³Miles:^303 O^ Days on the Road:^7 O^ Adrenaline Rush: Thunder Mountain Motorsports snowmobile tour O^ Souvenir: High West Distillery whiskey
ROAD TRIP
“The Greatest Snow on
Earth” isn’t just Utah’s
slogan—it’s an assertion
backed by data, says Jim
Steenburgh, a professor
of atmospheric science
at the University of Utah.
His work puts the Beehive
State’s soft powder in a
special category. With 10
ski resorts an hour’s drive
from Salt Lake International
Airport and five national
parks that transform into
magical scenes as flakes
fall from the sky—the
average statewide rate is a
foot every five days—Utah
is a snow hound’s paradise
from December into March.
Southern Utah remains
the state’s low-volume,
high-value winter destina-
tion. Locales that swarm
with visitors in summer
are now free of crowds,
offering opportunities to
lay down the first ski, snow-
board, or snowshoe tracks
at easygoing resorts prized
for their personal service
and short lift lines. All you’ll
need to bring is an eager-
ness for new experiences
in some of America’s most
iconic landscapes.
—Hannah Lott-SchwartzSOUTHERN UTAH
Powered by powder,
a snowboarder drops
into winter from the
Markagunt Plateau
at Utah’s chill Brian
Head ski resort.NATGEOTRAVEL.COM