Park City vs. Vail: An Exhaustive Comparison

An in-depth comparison review of Vail and Park City, the two largest ski resorts by skiable terrain in the United States.
Park City acreage measurement: tinyurl.com/bdn6cedr
Vail terrain acreage measurement: tinyurl.com/2zmc3tmn
0:00 Intro
0:50 Getting There
1:35 Snow Quality
2:15 Resort Size
2:47 Getting Around
3:54 Terrain Diversity and Aesthetic
4:38 Beginner Experience
5:19 Intermediate Experience
6:02 Advanced and Expert Experience
6:59 Terrain Parks
7:27 Lifts
8:12 Crowd Flow
8:56 Lodging
9:34 Parking
9:53 Nearby Mountains
10:28 Pass Affiliations
11:02 Verdict
See our full resort breakdown and written review for Vail here: www.peakrankings.com/content/...
See our full resort breakdown and written review for Park City here: www.peakrankings.com/content/...
See our full Rockies rankings: www.peakrankings.com/rockies-...
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[@jc18721]

Not sure how you could possible rank Vail and PC the same for snow. On an average year they see roughly the same amount of snow (with Park City averaging about 20-30 more inches per year), but Vail is just consistently in the 200-250" range year after year, whereas Park City (and Utah in general) are prone to more massive swings, with the worst year in Utah being roughly the bottom of a typical year in Colorado (175-200"). But Vail's best season in the past 10 years was 313". Park City has double that this year, and neighboring mountains are outpacing PC by 200+ inches in the Cottonwoods since storms sit there. And a bad season at Vail you're SOL. A bad season at PC and you just go to the Cottonwoods instead where there worst season in the past 10 years is on par with Vail's best season in the past 10 years. Don't get me wrong, I love the Colorado mountains, they offer amazing terrain and that aspect of Vail is far and away better than PC. But the snow quality in Colorado compared to Utah is just a different ballpark. I'd give Vail a 5 or 6 here and keep PC at an 8. I also will add the trek to get to Vail is what turns me off the most. From SLC it's a quick 45 min drive to almost a dozen world class mountains. From Denver it's an excruciating drive always in traffic and the roads are awful. Also the inaccessibility of PC's off-piste terrain means it's a great option on otherwise meh days. Still doesn't compare to the back bowls at Vail, but the hiking issue dissuades a lot of people from skiing much of the truly challenging/very fun terrain.

[@MrMasterNorris]

I’ve been to both and I preferred vail quite a bit. Better terrain, more scenic, easier to get around. I thought the drive from Denver to vail was beautiful

[@joshedwards8398]

Fuck vail

[@Vanya80151]

It is a beautiful drive if it does not snow. It can be terrifying on a snowy day, especially after dark.

[@devinshea7052]

Well done as usual! Having lived and worked at both of these resorts (granted, before the PC/Canyons merge) I’d say you really nailed it!

[@exdemocrat9038]

Your videos are well done. I just subscribed to your channel yesterday and I absolutely love the channel so far.

[@jstone4071]

What an awesome video of your time on the mountain. My family is headed out at the end of February 2025, I couldn't be more stoked than I am now after watching your video. And yes, it absolutely looks worth every penny.

[@halfcabking]

Love the Vs Idea!

[@albertmellinger4656]

Very fair comparison. We have a place near Canyons base in PC. We chose PC over Colorado for the airport commute, which is really only 35 minutes (ymmv). And the altitude--our kids got sick in Colorado, but we sleep at 6200 in PC --never had a problem. He's right about getting around the mountain at PC. We just stay on the Canyons side. Our average line is probably 1 minute, but that's using inside baseball--avoid Tombstone right before lunch, etc. Minor notes--restaurant service is better in Utah...and we haven't been to CO since they legalized.... Perfect day for high speed blue runs: either lift to Red Pine. Ski Snow Dancer to Tombstone for warm up. Another world. Cloud 9 if groomed (1-5x). Overlooked gem: Crowning Glory to lower Crowning Glory. Then shoot over to Mercury (2-5x), Copperhead. (side trip to Dream Catcher and possible lunch at Cloud Dine...or return to Tombstone lift for early lunch to avoid lines--best BBQ ever? Maybe, and I'm from Texas. Afternoon is reserved for Super Condor lift, Apex Ridge and Boa, etc. plus whatever you want to try. That's about 1/3 of the mountain.

[@PeakRankings]

Thank you for the support and that detailed information!

[@M15Taka]

NIce and cochesive information on both resorts. Vails is great but I will need to go to Park City again to respice the memory of Park City. Thanks for the reminder.

