Photo: TownLift // Rayne Moynahan

Massive swings in year-over-year resort rankings are all over in this year's results including Park City Mountain garnering a 15-spot ranking improvement from last place last year

PARK CITY, Utah — SKI magazine a stalwart for snow sport enthusiasts across the globe, has released its 2024 Top 30 Resorts in the West. Massive swings in year-over-year resort rankings are all over in this year’s results, including Park City Mountain garnering a 15-spot ranking improvement after coming in last place last year.

“Park City Mountain did a much better job this year,” shared one visitor. “They were better staffed. We love the variety of terrain. We like to ski on groomed trails and they had a good mix this year.”

SKI polled more than 200,000 people electronically and asked for ratings on things like the skier-centric Snow, Grooming and Challenge categories, plus the lighter resort amenities such as Après, Lodging and Local Flavor.

SKI magazine’s top 3 resorts

#1 – Powder Mountain, Utah
Increased from 18th to first – SKI says “Well, this one took the SKI staff by surprise. Powder Mountain has been popping into and out of the survey for the last several years, a gritty ski area with old, slow lifts, limited dining, throwback lodging, and not a speck of nightlife to be found.”

#2 – Snowbasin Resort, Utah
Increased from 14th to 2nd – “With all the issues in the Cottonwood Canyons last season, Snowbasin became the de facto destination for lots of Salt Lake City skiers who chose to ski rather than sit in traffic. Most of them liked the experience, and that showed in this year’s rankings.”

#3: Sun Valley, Idaho
Dropped from 1st to 3rd. – “After a three-year streak in first place, Sun Valley drops a bit to No. 3 in this year’s survey, which is still a very good showing for the central Idaho destination resort.”

Local Resorts

#9 Deer Valley
Dropped from 2nd to 9th. – “Since joining Ikon, we’ve seen more and more readers lament the increasing crowds and lift lines at the resort known for its limited skier numbers and excellent guest service and amenities.”

#15 Park City Mountain
Increased from 30th to 15th. – “Kudos to Park City for pulling itself up by its bootstraps and affecting a 15-spot improvement in this year’s survey. It was no secret that the resort struggled in the season during and post-pandemic, unable to fully staff the mountain, leaving lifts shuttered and perfectly good terrain closed.”

Full Rankings Here