Solitude Ski Resort Review

Solitude Utah has seen some major change in recent years. The Solitude Ski Resort was once aptly named and renowned for its uncrowded slopes and masses of powder; the perfect combination for powder hounds. The abundant snowfall remains but Solitude is no longer undiscovered or forgotten, so the powder gets tracked out reasonably quickly. One reason for the increase in visitation has been improvements in the lift infrastructure, whilst the advent of the Ikon Pass has been the major reason for the transformation in visitation. Of course it’s all relative, and compared to some of the US ski resorts that are household names, Solitude is still rather solitudinous especially with respect to the tranquillity of the village.

Pros and Cons of Solitude Utah

Pros 

• The Solitude snow quality and quantity is excellent.
• Solitude Ski Resort has a decent spread of terrain for all ability levels.
• The resort is very family friendly and the proximity of the Solitude accommodations to the slopes is a major bonus.
• Like some of the other Utah ski resorts, its proximity to a major airport is an advantage.
• Solitude Resort accommodations are reasonably priced, especially relative to the Park City resorts and Snowbird.

Cons

• Solitude is small relative to some of the other Utah ski resorts, but at least it’s interconnected with Brighton to make it a decent sized ski area.
• The lift layout is a bit awkward.
• Après ski activities and nightlife are subdued in the Solitude village, and evening dining options are rather narrow.
• Whilst there aren’t many overnight guests, there are lots of day trippers from SLC or the base of the canyon, and road and parking lot congestion can be problematic.
• Activities other than skiing and snowboarding are also limited, and if you’re looking for plenty of shopping opportunities then you’d better head to Park City instead.

Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective

• Solitude Utah is on the Ikon Pass with unlimited access, which has resulted in more powder poachers turning up.

Solitude Ski and Snowboard Terrain

Typical for Utah, Solitude Ski Resort has light dry powder and an average of over 500 inches (12.7 metres) of snowfall annually. The Solitude Mountain Resort terrain includes open bowls, steep chutes, groomed cruisers, and some great fall line skiing through the trees. Solitude Utah is fairly small at only 1,200 acres, but the size is somewhat misleading. There is enough terrain to satisfy all ability levels and the best thing about Solitude Mountain is that you don’t have to share it with a ridiculous number of people.

Another 1,050 acres of skiing terrain is available at Brighton Ski Resort, although the term “skiing terrain” is not fully apt because Brighton is very popular with snowboarders. The two resorts are interconnected via the SolBright run using a joint lift ticket or both resorts are on the Ikon Pass.

Where is Solitude Utah?

Solitude Ski Resort is located in Big Cottonwood Canyon, only 29 miles from downtown Salt Lake City and a 40 minute drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport, and only 30 miles from Park City. Brighton Resort is 2 miles up the road from Solitude and is interconnected via the slopes, and there are many other Utah ski resorts that are an easy drive away.

Solitude Lodging

The village of Solitude is petite and very pretty, especially at night time. Most of the Solitude lodging consists of condos that are just a couple of minutes walk to the slopes. The Solitude condos (such as the Eagle Springs Lodges) have access to some great facilities. The lovely Solitude hotel, the Inn at Solitude, is conveniently ski-in ski-out.

Solitude Resort Lodging Listings