as well as a couple of green (beginner) trails. This is a great peak to hit in the morning when the trails are freshly groomed, especially Birdseye and Nabob trails. Sterling Lift is a good choice if you’re sticking to blues and greens. If you’re looking for steeper terrain, the Wasatch and Sultan chairlifts might be more your speed. 

Flagstaff Mountain

If you’re heading out with a group of skiers at varying levels, Flagstaff Mountain offers a mix of blue and green trails. The Northstar lift brings you to the top of Flagstaff, where you’ll have your choice of awesome blue trails (Hawkeye, Bluebell, Lost Boulder, and Sidewinder are all excellent) as well as a few green trails (such as Bandana and Ontario).

Bald Eagle Mountain

The Bald Eagle portion of the mountain is closer to the base, which has pros and cons. On the one hand, these trails are easy to access. On the other hand, since it’s closer to the main parking lot and lodge, these runs get more crowded than other areas of the mountain. Regardless, there are some steep blues on Bald Eagle Mountain — which are great in the morning when they’re freshly groomed.

Little Baldy Peak

New to skiing or skiing with young children? Little Baldy Peak is the place for you. It has the most green trails and designated ski school zones.

Empire Canyon and Lady Morgan

Calling advanced skiers — Empire Canyon and Lady Morgan are for you. Here is where you’ll find a few bowls to tear into (on a powder day, these bowls are a.m.a.z.i.n.g.). If you’re more into blue trails, there are a few around these peaks (such as Supreme). If you’re a beginner, I wouldn’t recommend these peaks until you feel confident taking on steeper terrain. And if you worked up an appetite, the Empire Lodge at the base of Empire Canyon is a great place to grab a bite (like Deer Valley’s famous turkey chili) and a beer.

Skiing at Deer Valley: Pros vs. Cons

Pros: Deer Valley is skiers-only, limits the number of people allowed on the mountain, and grooms over 80% of its terrain. On a good day, you can take advantage of those fresh groom lines and rip down the mountain. Plus, the resort offers complimentary services — including free parking, a parking lot trolly, ski tours, and overnight ski check.

Cons: Deer Valley is a resort, so it attracts tourists from across the world. That said, it can get a bit crowded and congested during peak times. And compared to other Utah resorts like Brighton and Alta, Deer Valley is definitely a bit…posh. There are private neighborhoods on the mountain, and the Moet tent at St. Regis requires patrons to spend a minimum of $2,500 if they want to sit at a table under the tent. But if you’re a skier in Utah, you shouldn’t let that stop you. Posh-bullshit aside, the terrain is excellent, the snow is amazing, and the views from the top of the different peaks are incredible.

How does Deer Valley stack up against other Utah ski mountains?

The more times I ski Deer Valley, the more I love it. The mountain has a little bit of everything — groomed trails for cruising, bowls for technical skiing, and plenty of trees to explore. Plus, the food at the lodges on the mountain is top-notch (albeit expensive). Overall, this is a solid mountain that’s worth checking out when in Utah.