Deer Valley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Deer Valley
Overview of a portion of the resort's Flagstaff Mountain terrain
Deer Valley Location in Utah Show map of Utah Deer Valley Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Wasatch Range Summit County, Utah  United States
Nearest city	Park City, Utah
Coordinates	40°37′22″N 111°29′22″W / 40.62278°N 111.48944°W / 40.62278; -111.48944
Vertical	3,000 ft (910 m)
Top elevation	9,570 ft (2,920 m)
Base elevation	6,570 ft (2,000 m)
Skiable area	2,026 acres (820 ha)
Runs	103 27% easiest 41% more difficult 32% most difficult
Longest run	2.8 mi (4.5 km)
Lift system	24 - 1 Gondola - 12 High-speed quad chairlifts - 5 Triple chairlifts - 2 Double chairlifts - 4 Magic carpets
Lift capacity	50,470 skiers/hr
Terrain parks	No
Snowfall	Base: <150 inches (380 cm) Peak: 294 inches (750 cm)
Snowmaking	Yes, over 660 acres (270 ha)
Night skiing	No
Website	Deer Valley

Deer Valley is a special ski resort in Utah, United States. It's about 36 miles east of Salt Lake City, in a town called Park City, Utah. This resort is only for skiers, so snowboarders are not allowed here.

Deer Valley was a host for the 2002 Winter Olympics. It held events like freestyle moguls, aerials, and alpine slalom. The resort is also expected to host the mogul event for the 2034 Winter Olympics. Deer Valley often hosts big competitions for the International Ski Federation.

About Deer Valley Resort

The St. Regis Resort at Deer Valley

Deer Valley is a unique place because it's only for skiers. It focuses on offering fancy places to stay and great services. Many skiers love Deer Valley because it's one of only three resorts in the United States that is ski-only.

History of the Ski Area

How the Mountain Was Developed

Skiing at Deer Valley Utah

A view down the backside of Deer Valley's summit in the summertime

Skiing started at Deer Valley way back in the 1930s. The first ski trails were built in 1936–1937. The very first ski lifts were put in place in 1946 by local people. This early ski area was called the Snow Park Ski Area.

In 1981, Edgar Stern started the Deer Valley Resort in the same spot. Since then, it has grown a lot. Today, it includes six mountains with six bowls. It also has 930 acres of glade skiing (skiing through trees) and 670 acres of snow-making. The whole resort covers 2,026 acres.

New Areas and Upgrades

Deer Valley Ski Resort Park City Utah

In 2007, Deer Valley added a new area called Lady Morgan Peak. This added 200 acres of new trails and gladed terrain. A new fast chairlift was also built there.

In 2012, another fast chairlift, the Mountaineer Express, was added to Little Baldy Peak. This made it easier to get around the mountain.

In September 2023, the resort shared exciting news. It announced that the Mayflower ski area, which is right next to Deer Valley, would become part of the resort.

Big Ski Competitions

The 2002 Olympic Winter Games

The aerials venue at the resort during the 2002 Winter Olympics

During the 2002 Winter Olympics, Deer Valley was a very important place. It hosted the freestyle moguls and aerials events. It also held the men's and women's alpine slalom races.

Three trails on Bald Eagle Mountain were used for the games. These included Champion for moguls, Know You Don't for alpine slalom, and White Owl for aerials. Huge temporary stadiums were built at the end of each run. These stadiums were 12 stories tall and could hold 10,000 people. Many more people could watch from standing areas along the courses. In total, about 13,300 fans could watch each event. Almost all tickets were sold, with 96,980 spectators watching the competitions. Even during the Olympics, 95 percent of Deer Valley stayed open for regular skiing.

World Cup Events

Deer Valley has also hosted the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships twice, in 2003 and 2011. It was the first American place to host these championships more than once. It also hosted the men's and women's moguls and aerials events in 2019.

The resort is a regular host for FIS World Cup events. It has hosted mogul and aerial competitions every year since 2000, except for 2003 and 2004. Deer Valley has become known as a "Mecca for freestyle skiing events" because it hosts so many of them.

Why Snowboarding is Not Allowed

Deer Valley is one of only three ski resorts in the United States that does not allow snowboarders. The other two are Alta and Mad River Glen. Since it opened in 1981, snowboarding has never been permitted here.

Sometimes, snowboarders have protested this rule. For example, in 2007, a snowboard company offered money for videos of people snowboarding at these resorts. They said this rule was unfair.

Weather and Skiing Areas

Deer Valley has a climate with big temperature changes. Summers are warm or hot, and winters are cold. This type of weather is called a humid continental climate.

The ski slopes face different directions. About 45% of the terrain faces north, and 45% faces east. Only 2% faces south, and 8% faces west. This mix helps keep the snow good on different parts of the mountain.

Chairlifts at Deer Valley

Deer Valley has many different chairlifts to take skiers up the mountains. Here are some of them: