The one in the middle of town · the campaign’s lean
Park City Mountain Village
- Sustained grade
- 26% ≈ 15°
- Vertical on that pitch
- 1,146 ft
- Walk from parking
- 0.9 mi
Who captures the visit: Old Town / Main Street, on foot or the Town Lift.
Going for it
The only candidate where the climb ends near a historic main street. Manitou showed that the town at the bottom captures what the crowds spend. Parking, restrooms, food and transit already exist here.
What is hard
The gentlest ground of the five. The steepest sustained pitch averages about 26%, roughly half of Manitou’s 43% average. A serious staircase, but not the steepest in the country.
Still unknown
Whether a specific ski-run fall line is steeper than a straight transect suggests. That needs a survey, and Park City Mountain’s own mountain-operations team would know first.
Land Vail ResortsMain Street Walk, Town Lift or a short bus ride. Climbers finish pointed at Old Town.
The biggest one
Utah Olympic Park area
- Sustained grade
- 40% ≈ 22°
- Vertical on that pitch
- 1,581 ft
- Walk from parking
- 1.1 mi
Who captures the visit: Kimball Junction, a drive or bus from Main Street. A different catchment, not an absent one.
Going for it
The only Manitou-class terrain found anywhere in the county: about 40% sustained over roughly 1,580 vertical feet, with sections at 78%. Visitor operations, parking and a 2034 story are already there, and people climb the ski-jump stairs today.
What is hard
The pitch begins about 1.1 miles southwest of the parking, so it needs an approach trail. It is not walkable to Main Street, and it sits in Summit County rather than city jurisdiction.
Still unknown
Land ownership, the gating question. The terrain runs toward Toll Canyon (Basin Recreation open space) and Iron Mountain (a conservation easement since 2023). A Summit County parcel check settles it.
Land UnresolvedMain Street Not walkable to Old Town.
The polished one
Deer Valley — Snow Park
- Sustained grade
- 31% ≈ 17°
- Vertical on that pitch
- 1,379 ft
- Walk from parking
- 1.6 mi
Who captures the visit: Deer Valley base. Main Street is a short bus ride, not a walk.
Going for it
Middle ground on terrain, about 31% sustained over roughly 1,380 vertical feet, with real parking, an established base area and a shorter run into town than Canyons.
What is hard
Deer Valley runs the most access-controlled product of any resort here. A free, unticketed, open-to-everyone amenity runs against the grain of how the mountain is run.
Still unknown
Whether Alterra has any appetite for public access on resort terrain at all. Worth one phone call before any further work.
Land Deer Valley Resort (Alterra)Main Street About 1.5 miles to Main Street: bus or bike, not a walk.
The wildcard
Deer Valley East / Jordanelle
- Sustained grade
- 37% ≈ 20°
- Vertical on that pitch
- 1,290 ft
- Walk from parking
- 2.1 mi
Coarse sampling only: not yet re-sampled at fine resolution.
Who captures the visit: Jordanelle / Mayflower, the least developed catchment of the five today.
Going for it
The second-steepest ground in the analysis and the lowest base elevation, so the most vertical above it. New development means parking and access are being designed now rather than retrofitted.
What is hard
The pitch sits over two miles out, with no Main Street connection. The land is a patchwork, usually the most complicated negotiation of any option.
Still unknown
Everything, frankly. It is on the list because the terrain scored well on coarse sampling. It has not been re-sampled at fine resolution.
Land Mixed: resort expansion and private developmentMain Street Not walkable; a drive from Old Town.
The easy-parking one
Canyons Village
- Sustained grade
- 28% ≈ 16°
- Vertical on that pitch
- 1,234 ft
- Walk from parking
- 0.8 mi
Coarse sampling only: not yet re-sampled at fine resolution.
Who captures the visit: Canyons Village base commercial.
Going for it
The shortest approach from parking of any candidate, the largest lots in the system, a new structure and a summer gondola already running. Same landowner as Mountain Village, so it is part of one conversation.
What is hard
Terrain comparable to Mountain Village without the Main Street payoff. If Vail declines one of its two bases it will likely decline both.
Still unknown
Not yet re-sampled at fine resolution, and whether the summer gondola changes the approach maths in a useful way.
Land Vail ResortsMain Street About five miles: Canyons Village, not Old Town.
