Snowbasin Ski Resort, Utah, USA

Snowbasin Ski Resort, Utah, USA

Map
Info
WeatherHotelsGetting ThereFAQ

Guide To Snowbasin Ski Resort

Snowbasin Resort is a premier ski and snowboard resort located in the heart of Utah's Wasatch Mountains. It offers a wide range of skiing and riding to suit all ages and levels. In 2002, the resort hosted the Olympic Downhill and Super G events.

Snowbasin Resort provides some of the most breathtaking and challenging terrains in Utah, within a stunning mountain resort setting. Its terrain is dynamic and offers a wide range of skiing and snowboarding opportunities. Whether you’re looking for a fast lap on one of our professionally groomed beginner trails or an all-day back-country experience, Snowbasin has something for everyone.

The Snowbasin Ski Resort offers a family-friendly atmosphere and excellent accommodations to suit all budgets and needs. While there’s no on-mountain accommodation, you’ll find plenty of options ranging from deluxe to pocket-friendly hotels, apartments, and townhomes.

Visit the Snowbasin Ski Resort and experience the famous Utah powder. Find out why Utah has the “Greatest Snow on Earth.”

What Snowbasin Ski Resort has to offer

Services

Mountain Features

Resort Features

SNOWBASIN SKI RESORT OPEN DATES AND TIMES

Snowbasin Ski Field is estimated to be open

Between the dates of November 25, 2022, and estimated to close on April 10, 2023, for the 2022-23 season.

Ski life Services at Snowbasin Ski Resort open as early as 9:00 AM and last to close is at 4:00 PM.

Mountain Map/ Info

Snowbasin Ski Resort Trail Map

Snowbasin Ski Resort Terrain

The Snowbasin Ski Resort features 2,950 acres of terrain for skiing and snowboarding, with 106 designated runs on 888 meters of vertical. Most of the terrain is biased towards advanced and expert skiers. However, there are still plenty of opportunities for beginners and intermediates.

Finding your way around the resort is easy as the terrain sprawls across one face of the mountain. The ski and snowboarding area is divided into three main vertical sections:

  1. Strawberry – This section is accessible via a fast gondola, the Strawberry Express. Its tree skiing features are sparse, creating pleasant riding opportunities.
  2. Needles – This ski area has trails that become progressively wide nearer to the base. It has a variety of lifts that include both high-speed and normal-speed types.
  3. John Paul/Needles Peak – The John Paul Express quad is the main access lift along with the Mt. Allen Tram. It features incredibly steep runs with tight trees and gnarly terrain that suits experts.

The official trail statistics for the resort are:

  • Beginner - 20%
  • Intermediate - 50%
  • Advanced - 30%

Beginner Riding at Snowbasin Ski Resort

At the Snowbasin Ski Resort, beginners have access to great gentle terrain near the base of the resort. The trails are fenced off meaning that beginners can ski or snowboard undisturbed, and learn at their own pace. Snowsport lessons are provided at affordable rates by experienced personnel. For those who don’t have their own equipment, the resort has equipment sales and rental outlets that cater to them.

Absolute novices ride the Powder Puff magic carpet and when they gain more confidence, they can try out the Little Cat Chair. The trails off the Becker and Wildcat chairs offer great progression opportunities for beginners.

Intermediate Riding at the Snowbasin Ski Resort

Intermediates get plenty of snow playgrounds in the Needle and Strawberry areas. The blue runs are sure to give adventurous intermediates pleasant thigh burns as they are characterized by long groomers that run from the top to the base of the resort (especially those at Elk Ridge). 

The Strawberry Express and Becker chairs provide great blue runs on either side of the groomers, which have great snow that first-time intermediates appreciate. More advanced intermediates can take on the ungroomed black pistes on the upper slopes.

As you schuss downslope, be careful as the resort does not have signposting and it may be hard to find your way, especially during low visibility days.

Advanced and Expert Slopes at the Snowbasin Ski Resort

Advanced and expert revelers are adequately catered for at Snowbasin Ski Resort, from the pistes on top of Mt. Allen Tram to the former Olympic Mens’ Downhill course. The John Paul quad whisks riders to a selection of thrilling runs riddled with ridges as well as advanced pistes on the Wildflower Downhill, Grizzly Downhill, and Hollywood.

For those looking to reach incredible downhill speeds, they’ll delight in the steep runs off the Grizzly and Wildflower downhills. There are also slopes with challenging features beneath the Needles Pork Barrel and Moose Mound.

