4 Tips for Planning a Spring Ski Trip to Park City with a Group

Early spring is the perfect time to plan the ski trip you have been dreaming about. With spring travel deals, you are bound to have an amazing trip with your favorite winter activities, but with the advantage of warmer, longer days. 

Located only 40 minutes from Salt Lake City (SLC) International Airport, Park City, Utah is the ideal location for a spring ski trip. With over 7,300 acres of terrain, Park City Mountain, and neighbor Deer Valley, is the largest ski and snowboard resort in the United States. It’s also the only ski resort area that has ski runs directly down into the main town area, meaning you could ski or snowboard right to your lunch spot or to meet friends for shopping.

Two world class ski resorts, a walk-able downtown area with lots of dining options and every type of winter activity available, Park City can make a very memorable multi-generational or group family trip.

Planning a Ski Trip to Utah

When planning a family or group ski trip, start researching flights as soon as you can so everyone gets the best deal no matter where they are flying. Experts have drilled down the data and noticed that 62 days in advance is that sweet spot of the best deal for all travel when flying domestically in the U.S.

When flying into Salt Lake City, book your Alamo rental car (located in the terminal) to save time and quickly get on your way. Reserve your car at least 48-hours in advance to make sure you get your preferred vehicle size. This is especially important when reserving larger cars that can accommodate more people and more luggage.

Salt Lake City International Airport is located only four miles away from downtown Salt Lake City, so your group can rent their car and hop downtown for an easy lunch at Hires Big H Burger or Tulie Bakery before making your way over to Park City.

If you know you are going to ski multiple times this year, consider opting to purchase either the Epic or Ikon ski passes. These passes include dozens of ski resorts around the world and US., with the Epic Pass gaining access to Park City and the Ikon Pass to Deer Valley. 

Hotels in Park City

• Stag Lodge is located on Deer Valley’s Bald Eagle Mountain, with some of the most beautiful views of the valley. It has “ski-in, ski-out” and suites available for larger families.
• Stein Eriksen Lodge at Deer Valley is known as the area’s only 5-star lodge. With “ski-in, ski-out” 4-bedroom suites and a 5-star spa, this is the ultimate in luxury group travel.
• Silver Star at Park City is a group of condos and cottages perfect for larger groups that also want their own space. Book in advance to get two condos near each other.
• Hotel Park City, a Marriott Autograph Collection, includes 100 suites, all with in-room fireplaces and private balconies. Hotel Park City was named Top Ski Hotel by Conde Nast and received a 2019 certificate of excellence from Trip Advisor, so you know you’ve picked a great spot with all the Marriott perks.

Things to do in Park City

There is a great mix of old and new in Park City, where you can see over 60 buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the remaining memories of the old silver mining days. The 5-star resorts, incredible lodges and array of fine dining bring in the new in all the best ways. Groups will love the variety of restaurants, the “ski-in, ski-out” of the main downtown and the abundance of winter activities from dawn to dusk.

Winter Activities in Park City

Skiing and Snowboarding

How do you like to shred the slopes? Depending on whether you ski or snowboard will help decide which mountain to visit. Deer Valley is a ski-only resort, so if someone in your group snowboards, you might all want to buy tickets at Park City.

Purchasing your ski lift tickets in advance can offer huge savings, especially when buying for a big group. Park City suggests buying at least a week in advance for the best deal.

First Tracks is a program that allows visitors onto the slopes early in the morning before regular lift ticket holders. It's only available for large groups visiting Park City. Call in advance to inquire about first track options for your group to see a side of Park City that many never experience.

If this is your first ski trip, Deer Valley is a great place to learn to ski for the first time. With their snowboarder-free slopes and limited day ticket sales, the slopes are always crowd-free. The skilled staff at Deer Valley suggests children start skiing around five-years-old, or younger if they have tried other sports. Every child is different and listening to what they feel comfortable with will ensure the best day on the slopes. If they aren’t ready yet, check out one of the onsite childcare centers, complete with arts and crafts.

Cross-Country Skiing

Cross country skiing allows you to see a variety of terrain, including valleys, frozen rivers and mountain peaks without incline of blue or black slopes. Not to be confused with easy or no-skill level, cross-country skiing is still hard work. Older guests might enjoy cross-country skiing more, as it doesn’t put as much pressure on the joints. There are multiple ski areas, some with over 30 kilometers of groomed tracks ready to explore. Solider Hollow Nordic Center is another great place to do ski runs.

Snow Biking 

With huge fat tires that easily navigate the winter trails, snow biking is a fun activity for the whole family. Park City has over 400 miles of snow bike trails ready for you to explore. White Pine Touring can set you up with a guided tour or you can rent the bikes and head off on your own.

Tubing 

Experience the longest tubing lanes in Utah at Utah Olympic’s Tube Park with a 1,200ft sliding lane. With two-hour tubing time limits, this is a great way to relax after a day on the slopes. Grab the whole group and meet up for the last tubing time block of the afternoon. If you’re skiing until the final lift closes, you can still enjoy tubing under the stars with their night tubing sessions. Bundle up, the temperature drops and becomes even colder after the sun goes down.

Ice Skating

Located at the base of Park City Mountain Resort, Park City Ice Rink is the area’s only outdoor skate rink. Skate as long as you would like with no skate time limits and outdoor fire pits for family and friends to gather around. With hot cocoa and après ski snacks, this is the perfect spot to unwind.

Snowshoeing

Utah Outdoor Adventures offers snowshoe tours for the whole family. They have all the gear plus provide a tour guide to show you areas of the mountain you haven’t seen yet. The tours are around two hours and can be customized to your group. Plus, with the tour guide, you’ll learn about local wildlife and history.

With fun activities for the whole family, at all fitness levels and budgets, Park City checks every box for the perfect spring ski vacation with multigenerational or friend groups.

Alamo COVID-19 FAQS

Is Alamo open during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak?

Yes. Alamo is an essential services provider that remains open to meet critical transportation and personal mobility needs.

How do I rent a vehicle from Alamo during the COVID-19 outbreak?

You can make reservations via our website or Alamo mobile app. To save time at the rental counter, you can check in online with your driver’s license information and rental confirmation number.

To streamline your rental experience further and enable you to safely practice social distancing when picking up your rental vehicle:

• You can skip the counter (for select locations) in advance after activating Online Check-In. Then, you can go straight to your car without visiting the counter or kiosk.
• Another option is Alamo’s Self-Service Kiosk at select locations. All you need to check in is your driver’s license and credit card. When you’re finished, just show your rental agreement and driver’s license at the exit booth before you hit the road.

What steps are being taken to clean the rental cars?

Clean vehicles have always been important to us, but at this moment in time, we know vehicle cleanliness is even more critical. Each rental vehicle is thoroughly cleaned between every rental and backed with the Complete Clean Pledge. This includes washing, vacuuming, general wipe down, and sanitizing with a disinfectant that meets leading heath authority requirements, with particular attention to more than 20-plus high-touch points including:

• Key / key fob
• Steering wheel
• Steering column
• Seat belts
• Center console
• Door interiors
• Door pockets
• Interior door handles
• Exterior door handles
• Seat pockets / seat surfaces
• Areas between seats & consoles
• Areas between seats & doorjambs
• Cupholders / compartments
• Instrument panel
• Accessory panel / touchscreen
• Rearview mirror / side mirrors
• Visors / visor mirrors
• Dashboard / vents
• Gear stick / gear shift
• Trunk release
• Among other high-touch areas

As part of the Complete Clean Pledge, we've also extended our already rigorous cleaning protocols to our shuttles and rental locations.

Read more COVID-19 FAQs.