Sundance Resort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sundance Resort |
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Sundance in the fall
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 Sundance Resort
Location in Utah
Sundance Resort
Location in the United States
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| Location | Uinta National Forest Utah County, Utah |
| Nearest city | Provo - 13 miles (21 km) |
| Coordinates | 40°23′31″N 111°34′44″W / 40.392°N 111.579°W |
| Vertical | 2,150 ft (655 m) |
| Top elevation | 8,250 ft (2,515 m) |
| Base elevation | 6,100 ft (1,859 m) |
| Skiable area | 450 acres (1.8 km2) |
| Runs | 44 |
| Lift system | 5 chairlifts (1 high speed quad, 3 fixed-grip quads, 1 triple) 1 handle tow |
| Terrain parks | 2 intermediate/advance- beginner |
| Night skiing | limited |
Sundance Resort, also known as Sundance Mountain Resort, is a fun ski resort located about 13 miles (21 km) northeast of Provo, Utah. It covers over 5,000 acres on the slopes of Mount Timpanogos in Utah's beautiful Wasatch Range. People started skiing here way back in 1944. Famous actor Robert Redford bought the area in 1968. He turned it into a year-round resort. This resort later became the birthplace of the independent Sundance Film Festival and the non-profit Sundance Institute.
Contents
A Look Back: Sundance History
The area we now call Sundance Resort was first explored in the mid-1800s by Andrew Jackson Stewart Jr. and his sons. They were working for the U.S. government when they discovered the amazing view of Mount Timpanogos. Each of them received 160 acres of land. Soon, many members of the Stewart family built log cabins here.
By 1911, the family owned 2,200 acres. They raised sheep and cattle. They even started a company called North Fork Investment Co. This helped them share income and protect their land. The area became known as "Stewart Flats" because so many Stewarts lived there.
Before 1920, getting to "Stewart Flats" was tough. There was only one unpaved road. It was very steep in some parts. In the early 1920s, a new car road was built. This road passed through "Stewart Falls" and connected other towns.
Exploring the Hiking Trails
Mount Timpanogos became a popular place to hike after 1912. That's when Eugene L. Roberts, a professor at Brigham Young University, created a hiking trail. He took his students on a hike, and this started the yearly Timpanogos Hike.
The Timpanogos Hike usually began after mid-July when there was a full moon. The night before the hike, people would gather for a celebration. They often had a bonfire. A favorite part was acting out the "Legend of Timpanogos." This story is about an Indian princess who waits for her soldier to return from war. She waits atop Mount Timpanogos until she passes away.
In 1922, the Forest Service asked to build a trail across some of the Stewart family's land. The Stewarts liked the hikes because they made the area more popular. Today, the trails around Sundance Mountain Resort offer amazing views of North Fork, Utah, and Stewart Falls. Many trails have signs to point out plants and animals. Some even have benches for resting. Sundance also has three main biking trails. You can even use the ski lifts to get your bike up the mountain after Memorial Day weekend!
Timp Haven: The Early Ski Days
Ski races first happened on the Mount Timpanogos Glacier in July 1941. A ski area called Timp Haven opened in 1944. The name was chosen in a contest. Ruth Biddulph won with "Timp Haven" and got a free season pass!
Timp Haven was owned by S. Paul Stewart and run with his brother Ray Stewart for over twenty years. Paul managed the slopes and built the ski lodge. Ray helped clear the land and set up the first rope tow. Paul's wife, Hilda, ran a cafe at the resort. She served tasty hamburgers to skiers.
The first rope tow was powered by a Chevrolet truck. It could pull skiers 500 feet up the mountain. Ski season at Timp Haven usually started around Christmas and lasted until early March. A day pass to ski cost only $1! Thanks to lights installed by Provo City, Timp Haven even offered night skiing on certain days.
Ski classes started in 1946. Professors from Brigham Young University brought busloads of students for lessons. Timp Haven also had hills for tubing and tobogganing. The resort kept growing. A T-bar lift was added in 1948. In 1953, a single chairlift was installed. Then, in 1965, the first double chairlift arrived. A lodge was built in 1957, and a poma lift in 1958. Newer ski lifts like the Mandan (1964) and Navajo (1969) were added later.
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Robert Redford's Vision
In the 1960s, the Stewart family started building homes in "Stewart Flats." Robert Redford bought a small piece of land there. Then, in August 1968, Redford bought all of Timp Haven. He renamed it Sundance.
The name "Sundance" is not from his movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It has special meanings for Redford. One reason is his respect for the Native American Sun Dance. Another is how the sun seems to "dance" around the mountains all day long. Redford's 1972 film Jeremiah Johnson was even filmed near the resort.
Because Sundance is at a lower elevation, its ski season was shorter than other resorts. To make more money, Redford wanted to create a place like Aspen, Colorado. He wanted to use the resort to support the arts and attract Hollywood stars. This idea led to the Sundance Film Festival.
Sundance Institute and Film Festival
In November 1979, Robert Redford held a three-day meeting for filmmakers and artists at Sundance Mountain Resort. The goal was to help independent filmmakers. These efforts led to the creation of the Sundance Institute. In 1981, the Sundance Institute was officially founded. Its purpose was to support and celebrate all kinds of American filmmaking.
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In 1985, the Sundance Institute took over the United States Film Festival. This festival had started in 1978. In 1989, its name officially changed to the Sundance Film Festival. Redford hosted the first film festival at Sundance to promote independent movies. At first, some film companies didn't think much of it. But in 1989, the festival became famous after showing lies, and videotape by Steven Soderbergh. That's when the festival really started to achieve its goal of helping independent filmmaking.
Today, the Sundance Film Festival happens every January. It's mostly held about 30 miles (48 km) north in Park City. It's a very popular and well-known event for independent film makers. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, and one of the biggest in the world! It shows documentaries, big movies, and small movies. The festival gets over 9,000 movie submissions. About 200 of them are chosen to be shown. More than 50,000 people attend the festival each year, from celebrities to regular movie fans.
The small town around the resort has only 28 full-time residents. Many people have lived there for over 50 years. Some famous people have owned homes at Sundance Resort, including Sidney Pollock, William Devane, and Daniel Melnick.
Sundance Today: Skiing and More
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Today, Sundance Mountain Resort has skiing for everyone! About 20% of its trails are for beginners, 40% are for intermediate skiers, and 40% are for advanced skiers. The resort's ski area climbs 2,150 vertical feet (655 meters) up the side of Mount Timpanogos. It reaches the top of the ridge at Bearclaw Cabin. This restaurant at the resort's highest point (8,250 feet or 2,515 meters) offers amazing 360-degree views of the mountains.
Modern Chairlifts
In 1994, a new chairlift called Ray's was built. It was named after Ray Stewart, who helped develop Timp Haven. This lift gave direct access to the back of the mountain. It covered over 5,400 feet (1,646 meters) and could carry 1,800 people per hour.
The mountain now has four chairlifts and a handle tow for beginners at the bottom. Sundance also has the 6th longest zip line in the United States! It has the biggest vertical drop of any zip line in North America.
In 2016, an older lift called Arrowhead was replaced with a new one. The new lift was named Red's, after Robert Redford and his family. It could carry 500 more people per hour than the old one.
For the 2021-2022 ski season, two new chairlifts were built to replace the older Ray's lift. The front part of the mountain got a fast new lift called the Outlaw Express. The back part got a new fixed-grip quad called Stairway. These new lifts make it even easier and faster to enjoy the slopes at Sundance!
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