Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort
add photosSnowbird, Utah is in the heart of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Little Cottonwood Canyon. The ski resort houses one aerial tram 10 chairlifts including four high-speed detachable quads and six doubles, and two conveyor lifts. The ski resort sits on 2,500 acres with 85 ski runs and averages approximately 500 inches of snow annually.
9 Reviews for Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort
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1 family found this helpful
"Fun when it's free!"
We would not usually go to Snowbird because it is really expensive! $14 per person for a tram ride is not exactly easy on the pocketbook, but during their customer appreciation days they work with Utah Food Bank and give free tram rides in exchange for a donation of canned goods or unopened toiletries (one donation per person). The tram ride was so fun for our little boy, who is obsessed with flying. He though we were flying up the mountain! It was INCREDIBLY cold up top, of course, but very fun. Unfortunately we went during a snowstorm so visibility was nill, but we are looking forward to going back when we can see the valley and the view. This is one of the things we will be doing every year!
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"Snowbird in the Summer"
While Utah may be known for the greatest snow on earth, don't forget to visit the ski resorts during the summer! One of my family's favorites is Snowbird Ski and Summer resort. During the summer, the mountain erupts into lush meadows, abounding with wildflowers and wildlife. A fun family trip up the Snowbird tram is a must! Have a picnic up at the top of Hidden Peak, and if you are up to it, hike down to the resort. It's an easy and beautiful hike down!
1 family found this helpful
"Chickadee"
Our kids start snowboarding when they are 3. We love Snowbird! We take them up to the kids lift "Chickadee". It is perfect for beginners. All of the workers are very patient and have always been very nice. They have lights on it at several nights a week. We like to take our kids for a couple of hours at night when they are first starting out, it is really inexpensive, and the kids don't last that long anyway. At some point we will need to graduate to the bigger runs or the tram, but for now, it has been a fun affordable solution to teach our kids. It is also the quickest to get to. It is really not that long of a drive up the canyon. It is also really convenient to park at the tram center lot and be right at the kiddie lift, the kids don't have to hike too far with all their gear.
0 families found this helpful
"Oktoberfest"
Snowbird's annual Oktoberfest is a perfect mountain getaway for the entire family.
The festival runs every Saturday and Sunday from the end of August to the beginning of Ocotber. The celebration includes local and national German bands and yodelers, face painting, caricature artists, the world-champion Yo-Yo Man, Shan the Juggler, Zany Clown and balloons. Snowbird will continue running its signature summer activities throughout Oktoberfest, including the Aerial Tram, Peruvian Chairlift and Tunnel, Alpine Slide, ZipRider, Bungy Trampolines, Ropes Course, Air Jumper, Mechanical Bull, Climbing Wall and Kids’ Inflatables.
Traditional German cuisine is served, including bratwurst, sauerkraut, apfelstrudel and more. Several beer options will be available.
Known as Der Markplatz, vendors from around the region peddle their wares at the entrance to Oktoberfest. The wares have gained fame locally as unique gifts bought early for the holiday season.
Alp horns chorus the festivities daily from the top of Hidden Peak.
Snowbird is offering a special Oktoberfest Stay and Play Package that includes a room and All Day Activities Passes.
1 family found this helpful
"A Refreshing Change from the Amusement Park Scene"
Near the end of August my family had the opportunity to visit Snow Bird. We had never been before and were really excited to see what it had to offer. I went with my husband, 4 year old daughter and 2 year old son. I was a little worried about how entertained my children would be since they were so young, but by the end of the day they had as much fun as we did.
We went on a Friday after most schools were back in session. It wasn’t too busy and all the lines were very short. If it would have been busy with long lines I don’t think the day would have been as enjoyable. We each had an all-day pass. They do allow for each activity to be paid for separately, but it adds up fast and is a better deal to get the pass. The passes are kind of pricy, but I noticed throughout the summer discounts were available (one on a soda pop can) so keep your eyes open for them.
