Recreation
Brian Head Resort |
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Brian Head Resort Details
- Hours of operation: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Mon. - Fri.; 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Sat. and Sun. Night skiing is offered on three beginner runs every Friday and Saturday night from 4 to 9 p.m.
- Cost:
Summer: All day mountain bike lift fees are $16; single mountain bike lift rides are $8; scenic lift rides (no bike) are $8; scenic rides for children 12 and under are $4; infant rides are free.
A $29 Mountain Bike Club Pass is available -- pass holders receive 10 percent off all shuttle service, lift passes and bike rentals for the season.
Winter: Adult lift fees are $49 for a full day and $40 for a half day. Seniors 65 and older and children 6-12 are $35 for a full day and $29 for a half day. All lift rates increase on holidays. The Snow Tube Park is $15 for a two-hour session.
- Payment options: Cash, Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club.
- Location / Distance from Las Vegas: About 3 1/2 hours from Las Vegas. From the Strip, turn west on Tropicana, Flamingo or Spring Mountain. Take Tropicana, Flamingo or Spring Mountain 1/4-mile to Interstate Highway 15. Take I-15 North to Utah state Route 14. Take state Route 14 East to Route 148. Take Route 148 North to Route 143. Take Route 143 North to Brian Head Resort.
- Travel options: Private vehicle.
- On the way: Zion National Park, the Utah Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City, lava flows and scenery aplenty.
- Amenities: 500 acres of terrain (30 percent beginner, 40 percent intermediate, and 30 percent advanced) including 53 trails, one double, two triple and three surface lifts, snowmaking equipment, day care, ski and snowboard schools for adults and children and a rental shop.
- What you'll need: Proper clothing and equipment.
- Annual visitors/busy season: Brian Head is never terribly crowded in the winter and lift lines are usually at a minimum. The summer season is especially slow.
Brian Head Resort Review
Whether visiting in the winter or summer, Brian Head Resort is a scenic wonderland where crowds and noise never seem to be a problem.
The resort's location is partially responsible. Las Vegas, which is a 3 1/2 hour drive away, is the closest metropolitan area. And Vegas locals and visitors are the resort's primary customers.
Though the park stays busy enough to keep the registers ringing, Brian Head Resort is far from the typical overcrowded ski getaway. Even on the busiest weekends, lift lines are short and there is relatively no waiting. At times on weekdays, especially in the summer months, visitors may feel as if they're the only ones on the mountain.
Come winter, snow also is not a problem. The resort makes its own, but its three mountains get most of their help from the skies. In fact, the resort averages more than 35 feet of snow per season.
And there are plenty of outdoor options for visitors. Along with its lift-accessible downhill terrain, the resort features a CAT accessible expert area, a network of Nordic and snowshoe trails, backcountry tours via snowmobile, a popular snow tubing park and the nearby Cedar Breaks National Monument.
The town of Brian Head boasts a couple of country stores, a ski and bike rental shop, a wide selections of vacation rental condominiums, The Lodge at Brian Head Resort and the plush Cedar Breaks Lodge.
The town of Cedar City, which hosts the Tony-winning Utah Shakespearean Festival, is 35 minutes to the west. Those traveling from Vegas will go through Cedar City on the way to Cedar Breaks.
The surrounding area features several lakes, lava flow formations and enough Dixie National Forest greenery to erase memories of Vegas brown.
Because of its high elevation, spring and fall visitors are advised to bring winter clothing and to be prepared for winterlike conditions.
--Review by Paul Mello
