The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Brian Head operates across 650 acres with 71 runs and a vertical drop of 402 metres, spanning elevations from 2,926 to 3,343 metres. The resort holds Utah's highest base elevation at 2,926 metres and receives 9.1 metres of annual snowfall. Children aged 12 and under ski free, whilst lift tickets start from $19 on select dates through dynamic pricing.
Terrain splits 30% beginner, 35% intermediate, 32% advanced and 3% expert across two interconnected peaks, Navajo and Brian Head. Navajo Peak serves beginners and intermediates with gentle groomers accessed by the Navajo Express quad, whilst Brian Head Peak delivers steeper terrain off lifts including Roulette, The Dunes and Giant Steps Express. A ski bridge crosses Highway 143 to link the two areas. Runs like Engens and Georg's Rock provide challenge for confident skiers, though the resort suits families and progressing intermediates more than experts seeking steep terrain.
The base elevation creates cold, dry conditions that preserve powder quality days after storms, despite lower snowfall than northern Utah resorts. Two base lodges serve the mountain: Giant Steps Lodge on the main peak and Navajo Lodge on the learning zone. The Last Chair Saloon offers après atmosphere with live music most Saturdays during season. Uncrowded slopes define the Brian Head experience outside holiday periods, with minimal lift queues and fresh tracks available well after snowfalls.
Mountain Capital Partners acquired the resort in 2019. Power Pass season passes starting at $749 grant access to nine additional resorts across the Mountain Capital Partners network, including Nordic Valley and Lee Canyon. The 2025-26 season runs 7 November to 26 April. Brian Head appeals to families seeking affordable skiing, Las Vegas weekenders, and intermediates prioritising value and space over extreme terrain.
1,368ft
Vertical
71
Runs
650 acres
Skiable
29ft
Annual snow
The Terrain
71 runs across 650 acres skiable
Brian Head spreads 71 runs across 650 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 35%, with 21 beginner runs to find your feet and 25 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
71
runs
71 runs across 4 grades
Beginner21 runs · 30%
Intermediate25 runs · 35%
Advanced23 runs · 32%
Expert2 runs · 3%
Time it right
When to visit Brian Head
The 2025-26 season operates 7 November 2025 through 26 April 2026. Brian Head typically runs mid-November to mid-April, with the 2024-25 season achieving 181 operational days. Operating hours are 10am-4pm Monday-Friday and 9:30am-4:30pm weekends and holidays. Night skiing runs Friday-Saturday 4pm-9pm on the Blackfoot lift, expanding to seven days weekly during peak periods.
The resort averages 9.1 metres annual snowfall, with the 2,926-metre base elevation delivering cold, dry powder. Snowmaking covers 170 acres, concentrated on Navajo Mountain and key runs. February averages the heaviest snowfall with 1.35 metres, whilst December and January each deliver approximately 1.1 metres. Storms depositing over 12 centimetres occur 27 times annually on average. The high elevation preserves snow quality better than lower resorts, maintaining coverage into late April during strong seasons.
January and February offer peak powder conditions, though the uncrowded nature means untracked snow lingers days after storms. March delivers spring skiing with warmer temperatures and long sunny days. Weekday visits from December through March provide the best value and emptiest slopes. Holiday periods see increased traffic from Las Vegas and Southern California, particularly Christmas through New Year and Presidents Day weekend.
The resort hosts monthly Star Parties with Cedar Breaks National Monument rangers providing stargazing sessions with telescopes at Navajo Lodge. Summer operations run weekends mid-June through mid-October, offering chairlift-accessed mountain biking, disc golf, archery and tubing. Events include Fourth of July celebrations, classic rock festivals and car shows. Two terrain parks and tubing hills operate during winter, with tubing requiring advance reservations by calling 435-677-2035.
Season 2025 - 2026
7 Nov 2025
Opens
26 Apr 2026
Closes
170
Days open
29 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Brian Head, and where to stay
Brian Head sits in the Dixie National Forest in southern Utah's Markagunt Plateau at 2,926 metres base elevation. The resort occupies a high desert mesa surrounded by red rock formations, pine forests and distant views toward Cedar Breaks National Monument. Utah Highway 143 climbs steeply through the small town of Brian Head, population 120, which spreads along the access road between the two base areas. Cedar Breaks National Monument lies 8 kilometres south, whilst red rock hoodoos visible from upper lifts create scenery unlike typical alpine resorts.
Cedar City sits 47 kilometres southwest via Highway 143, a 40-minute drive descending 1,220 vertical metres through switchbacks. The town offers additional lodging, dining and services 29 miles from the slopes. Parowan, 23 kilometres west on Interstate 15, provides the highway exit for mountain access. Bryce Canyon National Park lies 98 kilometres east (90 minutes), Zion National Park 117 kilometres southwest (90 minutes) and St George 135 kilometres southwest (90 minutes). The location enables combined ski and national park itineraries during winter when crowds thin.
Interstate 15 provides primary access, with Exit 75 at Parowan connecting to Highway 143 for the final 23-kilometre ascent. From Las Vegas, the drive runs 325 kilometres northeast (3 hours) via I-15. Salt Lake City sits 395 kilometres north (3.5 to 4 hours), also via I-15. The steep Highway 143 approach requires winter driving preparation; four-wheel drive or traction devices become mandatory during storms. Road conditions via UDOT should be checked before departure as the climb gains over 1,200 metres elevation.
Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport lies 340 kilometres southwest (3 hours driving), offering the most flight options. Salt Lake City International Airport sits 403 kilometres north (4 hours). Cedar City Regional Airport, 53 kilometres away (35-45 minutes), provides limited Delta Connection service primarily linking Salt Lake City. St George Regional Airport, 129 kilometres distant (90 minutes), serves flights from Denver, Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth and Salt Lake City. The St George Shuttle and Brian Head Express Shuttle operate weekend service from Cedar City to the resort, whilst rental cars suit visitors combining skiing with regional exploration.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Brian Head, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Aspen Snowmass Marks 80th Anniversary With $3.75 Throwback Lift Tickets
Aspen Snowmass turns 80 this December, and it's marking the milestone with $3.75 lift tickets on the anniversary itself - the original 1946 price. A discounted long weekend, $19.46 dining specials, lodging deals up to 46 percent off, and a season of anniversary programming round out the celebration across all four mountains.
17 Sept 2026
Doppelmayr Group Posts 9.1% Revenue Growth in 2025/26, Passing 1.3 Billion Euros
Doppelmayr closed its 2025/26 business year with revenue up 9.1 percent to 1.3 billion euros, driven by projects including the Big Sky Explorer Gondola, Deer Valley's Mayflower East Village Gondola, and the first TRI-Line installation at Hoch-Ybrig. Headcount grew too, with the ropeway manufacturer now employing almost 4,000 people worldwide.
16 Sept 2026
Hintertux Glacier Replaces 40-Year-Old Gondola to Tuxer Fernerhaus
Hintertux Glacier is retiring its 40-year-old gondola to the Tuxer Fernerhaus. The replacement carries 10 people per cabin instead of four, with seat heating and nearly 40 percent more hourly capacity. Doppelmayr's new line opens at the end of October 2026, right as the glacier's high-altitude terrain becomes accessible again for the new season.
16 Sept 2026
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.
4 Sept 2026
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Brian Head Lift Tickets
Brian Head lift tickets & passes
The 2025 - 2026 season at Brian Head closed on Apr 26, 2026. Check back for next season's opening date and ticket pricing.
Day passes start from US$17, with peak rates up to US$89.
5 pass options
Single-day passes
Adult 18–64
Adult Daily Ticket
US$19up to US$89 peak
Experience Brian Head Resort - Utah's highest base elevation at 9,600 feet with 72 trails across 650 acres. Southern Utah's premier resort offers stunning red rock vistas, terrain parks, and 360 inches of annual snowfall with dynamic pricing.
Buy passYouth 13–17
Youth Daily Ticket
US$17up to US$79 peak
Youth lift tickets at Brian Head provide access to Southern Utah's highest resort with spectacular red rock scenery. Perfect for young skiers and riders enjoying diverse terrain and family-friendly atmosphere with dynamic pricing.
Buy passChild 0–12
Children 12 & Under Free
Free
Children ages 12 and under ski free at Brian Head Resort! Experience Southern Utah's highest resort with stunning red rock vistas, terrain parks, and excellent learning programs for young skiers and snowboarders.
Buy passHalf-day passes
Adult 13–99
Night Skiing Ticket
US$25up to US$35 peak
Brian Head night skiing offers affordable evening mountain access with excellent lighting on groomed terrain. Experience Southern Utah's unique high-elevation night skiing with red rock backdrop and family-friendly atmosphere.
Buy passSeason passes
Adult 13–99
Power Pass
US$749up to US$849 peak
Brian Head Power Pass provides unlimited access to Brian Head plus 9 other resorts including Purgatory, Snowbowl, Sipapu, and more. Includes 6 discounted friend/family tickets and on-mountain benefits with no blackout dates.
Buy passLift tickets FAQ
How much does a Brian Head day pass cost?
Brian Head day passes range from US$17 to US$89 depending on the date and advance booking.
Can I buy Brian Head lift tickets online?
Yes, you can purchase tickets directly from the resort website or at the resort ticket office.
Are there discounts for multi-day passes?
Yes, multi-day packages typically offer significant savings compared to individual day passes. The per-day cost decreases with longer stays.
What is included with a Brian Head lift ticket?
Full access to all lifts and trails at Brian Head, including mountain safety and patrol services.
What is the difference between Brian Head lift tickets and ski passes?
"Lift tickets" and "ski passes" refer to the same thing at Brian Head - your access to the mountain's lifts and trails for your chosen duration.
When should I buy Brian Head lift tickets for the best price?
Purchase tickets at least 7 days in advance for the best rates, and consider weekday visits for further savings over weekend rates.
Does Brian Head offer group discounts on lift tickets?
Group discounts are typically available for parties of 10 or more. Contact Brian Head directly for group booking information and rates.
How can I check current conditions before buying tickets?
Before purchasing, check the live snow report and mountain webcams to see current weather, snow conditions, and lift operations at Brian Head.
More Brian Head intelligence: snow report, webcams, resort overview.