[@PeakRankings]

Thanks for watching!

[@noskillzleague]

Like others have corrected, the drive from SLC to PC is 35 minutes, even during the winter. On its best day, the trip from Denver airport to Vail is over 2 hours. This is a huge thing to consider and something most don't realize. While it isn't the point of the video, the nightlife and town experience of Park City is far superior to Vail.

[@Jgjginkg244]

Try Eagle County airport besides don’t have to deal with Mormons. Park city don’t even close yo Vail.

[@grantbrauer7505]

love the vids

[@novy3068]

Yo make sure in the future resort reviews you include that there is practically no rv parking anywhere in summit county! Doing an rv tour of a lot of the resorts there is pretty risky with lots of days resorting to poaching overnight. This is kind of a big issue and should definitely be mentioned!! If anyone wants to do an rv trip out to these resorts definitely tow a car!

[@sllehmann]

Which Summit County?

[@novy3068]

@@sllehmann summit County Colorado, sorry

[@ethemozcan]

Excellent content. Just discovered the channel and love it. You must take this yo Europe. There’re a plethora of excellent destinations but limited high-quality, structured info on them like you have here

[@far9018]

Agree! Please go to Europe! I need a zermatt ski review soon as I’m going in March haha

[@vopvoopone]

Never been to vail, but I really have liked park city when I’ve skied it. That said, when I travel to Utah to ski I much prefer hitting the LCC or BCC resorts like Alta or Solitude!

[@pascalfriedmann1479]

Yeah, my thoughts as well. You won't find a lot of locals in PC. Those go to Alta, Brighton Solitude, Snowbird, Snowbasin, Powder Mountain. PC is something like #6 or #7 in Utah in my book. The upside is that the town is cute but also pricy, as you'd expect of a resort town. If you want to though, you can stay in Salt Lake or Ogden for the other northern Utah resorts and still enjoy quick and easy access with larger city animities.

[@CheaterEarl]

You should def do a mountain review of Keystone, CO this season, highly recommend

[@ethanhcomposer]

i've been to both ski resorts, i'm going to PCMR again this season. when i first went to vail, i was an intermediate skier, i've only skied the front side of vail. i do agree that PCMR is a pain in the butt to get around, but if you're a beginner, i would still recommend park city because there's less green catwalks. i'll go back this season as an advanced skier, so we'll see how it goes!

[@PeakRankings]

Good luck!

[@denigma68rltw]

I mainly ski on the Canyons side of Park City less people.

[@wacs44]

Love it!! Maybe do an east coast comparison. Like Killington and Stowe etc

[@PeakRankings]

Thanks Alex! We'll definitely aim for a few of those for the upcoming season!

[@jasono.1629]

Great comparison! Really love your vids. Just a suggestion for future vids; compare the ski towns / apres ski of various CO resorts. Also a video on less traveled ski resorts that don’t belong to the Epic or Icon pass.

[@PeakRankings]

Great suggestion, thanks!

[@ramonnape]

i go with vail, it is just such a beautiful magical town, its isolation isnt really an issue for me since it is in close proximity to every other skii resort!

[@AK-bw8xk]

As a snowboarder I think Powder Mountain and Brighton are good choices. When I went to Utah the Canyons had hikeable back bowls. Kinda funny sign "warning entering back country not patrolled death can result. Then said have fun" I liked that.

[@hypothalapotamus5293]

I feel like 9990 side country accounting for 25% of all Utah avalanche deaths in the last 30 years was an important part of the old Canyon's identity. Vail Mountain Resorts didn't like that. Not one bit.

[@philliptoone]

This is a very good analysis of these two resort. But it really comes down to what you are looking for. I'd tell you my favorite place to ski but we already have more than enough skiers there. :)

[@billycox475]

I avoid the big places, traffic, long lines, people everywhere. I have a few small places I love, lap after lap after lap with no waiting. And like you, I'm not telling. 😁

[@Vanya80151]

One big PC advantage is that if you are on a limited budget (think less than $500 per night), you can stay in Salt Lake area and get a nice hotel with a reasonably priced restaurants and lots of activities besides skiing. It only takes about 30 minutes to drive up the canyon from say the Zoo or the Sugar House area. And if you are in SL area and Little Cottonwood gets a powder day by PC does not it is about 30 minutes to get to Alta or Snowbird. If your budget allows for $1k+ per night, Vail is probably a better option.

[@exdemocrat9038]

My 2 favorite resorts along with Heavenly & Jackson Hole.

