Utah, Usa
Sundance
550 acres, 60 runs, 2,150 ft vertical on Mount Timpanogos. Independent Utah resort with night skiing and 300 inches annual snow.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
4 Dec 2025
Closes
28 Mar 2026
Days open
114
Annual snow
25ft
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Sundance spans 550 acres on the northeast slope of Mount Timpanogos with a vertical drop of 2,150 feet from the 8,250-foot summit to the 6,100-foot base. The resort operates 60 marked runs across terrain that includes 35% beginner, 45% intermediate and 20% advanced trails, complemented by 300 inches of average annual snowfall. Robert Redford acquired the property in 1969 and renamed it after his Butch Cassidy character, transforming the former Timp Haven into an arts-focused mountain community that remains 70% protected through conservation easements.
Bishop's Bowl anchors the advanced terrain with steep ridges and gullies accessed from the Arrowhead triple chair, whilst intermediate runs flow through gladed terrain off Ray's quad chair. The Flathead triple services tight tree runs and natural chutes, including named lines such as Drop Out and Top Gun. Runs like Navajo Cat Track and Sunnyside provide green terrain for beginners, and the resort maintains three terrain parks with 10 rails and progression features distributed across ability levels.
Bearclaw Cabin sits at 8,250 feet as Utah's only mountaintop restaurant, offering 360-degree views of Heber Valley, Utah Valley and Mount Timpanogos. The 63-room Inn at Sundance Mountain Resort opened in January 2026 as the resort's first ski-in ski-out hotel. Daily operations accommodate roughly 500 skiers on uncrowded runs, with a village atmosphere centred around art studios, conservation education and intimate dining rather than high-volume infrastructure.
Sundance operates independently without Epic or Ikon affiliation, pricing adult day tickets from USD 89 to USD 129 and offering season passes at USD 899. Night skiing runs Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 4.30pm to 9pm on front mountain terrain. The 2025-26 season spans 4 December to 28 March, with expansion plans including the Electric Horseman Express high-speed quad and 165 additional acres scheduled for the 2026-27 winter season.
2,149ft
Vertical
60
Runs
550 acres
Skiable
25ft
Annual snow
The Terrain
60 runs across 550 acres skiable
Sundance spreads 60 runs across 550 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 45%, with 21 beginner runs to find your feet and 12 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
60
runs
60 runs across 4 grades
Beginner21 runs · 35%
Intermediate27 runs · 45%
Advanced11 runs · 19%
Expert1 run · 1%
Time it right
When to visit Sundance
The 2025-26 winter season runs from 4 December 2025 to 28 March 2026, spanning 16 weeks of lift-served skiing. Sundance typically opens in early December and closes in late March, with season length determined by snowpack and temperature rather than fixed calendar dates. The resort's 6,100-foot base elevation sits lower than Little Cottonwood or Big Cottonwood competitors, making early and late season conditions more temperature-dependent.
Sundance receives an average of 300 inches of snowfall annually, with the majority falling between January and March. The northeast-facing aspect and elevation range from 6,100 to 8,250 feet create microclimates where upper mountain snow quality often exceeds base conditions. Snowmaking covers key corridors on the front mountain and night skiing terrain, supplementing natural accumulation during lean periods and extending coverage into March.
January and February deliver the most consistent powder, with February historically offering the deepest base depths and coldest temperatures. March brings spring corn cycles on south-facing terrain whilst north-facing glades retain cold snow into early April. Weekday visits avoid weekend crowds, and night skiing on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 4.30pm to 9pm provides an alternative to peak daytime traffic.
The resort hosts art workshops year-round at the on-mountain studio, with winter programming including live music at the Owl Bar on Friday and Saturday nights. The Sundance Film Festival connection brings January cultural events, though the festival itself relocated to Boulder, Colorado in 2027. Summer operations include mountain biking on 25 miles of lift-served trails, zipline tours with 2,100 feet of vertical drop, and Nordic skiing on 25 kilometres of groomed trails through aspen groves.
Season 2025 - 2026
4 Dec 2025
Opens
28 Mar 2026
Closes
114
Days open
25 ft
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Sundance, and where to stay
Sundance sits in the North Fork of Provo Canyon on the northeast flank of 11,753-foot Mount Timpanogos in Utah's Wasatch Range. The base village rests at 6,100 feet elevation, surrounded by 5,000 acres of mixed private land and conservation easements within the Uinta National Forest. Provo Canyon carves between Mount Timpanogos to the north and Mount Cascade to the south, with U.S. Route 189 running 24 miles from Orem through the canyon to Heber Valley.
Provo lies 13 miles southwest of the resort as the nearest city, offering lodging, dining and services for visitors not staying on-mountain. Orem sits at the canyon mouth 20 minutes from the base, whilst Park City is 40 minutes northeast through scenic Heber Valley. Salt Lake City sits 50 miles northwest, providing urban amenities and international airport access. The resort village includes the new Inn at Sundance, mountain cottages, the Tree Room restaurant, Owl Bar, Foundry Grill and art studio facilities.
Access follows Highway 189 south from Salt Lake City via Interstate 15, then east through Provo Canyon on the designated scenic byway. The Alpine Loop Scenic Byway (Highway 92) intersects near the resort, climbing to 8,000 feet through American Fork Canyon before closing in winter. Drive time from downtown Salt Lake City averages 55 minutes covering 50 miles, whilst Provo Airport sits 30 minutes away. Deer Creek Reservoir marks the canyon's eastern terminus where Highway 189 meets Heber Valley.
