Published March 23, 2026 01:25PM
At check-out from a hotel in Park City this past January, the front-desk clerk asked where I was headed next. “Sundance,” I answered, then added, “the ski area.” She looked a little confused. “I didn’t know there was such a place,” she admitted.
She’s not the only one. Despite being owned by Robert Redford for most of its existence, despite sharing a name with the Redford–founded Sundance Film Festival—which is moving to Boulder, Colorado starting in 2027—and despite offering summit views straight out of the European Alps, the resort has been more of a character actor than a lead player in Utah’s ski ecosystem.
But now, with more than $40 million in recent upgrades, including the resort’s first hotel, which opened this past January, and culminating in a new lift and expanded terrain for next winter, Sundance Resort‘s profile is decidedly on the rise.
At 540 acres, the ski area is dwarfed by, say, Park City Mountain Resort, 45 minutes away. The 8,250-foot summit is lower than Snowbird’s 11,000-foot Hidden Peak a few canyons to the north. Yet the ski area packs a punch, with 2.150 feet of vertical and runs that vary from super-wide cruisers to steep shots through the trees. And, yes, it’s family friendly—perfect, in fact, for preteens itching to explore on their own, as it’d be hard to get lost.
Redford opened the resort in 1969, after discovering the beauty of surrounding Provo Canyon on a motorcycle trip eight years earlier. He soon started to buy land from the Stewart family, Scottish immigrants who herded sheep and had started a small local ski area known as Timp Haven. Then in 1981, he started the Sundance Institute on site, which champions indie film and artistic daring, and spawned the iconic film festival.
Even though Redford, who passed away in October 2025, sold Sundance in 2020, his legacy shines through, whether in the resort’s illustrated timeline in a base-building hallway, the movie stills hanging on walls, or the vintage motorcycle permanently parked outside the new hotel (Redford owned one just like it). The lift that will open next winter, accessing more than 100 additional acres of bowl skiing on the area’s east side, is called Electric Horseman, a nod to the actor’s iconic 1979 film.
Significantly, in a universe of uninspiring base villages and mountain infrastructure, Sundance remains outright magical, the embodiment of Redford’s dream to blend natural beauty and outdoor recreation with an artistic element. North Fork Creek gurgles and cascades through the base area, providing a melodic backdrop. The low-slung buildings have a summer-camp feel and include an art studio offering classes in painting, ceramics, jewelry, and more. Mexican glassblowers come every winter from Guadalajara to work daily in an open-air studio, crafting vessels from recycled glass that are then used around the resort. Bearclaw Cabin, the only on-mountain restaurant, evokes an authentic Alps hut, thanks to the views of the Timpanogos massif’s triangular summits out the log-framed windows. Skiers file in for heaping plates of nachos and other Tex-Mex fare.
Admittedly, partly due to the laidback vibe, the resort can seem a little retro. I almost expected to blink and find the parking area suddenly populated with vintage VW Bugs and Saabs, skiers in striped stretch pants striding toward the lifts. Yet Sundance doesn’t feel one bit outdated.
For one, the new Inn at Sundance is 100-percent modern luxury.
Until now, most guests stayed in one of the log cottages clustered on a small hill above the base; the inn’s slopeside convenience will be a boon for many skiers. Inside, across two wings that span the creek via a covered bridge, the 63 rooms blend wood with warm textures and patterns for a Western-meets-alpine vibe. A clubby first-floor lounge just for guests offers cocktails and light bites, and a gallery space hosts seasonally changing exhibits that focus on nature or land conservation. Though slightly taller than the other base buildings, the inn nestles right in among the rest, respecting the resort’s scale.
The hotel comes on the heels of a slew of other improvements over the preceding four seasons, including a speedier lift from the base area, the new Wildwood lift serving 10 new runs, expanded snowmaking, parking improvements, and a new day lodge. There’s also the Springs—an outdoor pool and two smaller hot tubs that let you soothe sore muscles as you gaze up at Mount Timpanogos.
This winter, a new run descends the ski area’s easternmost ridge, opening up access to some short but legit chutes. Plus, the legendary Tree Room, the restaurant built around a pine trunk that extends through the ceiling, received a facelift, including new live-edge wood tables and a welcoming lounge area with fireplace that offers a lighter menu.
If you’re already familiar with Sundance, a return visit will feel like slipping into a longtime favorite shirt, with a few holes mended and buttons replaced. If you visit for the first time, it won’t take long to grasp Redford’s vision as well as appreciate today’s enhancements. Then, when someone says they’re heading to Sundance, you’ll be able to respond with a knowing nod.