[@MrSwedjen]

Jeez, I skied P.C for a week last February. Stayed at an Airbnb in S.LC. and absolutely loved it. Quick 45 minute drive, snow was great, short lines. But what do I know, first time skiing outside California/Tahoe. Sounds like I would just pack up and move to Vail. Maybe I will.

[@litup6465]

The town of Park City is amazing and elevates it way above almost all US resorts in my opinion.

[@joshuap9580]

oh wow, PC and canyons are connected now? didnt know that. i had a park city season pass in 2005, was a great mountain. the run down from the top to the bottom at the end of the day was always an epic long run, great place.

[@mrepix8287]

Hitting Vail and Breckinridge on a ten to twelve day trip would be the best imo

[@JollyLamaCom]

Please consider doing a video on Mt Bohemia in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

[@litup6465]

I lived in Park City for years and it has a certain something that doesn’t really show up in statistics- you really have to experience it.

[@medwards1993]

I’m going to take a stab at this at my lift being Quicksilver. 20/21 was a Covid winter and VR had the reservations system that many guests talked to me about were NOT for it. Summit County, Utah Health Department had EVERY lift follow at half capacity. I wasn’t allowed to load a full cabin unless everyone was from the same party. As for the lines, everyone either parked/took a bus to PC then took quick over to canyons. Skied at canyons than took quick back at the end of the day. Plus the entire state had a record breaking skier riding days. 21/22: Busy on weekends when my lifties and myself were packing you all in a can of sardines all day. There were a couple of instances when I had longer lines outside of the maze, but that was because there was a fault. Weekdays, it was busy at times, but doable. As for lifts at PC: city council has to approve it and cost of the lifts isn’t cheap. Navigation is easier on the pc side than canyons since there is a big open spot on canyons side being “the colony.” Just to get my lift, 3-4 on the canyons side depending on where you start. As for the PC side, literally 1 or 2 depending where you start.

[@Ryan-jx4vh]

Vail is also close to Breckenridge, Beaver etc

[@DRMET]

I've been to both several times, and your report reflects my experiences there accurately. Nice job presenting the facts.

[@thomaskl234]

Tbh I think Big sky and palisades Tahoe could be included in the behemoth resort category. Considering the gondola to alpine will finally be completed this year, these resorts would be good comparisons as well and ikon as well. Great video

[@PeakRankings]

Thanks Thomas! We'll aim to have more content for both resorts up in the coming months!

[@garygech]

@@PeakRankings Palisades is on a different level. Nothing at Vale or Park approaches KT let alone Silverado. Also Scotts Chair, great, Red Dog Trees great, and Alpine has a back gate you can hike, just terrific at the expert end. In Colorado, Beaver is the better than Vale, and in Utah, it is Alta or Deer Valley, those are great resorts.

[@novy3068]

No one even mentioning telluride and it literally has a 4.5 mile long run. Also amazing touring terrain, high alpine, tight trees, creek runs, big ass meadows, dope park, it has everything. AND it's not been absorbed by the greasy pig conglomerate that is vail resorts. It's a win win win!

[@skI12345]

@@novy3068 Telluride is definitely one of the best mountains

[@RD1R]

@@novy3068 while Telluride is amazing, it just doesn't have the acerage to be a real comparison. It's more comparable to Snowbird, Crystal, Alyeska, Crested Butte, Revelstoke or Taos. Fairly large with lots of steep advanced and expert terrain, but limited intermediate and beginner options. Places like Mammoth, Palisades, Keystone, Winter Park or Snowmass are all fairly large with more varied terrain, but they still don't have the mega sized feel that is more common in Europe. They're all a tier below the huge resorts like PC, Vail, Big Sky or Whistler in terms of pure size and massive lift infrastructures.

[@TheRidersChoice]

For one month it’s up in March, I actually think vail has got the better park. More medium features and express lift access. PCMR really only has an XL park oriented towards skiers with a fixed grip required. Regardless, all Vail owned parks these days ain’t it.

[@johndoe4675]

I worked a season at park city, but also I have been twice to vail. If I had to pick, I would choose first vail then pc

[@rjjablo]

Nice review, thanks I won't be going to either

[@asajayunknown6290]

I'm an Ikon peep. Less crowds. More choices within driving distance of Denver. Plus, six resorts within an hour of SLC. I like Vail, but not the crowds that seem to go along with the Epic pass. Breckenridge on a Saturday mid-season is like skiing Vermont on a Saturday: 7, 8, or 10 runs on a good Saturday. The rest of the time is spent in liftlines.

