NEW YORK (Money Magazine) -
License plates in Utah proclaim it: GREATEST SNOW ON EARTH!
And it's true: powder as fine and dry as in Colorado, and much more of it -- up to 500 inches of snowfall a season.
Skiers have finally taken notice of this (and of 3,000-foot vertical drops), but the Utah slopes still draw fewer visitors than their Colorado counterparts, even though they make for a cheaper vacation.
Plus, the Utah mountains east of Salt Lake City are a lot easier to reach. Arrive in Salt Lake on a morning flight, and you can be on the slopes an hour after you leave the airport.
In fact, the three mountain resorts around Park City are promoting this happy geography all winter with a special program called Quick START: Show your boarding pass at the lifts the day you arrive, and ski for free.
Together, Park City Mountain, the Canyons and Deer Valley comprise 334 trails on more than 8,000 acres.
The Canyons, a few miles north of town, is Utah's newest and biggest resort and seemingly an uncharted wilderness, especially for better skiers. (Novices are warned away from its farthest reaches.)
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 Three unique resorts and great skiing awaits you in Park City. Catch a morning flight, show your boarding pass and ski for free that afternoon.
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Park City Mountain, abutting town, is nearly as big, but it's more theme park than backwoods adventure. The runs are busier, with man-made adrenaline boosters -- skiers and boarders careen off the 17-foot-high walls of the superpipe, slide down rails protruding from the snow, and launch themselves from jumps.
Upmarket Deer Valley revels in stodginess and exclusivity. It strictly limits the number of skiers on its immaculately groomed trails (even the trees are trimmed for better slaloms through the woods), and snowboarders are banned.
Park City is all about options. A frequent and efficient free shuttle connects all three resorts; it's easy to sample them all with an interchangeable lift ticket.
Options abound off the slope too. You'll find the galleries, boutiques and cultural distractions of the sort you'd expect at any destination that brands itself upscale. Park City is known for high-end dining at places like Grappa and Chimayo, but there are more than a hundred restaurants, plus scores of condos, hotels, lodges and B&Bs.
Movie mogul
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Though many industry types booked their lodgings last winter for next January's Sundance Film Festival, that doesn't mean you're snowed out. You can sometimes buy tickets for screenings for $10 at the box office, but to see the hot movies, it's best to buy a screening package or pass from the Sundance Institute in advance (from $200; 877-733-8497; sundance.org).
Lodging is still plentiful in November, but it goes quickly.
Hotels
As usual at ski resorts, you'll pay more for accommodations near the lifts, but the shuttle makes proximity less critical here. The Radisson Inn Park City, about 1.5 miles from Park City Mountain, is a lot of hotel for rack rates that start at about $189 a night in winter -- well-appointed rooms, two pools, two spas and a sauna (888-201-1718; radisson.com).
At Shadow Ridge Resort, at the base of Park City Mountain's Payday Lift and a short walk from Main Street shops and restaurants, rooms are convenient but basic; doubles start at $185 and one-bedroom suites at $285 (800-451-3031; shadowridgelodging.com).
Packages
Go for a package; every tour operator we checked was cheaper than buying elements separately.
When we looked in September for early February itineraries, Expedia.com paired best flights with best prices. But most Expedia properties are a trek from the slopes, and lift tickets are good at just one resort.
The offerings at Delta Vacations were the most appealing -- interchangeable lift tickets, good air fares and convenient flights.
The best deal
It's at the Canyons in the luxurious Grand Summit Resort Hotel, through Liberty Travel (888-271-1584; libertytravel.com). We found a four-night package from Chicago for about $2,300, including good flights, transfers and three days of skiing in the valley. Book it yourself and expect to spend $1,000 more.
For more: Contact the Park City CVB (800-453-1360; parkcityinfo.com). Register at the website for the Quick START deal.
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