One of alpine’s enduring mysteries? How The Canyons ski resort remains one of Park City’s best-kept secrets despite its mammoth size. The resort stretches across nine peaks with 4,000 skiable acres, 182 trails, five bowls, six natural half pipes, and ample backcountry access, but still is one of the least tracked in the Wasatch Mountains. For some reason, most skiers and boarders heading to Park City—a mountain town blessed with some of lightest powder—typically bypass The Canyons, the first resort they encounter coming from Salt Lake City, and head to Park City or Deer Valley. And for fans of The Canyons, that’s perfect. Even during the mad rush of the holidays, you can still carve fresh tracks days after the last snowfall. It’s just that big.

A resort this size, of course, requires some planning, lest you spend most of your time yoyoing up and down the peaks. Access to the mountain is via the gondola just behind the Grand Summit Hotel. Trek upward to solid blue, black, and double blacks that carve across glades, bowls, and groomers. From there you can reach the Sun Peak Express, which accesses higher portions of the same peak, or ski over to the Super Condor Express, which feeds the resort’s northernmost peak. This lift is typically the least crowded, in part because it accesses some of the most extreme terrain, including hike-up runs in Murdock Bowl; double-blacks like Hundred Turns and Condor Woods; and insane runs like Canis Lupus, a natural half pipe that feels like you’re carving through a snow-choked riverbed. Super Condor does close during inclement weather, however, so be sure to check before

One of alpine’s enduring mysteries? How The Canyons ski resort remains one of Park City’s best-kept secrets despite its mammoth size. The resort stretches across nine peaks with 4,000 skiable acres, 182 trails, five bowls, six natural half pipes, and ample backcountry access, but still is one of the least tracked in the Wasatch Mountains. For some reason, most skiers and boarders heading to Park City—a mountain town blessed with some of lightest powder—typically bypass The Canyons, the first resort they encounter coming from Salt Lake City, and head to Park City or Deer Valley. And for fans of The Canyons, that’s perfect. Even during the mad rush of the holidays, you can still carve fresh tracks days after the last snowfall. It’s just that big.

A resort this size, of course, requires some planning, lest you spend most of your time yoyoing up and down the peaks. Access to the mountain is via the gondola just behind the Grand Summit Hotel. Trek upward to solid blue, black, and double blacks that carve across glades, bowls, and groomers. From there you can reach the Sun Peak Express, which accesses higher portions of the same peak, or ski over to the Super Condor Express, which feeds the resort’s northernmost peak. This lift is typically the least crowded, in part because it accesses some of the most extreme terrain, including hike-up runs in Murdock Bowl; double-blacks like Hundred Turns and Condor Woods; and insane runs like Canis Lupus, a natural half pipe that feels like you’re carving through a snow-choked riverbed. Super Condor does close during inclement weather, however, so be sure to check before committing to the traverse.

The gondola delivers you to the main resort hub, anchored by the Red Pine Lodge. From here, High Meadow lift links up with mellow blues, while the more popular Saddleback Express delivers ski school students to blues like Snow Dancer and experts to blacks like The Pines, Silver Horse, and The Aspens, a heavenly glade run through white-barked trees.

To get away from the crowds, head south (skier’s right) to Tombstone, which marks the center of the resort. From here, experts should traverse south to Peak 5 and Ninety-Nine 90 Express. Ninety-Nine 90 feeds to knee-screaming options like Magic Lines, Fantasy Ridge, Charlie Brown, and other double blacks. From Peak 5, hit the woods off Harmony if they’re open and the snow is fresh; it makes for a thrilling ride that heads to Day Break and DreamScape, two lifts that service the southernmost peaks, another part of the resort that seldom sees crowds. But if you head that far out, keep track of time; it’s surprisingly easy to get disoriented and end your day on a slow groomer.

Mountain-base apres-ski options include the rowdy Smokie’s Bar and Grill and the subdued Doc’s at the Gondola, just inside the Grand Summit. Visitors have a choice of five accommodations: the Silverado Lodge, the Sundial Lodge, the Vintage on the Stand, the Waldorf Astoria, and the Grand Summit Hotel. Of the bunch, Grand Summit is the best choice, with easy ski-in, ski-out convenience; a fitness center with a sauna, heated pool, and hot tubs; a fine-dining restaurant; Doc’s café; and rooms that vary from doubles with queen-sized beds to family-friendly suites with full kitchens.

Skiers not staying at The Canyons access the main lifts by riding the Cabriolet (a cross between a lift and a gondola) from the main parking lot or the Park City bus stop. Some locals report that this process can be an ordeal, so plan accordingly. But once you’re on the mountain, the illusion that The Canyons is your own private alpine resort is simple to foster, save for the enthusiastic screams echoing off the canyon walls.