[@novy3068]

👑👑 hey it may suck that vail's ruined the pc culture but at least all the vacationers all go to one place so there's less crowds at the actually good mountains lmaoo

[@hawlikd]

I take Vail!

[@aaronmcinnes2431]

I’m going to brekenridge this February‼️ I need a review before I go

[@PeakRankings]

Breckenridge review will be up quite soon!

[@rjjablo]

As an intermediate snowboarder Breckenridge was good, not as good as Big Sky though. We had a a foot of powder and it was magic and tracked out across the mountain by noon. Big Sky even the next day you could find runs with powder on the edges

[@novy3068]

Only time I've been to Breck they got like 10 inches overnight and it was some of the sickest skiing I've had in a while. Groomers couldn't even get out in the morning so you HAD to ski steeper stuff to not get stuck lmao. Unfortunately it's still owned by vail, and everything they touch turns to shit :/ my trip was later in the spring so idk how the lines will be in February but be prepared to wait. Definitely park in employee lots every morning! The shuttle system is top notch so do not feel like you need front row parking. My pops and I were able to find an overnight lot on the edge of town and we STILL got a shuttle first thing in the morning (totally free too). Big ups for that

[@jackcastelli203]

As somebody who lives in park city, this video is pretty accurate

[@connorm4669]

I live in park city and the line problem is definitely becoming an issue. If you are an expert skier I definitely recommend staying on expert only lifts as there isn't a line

[@skiing7149]

Yeah only if they got some faster expert only lifts

[@joshjjjjj25]

PC is not an hour from SLC airport lol. I get from my place to the airport in under 30 mins and im about 15 mins from the PC mountain.

[@rockythegoat460]

the Hotel at 9:08 is very nice Its called the Grand Hyat and it has very good food, ski in, and its own lift on the Vail map, I recomend, the room service is very good, having its own game room with 2 PS5 and Xbox series X for the kids, 10/10

[@silenz_178]

Can someone explain the chair lift going over a main road?

[@amysosne9323]

What about the greens in lionshead

[@ethanhcomposer]

They're pretty bad in my opinion. This is one reason why I'd say Park City is better for beginners. The lower mountain greens are flat and mostly catwalks, they're really unenjoyable.

[@chrisskiingpowpow]

Never been to Vail but its on me bucket list. I heard Park City is cheaper but Vail has more consistent snow quality.

[@Orson2u]

You can’t go wrong with either, unless we’re talking late season (Vail better).

[@novy3068]

Honestly don't go to either if price is an issue (and just generally if you want to get more than 5 runs in a day, lines are HORRIBLE). Vail Resorts (the conglomerate that owns both mountains) has inflated the prices of not just the tickets but literally everything around the mountains. Loveland pass is a personal favorite in co. GORGEOUS views, independently owned, half day tickets were 60 bucks, and had honestly some of the best high alpine terrain I skied out in CO. Wherever you go, find the holes in the wall. Major resorts aren't worth it, especially ones owned by vail.

[@jconroy102]

@@novy3068 vail on a pow day is a once in a life time experience

[@mtadams2009]

@@jconroy102 To be honest anyplace is awesome on a powder day. Loveland is a great little ski area but many need to make the scene and ski places like Vail or Aspen which is fine and no hate. The truth is I have had great to times skiing many places when the snow is good. A Basin is awesome and the East Wall is great. My favorite hands down is JH. Good snow changes everything. Take care and chase that powder.

[@coloradocamera]

What about powder mountain and big sky

[@PeakRankings]

Noted! Both may be difficult for awhile, as we still need clear footage from certain parts of the resorts.

[@demdaddy]

not the vail gondola lines this year

[@waltysalamander]

Mammoth vs Squaw!

[@PeakRankings]

Noted!

[@waltysalamander]

@@howarddamico1237 Yeah, I forgot it was called Palisades. I’ve never been but I LOVE Mammoth.

[@therascals8237]

There’s no contest in terms of access. It’s only a 40 min drive from SLC to Park City. Getting to Vail from Denver takes forever and the shuttle services are terrible.

[@dg1019]

I liked PC but there is no comparison with skiable territory. PC is good, Vail is amazing. I'm not sure of any top to bottom run at PC that compares to any of the many at Vail.

[@noah.m]

There is almost always powder if you go out of bounds on the catwalk on 9990

[@majidnajafi2800]

I have been to Vail not PC. I’ve seen PC from the road-I ski mostly LCC and BCC. Vail is a better place to ski than PC. Vail back bowl is awesome. On powder days stick to front side cause everyone is in the back bowl. I probably shouldn’t have given away my pow secret for Vail.