Expert riders are also well-taken care of as there are vast slopes that are massively challenging and require some level of local knowledge. There are plenty of tree skiing opportunities in the double black pistes around the Ellison, Deane, and, Janis areas. The most challenging slopes especially loved by experts are those off Lone Tree and Arrowhead of De Moisy Peak.

Lifts at Snowbasin Ski Resort

You can cover plenty of vertical by riding Snowbasin’s conveniently placed efficient and fast lifts. Almost two-thirds of the Snowbasin terrain is accessed via two gondolas. This is a good thing as it is possible to avoid riding the icy cold chairlifts by hopping onto a comfy gondola. A large proportion of the slopes are also serviced by high-speed chairlifts, making it a breeze to traverse the terrain. 

You may avoid powder lift lines by considering the slower chairlifts. The upside to riding these lifts is that they offer spectacular views of the terrain and the surrounding landscape as they ascend slowly but steadily.

The history of the resort’s location as an Olympic venue is reflected in the Strawberry gondola where each cabin is dedicated to a country that took part in the 2002 winter games.

The lifts include 1 Aerial Tramway, 2 mono cable circulating ropeway gondolas, and 6 chairlifts. The named lifts are: 

  • The Allen Peak Tram – This is a 15-person aerial tramway that has a carrying capacity of 400 riders per hour and covers a length of 355 meters.
  • Strawberry Express Gondola – This is an 8-person gondola that covers a length of 2,923 meters and has a carrying capacity of 2,400 riders and their equipment.
  • Needles Express Gondola – This is also an 8-person gondola that has an hourly carrying capacity of 2,400 riders and covers a length of 2,896 meters.
  • Middle Bowl Express – This is a detachable 6-person high-speed quad that covers a distance of 1,465 meters and has a carrying capacity of 1,800 riders every hour.
  • Wildcat Express – This is a detachable 6-person high-speed quad that covers a length of 1,541 meters and can ferry up to 2,400 persons every hour.
  • Littlecat Express – This is a detachable high-speed quad with a length of 493 meters and an hourly carrying capacity of 2,526 riders.
  • John Paul Express – This is a detachable high-speed quad that covers a length of 2,361 meters and has a carrying capacity of 2,400 riders every hour.
  • Becker Triple – This is a fixed-grip triple that covers a length of 1,739 meters and has a carrying capacity of 1,500 persons every hour.
  • Porcupine Triple – This fixed-grip triple covers a length of 1,929 meters and has a carrying capacity of 1,500 riders every hour.

How To Get A Ski Pass To Snowbasin Ski Resort

You can enjoy the snow-drenched slopes at Snowbasin Ski Resort by purchasing your passes either physically at the resort or online from the resort’s website. Getting your passes online is not only convenient but you can also take advantage of pre-season sales and discounts as well as early bird offers.

You can buy the following kinds of passes at the resort:

  • Season Passes – These offer the best value for money especially if you intend to ski or snowboard for more than 10 days or multiple times during the season.
  • Winter Lift Tickets – Enable you to ride the lifts from the time the resort opens to the time it closes
  • Corporate Passes & Group Tickets – These favor groups traveling as a unit or corporate entities on a teambuilding mission.

For more information on passes and tickets, please visit the Snowbasin Ski Resort website.

Snowbasin Ski Resort Snowcam  

Curious to know what the snow is like today at Snowbasin Ski Resort?

The following is a live snow cam webcam feed of the slopes at the Snowbasin Ski Resort. We’ve curated the best views to show you the current snow conditions from around the resort. 

Ski Resort Weather

On par with the other ski resorts in Utah, the Snowbasin Ski Resort also receives a decent amount of snow. The average seasonal snowfall is 7.6 meters (300 inches). To bump up the snow volume and cover seasonal lows, the resort has large-scale snowmaking facilities that cover up to 20% of the slopes. Snowmaking efforts are particularly needed during the season’s onset.

The resort’s snow is particularly well preserved due to the slopes’ northerly aspect. This is especially so in the John Paul and Needles Zones.

Since the resort’s pistes are wide and have minimal protection from the elements, fog can sometimes affect visibility. This also causes the Strawberry Gondola to close due to harsh weather. Therefore, before planning your trip, ensure to check the prevailing weather conditions at the resort to avoid the disruption of your time on the slopes.

SNOWBASIN SKI RESORT SNOW REPORT

In the following live graphic, you can see the currently estimated snow depth for the Snowbasin Ski Resort.

