Brian Head - Very few Las Vegas travelers know that, just a three hour trip from the city, Utah’s Brian Head resort offers over 50 runs on 500 acres of prime Utah powder. The resort is definitely one of the premiere ski parks in the southwestern United States, and natives of Cedar City, St. George, and Las Vegas look to it as an inexpensive and closer alternative to the Wasatch Front resorts in Salt Lake and Park City.

Brian Head offers both standard ski and snowboard runs from beginner to advanced skill levels, as well as snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and a tube run. There are lodging and dining choices available on-site as well, and unlike the northern resorts, Brian Head is a well-kept secret that is virtually never overcrowded.

My only complaint about the Brian Head resort from personal experience would be that 80% of the park is dedicated only to beginner and intermediate levels. While this makes it a great choice for families or junior skiers, the lack of advanced terrain is disappointing to those expecting a challenge. Casey

Skiing at Brian Head - Way south from Park City is the very unique Brian Head ski area. This is a favorite of many people and yet a mystery to most residents of northern Utah. I stopped by there during the El Nino year last season and found it to be absolutely buried in more snow then I ever would have guessed after driving for so long through the desert. When I arrived in the parking lot, I saw the famous Brian Head peak and set my sights for its summit. Buying a cheap lift ticket, we went all the way up to the top of the mountain and found deep and dry powder shots protected by magnificent red bluffs that towered all around. Some of these bluffs were safe to take flight off of, but for the most part, this is a mountain where your skis have to stay on the ground. I was not on the ground for that entire day, however; a group of kids had built a nice little gap jump up in the hiking area and we took a few nice pictures as the sun was going down and causing the snow to match the bluffs themselves in a moment that partially reminded me of being back home in New Mexico but really made me realize just how unique southern Utah is. It really is like no other place on earth. Joey Smallwood