[@finerbiner]

Sprint to Blue Sky at opening. Once everyone catches up, go back to the front.

[@yunzheng9705]

vail‘s 30 dollars parking is somehow worth it, because it got indoor garage for you to put gear on.

[@krzysztofwojtanek511]

My kids are starting to share my passion for skiing. Still small ages 6 and 4. We live in Midwest and have skied most resorts in the Michigan/Wisconsin area. As we all know skiing is not the cheapest hobby especially if you have little kids tagging along. I love your videos and appreciate all the detailed and HONEST deep dives you put out. With that being said I want to plan an epic family ski trip in the upcoming season (23/24). What would you say would be the best and most pocket friendly way 💰 to make this a possibility? Which ski pass/destination would offer the best experience for the entire family? Personally I love skiing out in Utah but I’m not married to it and would be open to any advice and suggestions. Thank you for your videos!

[@PeakRankings]

Thanks for your support! Consider one of the regional Epic Pass products, such as the Summit Value Pass, for the best deal on multi-day Rockies skiing. And make sure to plan your trip well in advance for the best rates. We’ll also have an article on budgeting ski trips up in the near future, with a companion video following shortly behind!

[@connorwalsh4857]

Agree with the terrain layout analysis. Love PC, but it does require riding quite a few shorter lifts to navigate the mountain. It comes down to the difference in the larger Rocky Mountains vs. the smaller, more canyon-like Wasatch.

[@skiing7149]

I prefer vail much much much more… park city can never seem to consistently keep their terrain open.

[@TheSlandis]

I've skied Park City for about 25 years and I've spent a lot of time at Vail. I'd say the Canyons side of Park City is a mess. I found Vail to not have much good expert terrain. I found Vail fairly boring. However, I think you really need to know the mountain at Park City to really appreciate it. I think two really bad things happened at Park City. The first was being purchased by Vail, which is terrible at managing resorts. The second was merging with the Canyons which really didn't help at all. Having lived in Glenwood Springs for a while, I disagree that Vail has better snow. Colorado generally doesn't compare to Utah for snow. The worst thing to happen to skiing though, are the Epic and Ikon passes. Pretty much destroyed local skiing.

[@hypothalapotamus5293]

I like the Canyons side. It's this dysfunctional mix of 90s era sketchy skiing mixed with unapologetic mid 2000s era real estate development featuring mansions that are larger than the resort lodges. The end result is a mix of expert skiers who think the handful of narrow groomed runs are cat tracks (they want to get back to cycling the trees) and people who are beginners who think the cat tracks are the bunny slope, as nearly all of the skiable area involves trees. It's sort of like those ~1900s era realist paintings where you are shown a bunch of people who are wallowing in their own filth and are fine with it (It's either glorious or horrifying depending on your sensibilities), but tracking the trajectory of American skiing for the last 30 years. Totally doesn't mesh with Park City, though.

[@shawnfloyd6542]

WORD !

[@ArturoTierra]

It's not even close. I've skied everything at Park City/The Canyons and Vail is by far the better ski area. From the back bowls to the village, it just can't be beat. There's only one other place I've skied many, many times over that comes close to Vail and that's Whistler, although Vail usually has better snow. That's not to say that there aren't other very good ski areas outside of Vail, but in my opinion, it is the best in North America. Moreover, when I'm in Utah, I prefer Alta, Solitude and Snowbird over Park City.

[@novy3068]

I've only skied a single day at vail and I've had probably a combined 5 or so days at pc so definitely not as qualified, but from the small taste I had of vail it kinda really let me down. I felt like there was way more beginner terrain everywhere that really limited my topspeed and just couldn't get away from dodging beginners. Pc feels like there's more separation between the top and bottom of the resort in difficulty so once you get up for the day most of the chairs will be uninterrupted great runs where as vail felt like every time I rounded a corner it was another slow zone :/ like I said though only one day at vail so I probably just didn't have time to find the spot

[@ArturoTierra]

​@@novy3068 It doesn't sound like you spent much time in the back bowls. Next time you go there hit the back bowls. Also, Vail has some really great bump runs on the front side like Look Ma, Blue Ox and Highline, but you've got to have the skills to ski them. For me, the back bowls are the place to be. I'm not much for Blue Sky Basin across the way but have skied it many times.

[@novy3068]

@@ArturoTierra tbf I went on a bad snow day later in the season and I think the back bowls weren't open or something. Idk I went to like 10 resorts in CO on that trip and all of the vail owned ones are at the bottom of my list. I couldn't even really enjoy good terrain fully cause vail just carries a vibe to every resort they buy that makes ski bums like me feel super unwelcome :/

[@ArturoTierra]

@@novy3068 I've found that if you can ski really, really well and love the sport it doesn't matter where you go, you will always be treated with respect, unless you go to Jackson A-Hole.