Salt Lake City International Airport serves as the primary gateway 55 miles northwest, with rental cars, shuttles and public transport available for the one-hour transfer. Provo Municipal Airport offers limited commercial service 20 miles from the resort, including Breeze Airways flights from California. UTA ski bus provides seasonal public transport from the Orem Palisades Park and Ride on select Saturdays and holidays, with complimentary shuttles departing Mount Timpanogos Park at the canyon base. Private shuttle operators including Canyon Transportation run on-demand service from Salt Lake City Airport for USD 250-400, with no direct rail connection to the resort.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Sundance, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Spain Moves to Ban Smoking at Ski Resorts Under New Tobacco Law
Spain's government has approved a draft tobacco law that would ban smoking across a wide range of outdoor spaces, including sports venues - a category Spanish winter sports media expect to cover ski resorts, potentially extending to slopes and lifts themselves. The rules would also apply to e-cigarettes and vaping devices, even nicotine-free ones. The bill still has to clear the Spanish parliament before any ban, signage, or fines can take effect.
22 July 2026
South Tyrol Approves New 16-Person Ciampinoi Gondola in Val Gardena
South Tyrol has approved a full rebuild of the Ciampinoi cable car in Selva di Val Gardena, replacing the current 12-person gondola with a 16-person cabin and a new mountain-station restaurant. Capacity is capped at 3,200 people an hour rather than the 3,600 the operator wanted, and 250,000 euros must go toward compensatory measures. No construction or opening date has been set, though the upgrade is partly aimed at clearing bottlenecks before the 2031 Alpine Ski World Championships.
22 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Hoshino Tomamu - Corporate Japan's Mountain Playground Revisited
Hoshino Tomamu is the ski resort equivalent of a conference hotel that happens to have excellent powder. Built for corporate retreats and package tourists, it offers genuine Hokkaido snow on surprisingly limited terrain - 29 runs spread across 585 vertical metres.
21 July 2026
La Thuile's New Cable Car Replaces Two Ageing Chairlifts
La Thuile is spending 38.7 million US dollars on a new 10-person cable car linking Les Suches to Chaz Dura, replacing the La Combe and Chaz Dura chairlifts after nearly forty years of service. Built by Leitner, the new cable car runs 1,950 metres to a top station at 2,576 metres, carrying up to 3,000 people an hour with a six-minute ride. It also improves the connection to La Rosiere in France via the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass, and is on track to open for the 2026/27 season.
21 July 2026
The Remarkables Adds Scarpa Bowl to Its Inbounds Terrain
The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.
21 July 2026
Ski Portillo Cut Off After Storm Dumps More Than 4.5 Metres of Snow
Ski Portillo remains isolated after an extended storm buried the Chilean resort under more than 4.5 metres of snow, with both ground and air access suspended since Tuesday while crews monitor avalanche hazards and worsening weather. Resort officials say further snowfall is expected in the coming days and haven't set a timeline for reopening the mountain road. Once access resumes, the scale of the snowpack could set up a strong season at one of the Southern Hemisphere's most historic ski resorts.
21 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Lotte Arai - Japan's Corporate Ski Anomaly With 22 Metres of Annual Snowfall
Lotte Arai receives 22 metres of annual snowfall - exceptional even by Japanese standards - but its corporate ownership model and limited terrain create an unusual cost-benefit equation. Here's what the numbers actually mean on the ground.
19 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Banff Sunshine Village - Nine Metres of Snow and a Season That Runs Until May
Banff Sunshine Village sits at 1,660m base and receives 9.27m of snow annually. Inside Banff National Park, it offers a six-month season and terrain split that skews heavily advanced - though the crowds and lift infrastructure tell their own story.
18 July 2026
Lift tickets
5 pass options
Single-day passes
Adult 18–64
Adult Daily Ticket
US$89up to US$129 peak
Experience Sundance Resort's 72 trails on Robert Redford's mountain with artisan atmosphere and stunning views of Mt. Timpanogos. Located in Provo Canyon with 300 inches of annual snowfall and peaceful skiing experience.
Buy passYouth 13–17
Youth Daily Ticket
US$79up to US$119 peak
Youth lift tickets at Sundance provide access to Robert Redford's peaceful mountain with excellent family atmosphere. Experience 72 trails and artisan village with stunning Mt. Timpanogos backdrop.
Buy passChild 6–12
Child Daily Ticket
US$69up to US$109 peak
Children's lift tickets at Sundance offer access to family-friendly skiing on Robert Redford's mountain. Experience peaceful skiing with excellent children's programs and artisan village atmosphere.
Buy passHalf-day passes
Adult 13–99
Half-Day Ticket
US$69up to US$99 peak
Sundance half-day tickets provide afternoon access to Robert Redford's mountain starting at 12:30 PM. Experience peaceful skiing with stunning Mt. Timpanogos views and artisan village atmosphere.
Buy passSeason passes
Adult 13–99
Sundance Season Pass
US$899up to US$999 peak
Sundance season passes provide unlimited access to Robert Redford's peaceful mountain with Back Mountain expansion adding 165 acres. Experience artisan atmosphere with 72 trails and exclusive resort benefits.
Buy passSundance lift tickets & passes
The 2025 - 2026 season at Sundance closed on Mar 28, 2026. Check back for next season's opening date and ticket pricing.
Day passes start from US$69, with peak rates up to US$129.
Lift tickets FAQ
How much does a Sundance day pass cost?
Sundance day passes range from US$69 to US$129 depending on the date and advance booking.
Can I buy Sundance 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 Sundance lift ticket?
Full access to all lifts and trails at Sundance, including mountain safety and patrol services.
What is the difference between Sundance lift tickets and ski passes?
"Lift tickets" and "ski passes" refer to the same thing at Sundance - your access to the mountain's lifts and trails for your chosen duration.
When should I buy Sundance 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 Sundance offer group discounts on lift tickets?
Group discounts are typically available for parties of 10 or more. Contact Sundance 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 Sundance.
More Sundance intelligence: snow report, webcams, resort overview.