With a rich heritage dating back to the early mining days of Park City and Alta, Brighton Ski Resort is hands-down one of the most popular resorts for locals, college students and visitors alike, and for good reason.
Brighton enjoys more than 500 annual inches of the fluffy powder that makes Utah famous, as well as top-to-bottom night riding and ample terrain for all levels of skiers and boarders.
The resort, which rests about seven miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon, got its humble beginnings in the 1800s when the area’s rich natural resources were discovered by pioneers who harvested trees for timber to support the rapid growth of the local mining industry as well as the growing urban populations of Salt Lake City and Park City. Without the Interstate 80 corridor and Subaru WRXs equipped with Blizzak snow tires, people traveling between the mining towns of Alta and Park City favored the one-day trip through the Brighton Homestead area over the three-day trek down Parley’s Canyon. Like stops on a railroad path that eventually grow into major cities, Brighton started as little more than a family homestead that served weary travelers. As traffic increased, the addition of a store and eventually a hotel were simple economics. Thus the framework was laid for what would become one of the most popular resorts in Utah.
Skiing by rope tow was common at Brighton in the early 1900s, but following the post-World War II explosion of prosperity and recreation in America, Brighton installed a chairlift on the iconic Mount Millicent, and the rest, as they say in the ski industry, was downhill. The construction of other chairlifts and services followed and in 1963, Mount Majestic Inc. was formed and Brighton, as we know it today, was born.
Now, with more than 73 years of ski heritage, Brighton continues to be a popular winter resort in the Wasatch Mountain range. Brighton is one of the first places that Utah snowboarders called home, and the place many of today’s industry legends got their start.
Steep, beautiful mountains magnetically attract deep winter storms and professional maniacs, yet the glacial, alpine peaks tumble and cascade downward to playful, rolling terrain that’s perfect for learning and cruising or relaxing. This combination of terrain makes Brighton a perfect “skate park” in any snowy condition. Resort management seems to realize, however, that natural terrain isn’t always enough to satisfy the new breed of skiers and riders, and The Truth terrain park is the result.
With four terrain parks that blend into one, as well as a halfpipe built by Jared Winkler of KAB rails, Brighton offers everything a skier or snowboarder could want. Boxes, rails, small jumps and creative features define The Truth, which embraces skateboard-inspired features. The resort touts its minimalist approach to marketing, which results in a word-of-mouth crowd that equals more turns on a powder day and shorter lines on sunny weekends.
What makes Brighton so popular is the value. With some of the cheapest season pass and day ticket prices in Utah, it’s a contender right out of the gate, but add in the resort’s natural terrain diversity and the setup for night skiing and Brighton is easily a fan favorite among the college-age crowd, judging from the resort’s population. Adult tickets run less than $60 and night tickets are only $32. Adult season passes cost $1,000, but full-time students can join the U’s One Love Ski and Snowboard Club and get unrestricted passes for $450. Chairlifts start cranking at 9 a.m. and don’t stop until 9 p.m., except Sundays, when the lifts close at 4 p.m. That’s an incredible 79 hours per week. For college students, the night riding is a godsend because those hours mean you can get out of class at 3 p.m. and still put in five hours on the snow.
With more than 1,000 skiable acres, Brighton is by no means Utah’s largest resort, but it makes up for that shortcoming tenfold. One hundred percent of Brighton’s terrain is accessible by high-speed chairlifts, and its open gate backcountry policy makes thousands more acres easily accesible.
As a resort, Brighton is divided into two zones: the Milly Bowl and the main resort. The main part of the resort has two lifts serving beginner terrain, and the Great Western Express lift offers beautiful southwestern exposure and views along with the resort’s longest and most wide-open runs for intermediate to advanced riders.
The exposure of Great Western is also part of its downfall. The runs catch a lot of wind and are occasionally closed because of weather. When that happens, locals head to Snake Creek or Crest Express for sheltered tree runs and fun playful terrain. Crest is also the lift that serves The Truth terrain park.
The Milly side of the resort is a whole different ball game. Boasting some of the most advanced terrain and backcountry access Brighton offers, Milly is the lift to ride on a powder day8212;just make sure you spend a few weeks working on your game before you decide to mix it up with the big boys. Milly has long been a Wasatch treasure, as it is small enough to become well acquainted with, but challenging enough to beckon professional skiers and boarders from around the globe every winter.
Back-to-back amenity upgrades in the past two years have transformed the Milly area from a nostalgic reminder of the resort’s roots. The old Evergreen lift and the Milly lift were taken out in favor of a shiny new high-speed detachable quad, and the small hut that once served hungry powder hounds has been razed and reborn as a the Milly Chalet. It remains small and intimate, yet was made more modern and comfortable.
Brighton is open from early December to mid-April every year and hosts a number of competitions and events every season. Top quality lessons, rentals and day lodges are available for first-time visitors, and returning guests are welcomed with open arms. Events such as free avalanche clinics and free rides up the canyon are included with your season pass.
For more info on events, weather, lodging, ticket deals, restaurants and services visit www.brightonresort.com.
Sean SullivanBoth skiers and snowboarders enjoy Utah?s famous powder at Brighton. The resort boasts a variety of terrain, day and night skiing or riding and relatively inexpensive ticket prices, making it a favorite of many students.