[@novy3068]

@@ArturoTierra uhh no not by vail. I've been skiing my entire life. Born and raised in the pnw. Been all over the state and up into bc. Everywhere but vail resorts have treated me with respect. Vail intentionally pumps prices and stagnates wages to push the most passionate part of the community, the people that sacrifice their comfort for a sport they love, away to make room for trust fund babies boosting their ego on insta. They completely strip every resort they buy of the local culture. I've been unfortunate enough to see it at my home mountain. Stevens pass has had a lot of issues with owners in the past, lots of changing hands and neglect for prominent issues, but through all of that it had a culture. A scene. Vail came in and not only ignored glaring issues, but actively made the resort experience WORSE. They hiked the food prices while simultaneously cutting portions, they tried like hell to get rid of the rv parking lot and only because the locals kicked and scream did they back off. They've raised ticket prices, tried to get rid of the summer bike park, severely cut down what used to be one of the best parks in the state, when they came in they fired ALL of the management and replaced them with hq managers from Colorado that had never even seen stevens. Vail doesn't just not care about us, they HATE us. Fuck vail. Vails ideal ski industry is one where no skiers actually get good, are happy to spend thousands of dollars a weekend for basic services, and never questions their hiring or employment practices. Vail Resorts is the planet fitness of the ski industry.

[@ewallt]

I’ve skied PC a ton, and Vail a little. The main thing I didn’t like about Vail was the parking. Regarding lines, the only problem I’ve had is getting up on the Canyons side, where’s there’s only two ways up, a gondola and bubble chair, so if it’s crowded it can back up, or if the gondola isn’t working, or there’s high winds. But other than that, I haven’t experienced any waits on the chair lifts (but I avoid the times when it’s most crowded). In terms of skiing, an advantage of PC (and I suspect Vail is the same), it’s so big, you can find many runs of what you like. I like trees and bumps that aren’t too difficult, so I don’t have to ski in survival mode, and there are plenty of runs like that. I really like that it’s 3 miles away and I don’t have to pay anything for parking.

[@jackcastelli203]

Assuming no traffic, PC is only 20 minutes from slc airport. I live in PC, I know what I’m talking about

[@vishnu2699]

Lake Tahoe better with Heavenly cause there is the blue lake to look at.

[@rickden8362]

Vail is much better than PC, no doubt...however, when the storms roll into Utah, and even though PC gets half the snow AltaBird gets, PC does get better dumps than Vail, unfortunately.

[@Jgjginkg244]

Skied Colorado, Utah, California, Idaho, Big Sky, Whistler Blackcomb, Switzerland, France & Italy but there’s nothing like Vail out there. Park city isn’t the world class and Vail is at least 2 class ahead and it’s not that park city is bad just Vail is way ahead.

[@Foxyfreedom]

Not a fan of the snow in Utah. Every time I go I’m skiin on trees and rocks

[@Hawk-vr2pt]

Steamboat vs Breckenridge

[@PeakRankings]

Noted! We have Breckenridge footage, but we still need to visit Steamboat for sufficient video there.

[@asajayunknown6290]

Steamboat!!!! Not even close. Especially if you're willing/able to vary where you ski on the mountain. Get on top early. Ski the tree stashes until Morningside opens, then a couple to many runs in there until the liftline gets too big. Then ski down to Burgess or Pony for as many runs as your legs can handle. Breckenridge has awesome skiing, but there's almost zero escape from the crowds.

[@asajayunknown6290]

All of my comments mean nothing on a random Tuesday mid-season 😎

[@finerbiner]

I've been to both at least 30 days. Some thoughts. Park in the garage under the Town lift at PC. Always a spot and you do not have to walk. Ski PC one day and Canyons the next (park there). This mitigates lift problems. Vails back bowls are unique in skiing. On a powder day this is where to be. Also Sprint to Blue Sky in the morning and ski down the back bowls. The crowd won't catch up for at least a couple hours. Front side of Vail is mostly ho-hum and the back bowls get rough if its been a few days since the last snow. The town of PC is WAY better than artificial Vail Village. If you ski difficult terrain the Alta/Snowbird combo is in a class above either of these for terrain and snow quality.