SNOWBASIN SKI RESORT WEATHER FORECAST

Knowing the projected weather conditions at and around the resort can help you plan your trip better. The following graphic shows an updated forecast for the Snowbasin Ski Resort’s weather.

Snowbasin RESORT Weather Forcast

BOOK NEARBY HOTELS

SNOWBASIN SKI RESORT ACCOMMODATION AND WHERE TO STAY WHEN VISITING THE SKI RESORT.

The resort does not have on-mountain accommodation. However, there are great lodging and dining options at the nearby Ogden Valley. Here you’ll find all sorts of accommodation options including condos, townhomes, apartments, and hotels. The accommodation options are clustered in the constituent towns of Huntsville and Eden.

Some great places to stay and dine when visiting the resort include:

SNOWBASIN SKI RESORT ACCOMMODATION AND WHERE TO STAY WHEN VISITING THE SKI RESORT.

The resort does not have on-mountain accommodation. However, there are great lodging and dining options at the nearby Ogden Valley. Here you’ll find all sorts of accommodation options including condos, townhomes, apartments, and hotels. The accommodation options are clustered in the constituent towns of Huntsville and Eden.

Some great places to stay and dine when visiting the resort include:

Getting To The Resort

How To Get to Snowbasin Ski Resort

The Snowbasin Ski Resort is located in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. It is near Huntsville Town which is situated in the Ogden Valley. Along with the Powder Mountain Ski Resort, this resort is further away from Salt Lake City International Airport, although it is still quite accessible as it is only 46 miles away.

The Snowbasin Ki Resort lies about 62 miles to the northwest of Park City and about 42 miles away from Salt Lake City.

Getting to the Snowbasin Ski Resort by Air

The Salt Lake City International Airport is the closest and gateway airport to the resort. It has many flight services to and from many US and international destinations. Alternatively, visitors can fly in via the Ogden-Hinkley Airport which lies just 4 miles southwest of Ogden. It has several direct flights to and from several regional airports.

Rental cars and Shuttle bus rides are the most common means of transfer from the city and the airport to the resort. You can book these services right at the airport upon arrival. However, for a better experience, it is best to book before arrival.

Driving to the Snowbasin Ski Resort

A rental car gives you the most flexibility to visit different places within the snow domain. It is also a pleasant way to get from your accommodations to the resort if you’re staying off-mountain.

To get to the resort from Park City, get on the I-80 and head east to I-84, and exit at Mountain Green. Then proceed for 8 miles up the S.R. 167 and get on the Snowbasin Road. If you’re coming from Salt Lake City, Take the I-15 and head north. Exit at I-84 east via Weber Cayon to enter Mountain Green. The resort is just 8 miles from Mountain Green.

Taking a Shuttle Ride to the Snowbasin Ski Resort

Several private companies offer private and group shuttle services to and from the resort. You can also book shuttle rides as part of the Snowbasin Ski Resort Packages. There are also UTA buses that take passengers from downtown Salt Lake City to Snowbasin. In addition, you can also hop on to the Frontrunner train at the Intermodal Hub train station to Ogden, where you can catch a shuttle ride to the resort.

Ski Resort FAQ

WHERE IS SNOWBASIN SKI RESORT?

The Snowbasin Ski Resort is located in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest and the closest town is Ogden.

HOW MUCH SNOW IS AT SNOWBASIN SKI RESORT?

The resort receives an average seasonal snowfall of 7.6 meters (300 inches). To bump up the snow volume and cover seasonal lows, the resort has large-scale snowmaking facilities that cover up to 20% of the slopes.

HOW BIG IS SNOWBASIN SKI RESORT?

The Snowbasin Ski Resort features 2,950 acres of terrain for skiing and snowboarding, with 106 designated runs on 888 meters of vertical.

IS THERE PARKING AT SNOWBASIN SKI RESORT?

Yes, there is ample parking at the resort. However, to reduce environmental impact, the resort encourages the use of shuttles and carpooling.

IS SNOWBASIN SKI RESORT BEGINNER FRIENDLY?

Yes, the resort has great beginner slopes where novice riders can learn to ski or snowboard on designated runs. Among the facilities is a ski and snowboard school that offers affordable lessons for children, adults, individuals, and groups. For those without their own gear, there is an equipment rental and sales outlet at the resort.

DOES SNOWBASIN SKI RESORT NEED SNOW CHAINS?

Yes, if you’re heading up on the road to the resort, you need a winterized 4x4 vehicle equipped with snow tires.