The first thing we did was the trampoline bungee. The kids loved it and the staff was wonderful in helping them out. The kids also loved the inflatables and spent some time there while we were able to kick back or do an activity kid-free. While they played we took turns on the zip line, one of the few things they were not allowed to do. My little girl was sad that she was not allowed on the mechanical bull, but was thrilled to watch her dad on it.
By far the favorite of the kids was the alpine slide. I don’t even know how many times we went on it. It was also fun to take the ski lift to the top of the alpine slide; both kids enjoyed this very much. My husband and I loved the ride on the tram. It was amazing. We took it to the top of the mountain where we were able to enjoy a packed picnic. We had a half hour before the tram returned.
All in all we spent about 5 hours there without any sign of boredom. It was a refreshing change from the amusement park scene and was equally as fun and even more beautiful. I really think that older kids, especially teenagers would love this. I would suggest packing your own food. We splurged on one treat: 1 ice cream cone, 2 kiddie cones, and a brownie and paid over $12 for it. And bring sunscreen!
I hope to go back in the future.
2 families found this helpful
"Double the Fun at Snowbird"
If you think that a ski resort is only worth heading to in the winter, you might just want to take a break & head up to Snowbird Ski (and Summer) Resort in early fall. Beginning at the end of August, you can enjoy double the fun at Snowbird on the weekends as the Oktoberfest celebration overlaps with the usual summer activities available, not to mention the amazing & beautiful scenery that surrounds the entire area. With easy access via I-215, getting there is fast & easy. As we drove up Little Cottonwood Canyon on our way to Snowbird, we were literally in awe at the amazing fall colors. The drive up was magnificent. We couldn’t resist snapping many pictures on our way! Although, if you have kids that are prone to motion sickness, make sure you drive slow, the road is a little windy.
Entrance to the charming Oktoberfest is free. The celebration usually begins around noon and lasts until 6 p.m. There is a lot to see & do as the festival is full of dancing, music & traditional German cuisine. If you’ve ever wanted to try an apfelstrudel, this is definitely the place to enjoy it. There is also plenty of activities for kids to enjoy, including face painting, balloons and even a caricature artist for a nominal fee. My kids favorite part of Oktoberfest was actually the bubble machine (go figure)!
Full of family adventure, the Snowbird Resort offers plenty of summer fun for the adventurous including a zipline, alpine slide, tram, Peruvian lift, rock climbing wall, bounce houses, rope course, bungee trampoline, a fishing pond & even a mechanical bull. With something for everyone, my entire family (consisting of a 2-, 5-, 8- and 13-year old) found something fun to do. The price per activity varies from $2 for the bounce house up to $9 for the bungee trampoline or $14 for the ropes course & $16 for the zipline. If you plan on spending the day there, the best bet is to buy an unlimited All-Day Activity pass that runs $42 per adult 75 lbs & over & $26 per child, granting access to all of the attractions for the entire day. If you have little ones, you might be better off paying per attraction since kids under 6 can ride the tram for free & the alpine slide for only $5 if they ride on an accompanying adult’s lap. The attractions open at 11 a.m. and run until 6 p.m. The climbing wall was fun for our entire family. They have 4 levels of difficulty to challenge everyone & while climbing the wall is fun, rapeling back down is probably just as equally exciting. The tram ride was surprisingly quick & very scenic, although it did get a little bumpy & scared my 5-year old a little. The Peruvian lift was definitely fun & easily enjoyed. Ride it up to where the zipline starts & soar about 1,000 feet down ending at the bottom of the lift. The alpine slide was fun for everyone since you can control how fast you go down. The bungee trampoline was definitely a popular attraction. My 8-year old wants us to get one in our backyard! A surprise favorite was the mining activity. Although it felt a little dumb paying $10 for a big bag of dirt, my girls loved “mining” their dirt & discovering the collection of polished rocks it contained. They spent the entire ride home comparing their rock discoveries & picking out their favorites.