[@Metro8k]

I have to disagree with your assessment of Vail’s terrain in comparison to Park City. The depth and variance of difficulty of Park City’s terrain far outclasses Vail. Vail is an overwhelmingly intermediate mountain while Park City boasts better runs that cover the entire difficulty spectrum. You talked about Jupiter bowl and how hard it was to get to, but barely touched on 9990! 9990 beats out anything Vail has difficulty wise with the easy expert lift access except maybe Sundown Bowl. While I agree that the choke points in Park City are super annoying, the same thing ends up happening in Vail but worse because everyone wants to get to the same terrain. Vail’s better layout also comes with a price: half of its terrain is catwalks or roads to get to chairlifts. Not to mention 2/7 of the Back Bowls need the best conditions to be skiable. One of them (Inner Mongolia) is unskiable 100% of the time because its too flat to get proper speed during its best conditions. If you’re an intermediate skier, you’ll have a blast. But if you’re an expert skier, it won’t take long for you to be bored of the constant catwalks and roads and pissed at the crowds. Chair #26 has great cruiser terrain though, I usually hang out there. Sorry for the rant lol.

[@thirdpedalnirvana]

What is so great about ungroomed terrain? I get it on a powder day but… I’d rather get on a steeper groomer and rip down it than get on something where I’m just happy to make it to the bottom without taking a tumble.

[@novy3068]

Different strokes for different folks. Skill level plays a big part as well. Ripping groomers is fun but dodging tourists can get sketchy and vail resorts hate it when you're comfortable at speed. Ungroomed terrain just raises the skill floor a bit. Also more to play around with and send off of ungroomed.

[@finerbiner]

You lose 80% of the crowd off the groomers and groomers are boring if you are a good skier.

[@jasonlucas2328]

In Vail, rich people go there or outside the US, like the wealthy white Mexicans. In Park City, it's average white folks. Nothing is wrong, but it depends on what you're looking for during your ski trip.

[@1tsBeyond]

canada 🇨🇦 >>

[@tireswing]

Maybe its the steep grades and weather issues, but I dont understand why there isnt a large scale bus service from Denver to Breck, Vail, Keystone, Copper, Loveland or A-Basin? The cost to get out to these areas is absurd.

[@PeakRankings]

We used the Bustang from downtown Denver on our trip to Vail this year: ridebustang.com/

[@joshhorsley252]

Park City is 30 minutes from Salt lake airport. Not 1 hour.

[@daviddonnelly2115]

Wow!! The prices Americans have to pay are just ridiculous. Here in Europe we would buy a six day pass for $300-360 or so.

[@Dylanmcfeely]

First

[@amigatommy7]

Canyons is a long way from ParkCity.

[@Snow-Journal]

Saw way too many permanent snow/ice making machines so no to both. Any resorts that have permanent ice makers on the slopes use them far to often so the snow will always be garbage

[@pizzaearthpancakesandother2549]

You forgot to mention that you are more likely to see a Kardashian at Vail.

[@rcarter6885]

The reviewer is obviously a skier. Snowboarders stay away from Vail. My buddy and I went to Vail for the first time since we started snowboarding 20 years ago and we will not be back. Too many cat-tracks and flats!!

[@dylanblackburn5073]

knew this was bs when he said vail had manageable lines

[@gregh3248]

I'd rather ski Whistler/Blackcomb

[@dimt2615]

Park City is waaaaaay better than Vail. Vail is always overcrowded and flat as f.

[@davelavigne2133]

The "Town" of vail is a glorified Truckstop. Beaver Creek is only 10 miles away and about 10 minutes on a normal day.

[@codykurschner8399]

Both money hungry resorts that won’t to suck up every penny you got. Go somewhere that’s owned by the locals

[@redjetsen1002]

Who can afford to ski at these places? If the drought continues both these resorts will suck this year.

[@fredericperrin3279]

I will stick to Europe, with much more impressive scenery and daily lift tickets about 1/3 of the price, even in the top resorts.

[@novy3068]

Yeah the conglomerate that owns these two mountains has been causing so many issues at every resort they buy. You're literally not even allowed to ski at a normal cruising speed through lower difficulty runs. I got my pass pulled at 3 different resorts 2020-2021 season just for carrying speed to get through congested areas 💀 not bombing, not slashing snow at beginners, literally just skiing normally well within my ability level paying attention and keeping wide spacing as much as possible and they didn't like that I was just passing people 🤦‍♂️ after the first time I got pulled over I even started skiing SLOWER cause I didn't realize it was their policy. Paid extra attention and started speed checking even more than I already was and they still made it an issue. I've literally never hit anyone on a beginner slope but I guess I'm the problem 🤷‍♂️

[@scarface548]

