ONE Wasatch to Connect Seven Utah Ski Resorts.

Will Our Dream Finally Come True?

For many of us in Park City, we have dreamed of the opportunity to ski and snowboard from Deer Valley to Park City to the Canyons. It would be amazing to have one ski pass to access all three of our resorts. Even if not connected, just the ability to have one shared pass and the choice of going to each of the resorts on any given day would be wonderful. We all have friends who each year make a choice of which single resort they will buy their season pass too. Often, we miss skiing with good friends because we have our pass at one resort, while they are at another. With the price of lift tickets, its rare to go buy a ticket at a ski resort for a day, when you already have a season pass at another.

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The Concept to Connect the Utah Ski Resorts

To connect these three resorts would be quite easy. Deer Valley and Park City already share a border, and simply dropping a rope and cutting a line or two through some trees is all that is needed. Park City and Canyons would require a little more infrastructure to connect. The physical aspect of connecting the resorts is fairly easy, it's more a matter of working out an agreement and system to facilitate the connection between three different companies.

The larger dream has always been some connectivity between our ski resorts in Park City, to the neighboring Cottonwood Canyons ski resorts. Brighton and Solitude are located just behind Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons. As the crow flies, they are not very far away, yet to drive in a car, you need to head down I-80 to SLC, then across I-215, then back up Big Cottonwood Canyon - overall almost an hours drive. Not bad, but sure would be nice to be able to ski right over. Then from Brighton and Solitude, Alta and Snowbird are just the next canyon over. Its all very doable and that is exactly what ONE Wasatch would like to achieve.

ONE Wasatch is a cooperative effort between the seven central Wasatch ski areas (Alta, Brighton, Canyons, Deer Valley, Park City, Snowbird & Solitude). As the association representing Utah’s ski areas, Ski Utah is helping to facilitate promotion of the concept. Ski Utah is the marketing firm owned and operated by the 14 statewide ski resorts that make up the Utah Ski & Snowboard Association. The organization has been creating brand awareness of and demand for Utah’s wintersports since 1978.

THE CONCEPT
18,000 Acres, 100 Ski lifts, 762 Runs, 7 Resorts, 1 Pass.

With the addition of just a few connecting lifts, the dream of turning seven Utah resorts into the largest contiguous ski experience in North America could easily become a ONE Wasatch reality.

“Connecting our world-class resorts has long been an incredible idea, and one that would truly differentiate skiing in the Wasatch from all other North American destinations.”

Scott Beck - President & CEO - Visit Salt Lake

“For years it has been the opinion of the Park City Chamber/Bureau that interconnectivity between resorts is the best way for Utah to capture more market share and create a platform for important product differentiation. This idea holds the promise of solidifying our destination as the preeminent American ski experience.”

Bill Malone - President & CEO - Park City Chamber/Bureau

When will the Ski Resort Connection Happen?

ONE Wasatch is just in the “concept phase” for now, but it could become reality in a few short years if the resorts and the local governments allow it to happen. The detailed plan also includes solutions of mass transit from the metropolitan area of Salt Lake City to the mountains, as well as increased transportation systems from one resort area to the next. The concept would simulate what has already been highly successful in many European ski towns where it is easy to ski from one resort to the next. Just imagine, owning a home in Park City's Old Town for example. You could take the Town Ski Lift up, and work your way to the back of Park City Mountain Resort. Then you could cross over to Brighton and ski a few runs at Brighton and Solitude. You might make it over to Alta and Snowbird, or maybe you might just relax and have lunch at Solitude. You would work your way back to Park City Resort, and end your day skiing back to your home in Park City. All of this could be done without loading up or driving a car!

We hope to see this Concept become a plan, and then become reality. Many people had opposition to the previously proposed SkiLink plan, and we could see where that plan is undesirable, and somewhat unrealistic in how it would actually operate. But this new concept proposed by ONE Wasatch makes really good sense, and would allow easy traveling from one resort to the next, and would still keep much of the pristine Wasatch backcounty unexposed for the benefit of people who prefer to tour on their own. As Realtors® working in the Park City and Deer Valley communities we see a huge benefit to home owners. As long time Park City Locals, we see a huge benefit to the town of Park City, as well as to the residents of the Salt Lake Valley. To us, it just makes too much sense to not do it! 

For more details, or to voice your opinion, you can visit the websites for One Wasatch or SkiUtah.