- The New York Times listed Deer Valley among 52 places to visit in 2026.
- The resort outside Park City is known for groomed runs and fine dining.
- Stein Eriksen Lodge was named best ski hotel in the world.
What do Bangkok, Winnie-the-Pooh’s England and Deer Valley, Utah, have in common?
Probably nothing, other than they’re on The New York Times’ list of 52 places to go in 2026.
“Our list for the new year features an eclipse, a revolution and a tiger reserve. What’s on yours?” says the Times.
Listed among the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in India, Revolutionary America in the Northeast and the Iceland Eclipse festival is Deer Valley Resort, a luxury ski-only destination in the Wasatch Mountain just outside Park City.
The Times notes Deer Valley underwent one of the biggest ski terrain expansions in snow country in time for the 2025-26 season and is known for its “impeccably groomed runs, great food and longstanding prohibition on snowboarding.”
The resort installed seven new lifts, including a 10-passenger gondola with heated cabins, connecting the new East Village to Park Peak. It has also added nearly 100 new runs since December 2024, including the 4.85-mile Green Monster, now the longest ski run in Utah. The resort has 31 lifts and covers about 4,300 acres, making it one of the largest in the country.
“The base village, called Deer Valley East Village, also opened last December with a 400-room Grand Hyatt and direct highway access. While the village is a work in progress, it means that skiers no longer have to fight through Park City traffic when arriving from Salt Lake International Airport, 38 miles away,” per the Times.
An unlimited adult season pass — no blackout dates — currently runs $4,100, according to the Deer Valley website. Deer Valley is among the resorts on the Ikon Pass, which goes for around $1,500, but is no longer on sale for the 2025-26 season. Single-day lift tickets in January cost $259 to $349 depending on the day.
Top of the mountain
Making the Times’ travel destination list is among several accolades heaped on Deer Valley.
This past November, World Ski Awards named Stein Eriksen Lodge as “World’s Best Ski Hotel,” beating out hotels from 23 different countries. Located mid-mountain at Deer Valley, it marked the second year in a row the high-end hotel has won the award.
Room rates on its website for a weekend in December ranged from $460 a night for a deluxe king room with a fireplace to $3,489 a night for a three-bedroom suite, both before taxes and fees.
Votes for that award are cast online by ski industry professionals such as senior executives, travel buyers, tour operators and media and the public in a range of categories, including best resorts, hotels, chalets and tour operators.
Deer Valley is also consistently ranked the best or among the best ski resorts in the country in various publications including World Ski Awards, Condé Nast Traveler, Powder and Ski magazine.