Park city is not scenic that to me is the biggest drawback

[@j.thomas7128]

The Two Biggest, huh? 1. Powder Mtn. 8484 skiable acres 2. Park City MR (PC + Canyons) 7300 acres 3. Big Sky. 5800 4. Vail. 5300 Powder Mtn is boundary to boundary. Ya might have to take a sno-cat or school bus as a lift, but it's all in-bounds and the most skiable acres in North America; bigger than W/BC. Using the "footprint" stat is disingenuous since areas that are OUT OF BOUNDS are not covered by mountain rescue and are NOT part of the resort. Snowbird was my home mtn for many 100+ ski day seasons, but we went and still go everywhere... (begrudgingly, even Vail). Powder Mtn is amazing... we could ski a half day without seeing or even hearing another skier/boarder. It's that massive. Think Vail plus another 50% bigger. HUGE! Shopping and spa treatments aren't important on my ski trips. Binge drinking and celebrity spotting is not required. I like the best skiing and the best conditions (most snow) on my trips, hence why Utah is my first choice. SnowBird, Alta, Powder Mtn, Solitude (side-country), and Snow Basin... But, Vail is great for shopping, taking pics of your meals, ya know... things not skiing. I would recommend: NEITHER!!!

[@PeakRankings]

For the record, Powder Mountain's 8,400-acre claim is a bit misleading. 3,200 acres of this “skiable” terrain is reserved for private guided tours, so a Powder Mountain lift ticket only gets you access to 5,200 acres of terrain.

[@j.thomas7128]

@@PeakRankings Since when? I was there before covid, but not since. Nah. No way. About 1200 acres is called "Powder Country" which is 'lift serviced' by old school buses, but that's included and in-bounds. About 500 acres is sno-cat serviced which is an additional per-ride purchase, but that's not private. Okay, call it 7900 acres without sno-cat skiing... ("Mine's bigger!" LolololoL) Cheers, man. Even skiing a bunny hill is still better than not skiing at all.

[@PeakRankings]

@@j.thomas7128 we personally verified the skiable acreage here: tinyurl.com/powder-mtn-acres

[@j.thomas7128]

@@PeakRankings At first, i thought y'all were just unaware. Now, i realize it's an intentional attempt to mislead... Tiny url, seriously? Even in the instructions it says that it only measures footprint and does not factor elevation. The disclaimer about not measuring roofs or anything with a pitch should be indication that it's not a proper 3d assessment. It only factors 2d and not a 3d representation of the terrain. Your representation is intellectually dishonest and lacks any integrity. Thumb down and DO NOT RECOMMEND channel. You should ski there before pretending to be experts in the hill. And yes Powder Country is lift serviced. That lift is a school bus(es). There is no "private" sections of the mountain as you've already said. You'll add out of bounds area not covered by mountain rescue to make a resort seem bigger in one example, but then use a 2d rendering of another resort to make it appear smaller. Zero integrity!!! Y'al haven't even been there... thanks for your review. Haha DO NOT RECOMMEND DISHONEST CHANNELS!

[@amysosne9323]

No born free and things like that

[@CMKloser]

Lmao, snowmass is above vail. Snowmass.. ha

[@DonnePlummer69]

Park City is trash bro 😂

[@stevechester3504]

Park city will be too much of a desert soon for tourists to ski

[@robbank8027]

Please never review Taos.

[@anneheart4679]

VAIL Corporation Sucks! Ruining Ski Towns Everywhere!

[@novy3068]

Amen. F them clowns

[@Alex-ie1qu]

The battle of the most overpriced and overrated resorts on the planet lol

[@graemearmstead9237]

I would give Vail Solid B rating. Busy, bland and boring. Steep. You must be joking. Go to Europe to do serious skiing.

[@thedocisin3204]

I enjoy Deer Valley at Park City because they do not allow snowboards. Eliminating snowboards and the egocentric, conceited and self-centered jerks and their spawn who ride them makes for an enjoyable skiing experience.

[@novy3068]

L take dawg. Discrimination is lame as fuck. Let people enjoy the snow how they want. They strapped in too. You're probably just still in the beginner areas where no one is totally in control and egos get hurt. Cause I promise you some of the coolest people I know snowboard exclusively.

[@borpus9716]

Stay out of CA, you’ll get your shit pushed in, Doc! Enjoy the Mormons!

[@thedocisin3204]

@@borpus9716 When I skied CA in the 70's it was good. Now the people make it suck. I'll never go back, so many better places.

[@rteitel1974]

Park City is possibly the worst destination area in North America!

[@CoasterCoat]

Park City or Keystone?