Make sure you pack your sunscreen & bring plenty of water. It gets warm! We brought our stroller. Luckily, almost the entire resort has stroller access with great trails & an elevator in the accompanying building. Strollers are even allowed on the tram, but not the Peruvian lift. We brought a handy daypack with snacks, but there is lots of food available at the many eateries right on the property. Easily a fun-packed outing for a family, keep in mind that if you do decide to go during Oktoberfest on the weekend, expect to wait in lines for the attractions. If Oktoberfest is a huge draw to you, it is definitely worth it, but otherwise a weekday would be better if you were planning on going just for the “Summer” activities & don’t care to wait in line.
Although my family & I received complimentary passes for 4 of us, we paid for the attractions of the 2 youngest. All opinions & reviews are my own & in no way reflect those of the staff at Snowbird.
1 family found this helpful
"Summer Fun"
When 600-plus inches of powder snow melts from Snowbird Ski Resort’s Hidden Peak, the resort transforms into a high elevation family adventure park with activities such as an alpine slide, tram and lift rides, bungee trampoline, bounce house, mechanical bull, ropes course, climbing wall and zip-line. Each of these activities can be purchased separately, for a completely customized day of activities. However, Snowbird offers an all-day activity pass that includes unlimited use of each of the activities at a reasonable price ($39 adults, $24 child). I can attest that the all-day pass is definitely worth the price as one-time individual activity price averages approximately $10 per activity.
My family, with kids aged 10, 7, and 2 enjoyed an active day at Snowbird in August with our all-day activity bands around our wrists (and kiddos slept extremely well that night). Each member in my family had a delightful time discovering our own favorite activity with my 2 year old preferring the bounce house, my 7 year old mastering the alpine slide, and my 10 year old conquering the ropes course. Mom and Dad preferred the 10 minute aerial tram ride to the top of Hidden Peak where we hiked a short distance enjoying amazing views and beautiful wildflowers to the Peruvian Express Ski Lift where we walked through a 600 foot mountain tunnel to enjoy awesome views of Mineral Basin. Our return trip was on the Peruvian chairlift as tickets for the Peruvian chairlift and the aerial tram are interchangeable making it a great option for families to enjoy a loop trip. Note that even my 2 year old enjoyed the ride down the chairlift although it was a bit nerve-wracking for me to see her hanging from the lift at these heights. If you have a particularly wiggly toddler, or kiddos afraid of heights, you may want to just stay with the tram ride.
What to know before you go: Bring plenty of sunscreen and drinking water. Sunburn and dehydration is eminent at this high elevation. It is also a good idea to bring a good daypack. I was happy to be able to safely zip up all my belongings while riding the chairlifts. There are some good restaurants located at the base of the resort and many of them offer “kids eat free” specials in the summer. However, you can also pack your own picnic and eat at one of the many picnic tables provided. Parking is free but can get crowded during peak times. I would suggest parking at the Snowbird Resort Entrance 4, which is uphill from all of the activities. This parking is a little less crowded and you can ride the Chickadee chairlift back uphill to entrance 4 when you are departing. Finally, check out some of Snowbird’s lodging and activity packages deals which include activity passes and lodging at one of their fine resorts.
In summary my family enjoyed a beautiful summer day enjoying the activities at Snowbird Ski Resort. This is a five star family fun activity, if you can avoid long lines. I did deduct one star from my review just for the long lines at some the most popular activities. However we visited on a busy weekend day, so I would suggest visiting on a weekday if possible in order to avoid long lines.
Disclosure: Although I received complimentary all-day activity passes, my reviews are always my own opinions and are not influenced by staff or its affiliates.
0 families found this helpful
"Weekend stay"
I know the skiing is the best you can find, but the last time I visited this resort was for a weekend stay with my wife's family. Even though I live and even grew up near by it always feels like a vacation. the rooms are comfortable the the food is great and there are plenty of way to stay busy and have fun the whole time you are there.
0 families found this helpful
"Resort of choice for locals"
If you are looking for great snow and fantastic runs this is the place for you. The slopes are a little more advanced but they get the best snow and not a lot of tourists like Park City. The summer resort is also a lot of fun for the whole family. There are a lot of things to do such as hike, bike, zipline, alpine slide, etc. You can stay at the resort of drive 30minutes from SLC.
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