Alternative Ways to Enjoy The Greatest Snow on Earth®
Winter is here, and while Utah is best known for its 14 ski resorts including Park City Mountain and Deer Valley Resort, there are numerous ways for non-skiers to enjoy the state’s famous Greatest Snow on Earth®. Here are five of the best alternative winter adventures:
- Skating on the ‘Fastest Ice on Earth:’ Since the 2002 Winter Olympics, the Utah Olympic Oval – just 25 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City – continues as a competitive arena open for public skating and lessons for visitors
- Fat Biking: Explore Utah’s beautiful backcountry on a fat bike – off-road cycling with oversized, under-inflated tires. To try this on-trend activity, head to Powder Mountain Resort in northern Utah – home of America’s Fat Bike National Championships
- Tubing: Soldier Hollow in Wasatch Mountain State Park offers the longest tubing lanes in Utah, at 1,200 ft. Plus, a dedicated lift (magic carpet) means visitors can be back at the top again and ready for another ride in a flash.
- Snowshoeing: Sundance Mountain Resort has 10 km of terrain dedicated to snowshoeing or Ruby’s Inn near Bryce Canyon National Park accesses 30 km of groomed trails and stunning views for visitors looking to snowshoe through snow-dusted red rock
- Snowmobiling: Summit Meadows Adventures has 7,000 acres of snowfields to explore by snowmobile on a private ranch near Deer Valley Resort, while Lofty Peaks Adventures in Park City and Midway offer guided and self-guided snowmobile tours across Utah’s Heber Valley
Utah’s Culinary Cool
Like many destinations, Utah is most often visited in the summer (hello, Mighty 5® National Parks!), however, winter is the ideal time for powder hounds to get a taste of the state’s unexpected culinary scene. Utah is home to a number of unique winter dining experiences every food lover should have on their list. Here are three culinary offerings best experienced (and some exclusively offered) during winter:
- Snowshoe to Your Feast: Available through the first week of April, The Yurt at Solitude offers an intimate dining adventure (max. 26 people) that starts with a guided evening snowshoe adventure through a moon and lantern lit forest to a Mongolian-style yurt. Upon arrival, chefs prepare a memorable four-course dinner right in front of the group
- Dine at 11,000 Feet: The Summit, located at the top of Hidden Peak at Snowbird Ski Resort, is Utah’s highest elevation restaurant at 11,000 feet above sea level. Whether arriving on ski, board or foot, guests will enjoy a menu of healthy, organic dishes built by Executive Chef George Lackey and based in French rotisserie traditions with subtle hints gleaned from the secret recipes of a Rocky Mountain barbeque pitmaster
- Ski-In, Ski-Out Eats: Visitors can go straight from the slopes to sipping a cocktail at Alta’s only true ski-in, ski-out lodge, Goldminer’s Daughter. In addition to serving full breakfasts and four-course dinners, powder hounds can enjoy slope-side espresso drinks and beer (yes, you can drink in Utah!) from the outside deck or inside the lodge
Ice Ice Baby
On display throughout the winter season, the Ice Castles of Midway, Utah are an annual addition to this mountain town that are part playground, part art installation, part fairytale. This epic winter wonderland, located 45 minutes southeast of Salt Lake City, is one of Utah’s most popular seasonal attractions, particularly as it’s located amid a ring of world class ski resorts, including Deer Valley Resort and Park City Mountain. A serious architectural undertaking, the Ice Castles cover an entire acre, filled with glittering turrets, frozen archways, slippery ice slides and glacial waterfalls. Family friendly and a dream for any fan of Disney’s Frozen, the breathtaking Ice Castles are hand sculpted over a series of weeks, and spectacularly illuminated at night. www.icecastles.com/midway
Issued by the Utah Office of Tourism Canadian Press Office.
For more information and/or high resolution images please contact: Heather McGillivray at Canuckiwi on +1 250 888 5687 or email heather@canuckiwi.com.
Issued by the Utah Office of Tourism Australia / New Zealand Press Office.
Trade: For more information and/or high resolution images please contact: Corey Marshall at Canuckiwi on +64 21 555 463 or email corey@canuckiwi.com
Media: For more information and/or high resolution images please contact: Joanne Motta at Canuckiwi on +61 403 180751 or email joanne@canuckiwi.com
