Resorts: Deer Valley -- From WPA Roots to Luxury Enclave
Utah resort's massive expansion will make it one of the largest ski areaas in North America.
Deer Valley Resort, up valley from Utah’s Park City, has long been a go-to for the well-to-do, offering impeccably groomed skiing, high-end amenities and stellar accommodations while maintaining what may be the highest service levels found at any ski hill in the world.
Photo, top of page: Beginning in 1947, Snow Park ski area featured lodgepole-pine lift towers. Ski Utah photo.
It may not be the steepest, the deepest or the gnarliest of mountains, but it’s one of the most rarefied Alpine experiences anywhere on snow. It starts when staff members rush to help you unload your gear at the Snow Park base area. It continues as you make turns on the mountain’s state-of-the-art corduroy, knowing that the hill limits the number of skiers on busy days. It also remains one of the few resorts in the U.S. that is still a skiers-only mountain—alongside neighboring Alta (about an hour’s drive away) and Vermont’s Mad River Glen. Then factor in luxury lodging and dining to match, and you have one of the most finely tuned ski experiences anywhere.
Now the resort has rolled out phase one of an extraordinary expansion that will more than double its size. Once complete, the massive growth project, tagged with the corporate moniker “Expanded Excellence,” will add 3,700 acres of new terrain, plus hotels, restaurants and retail. As a result Deer Valley will be one of the largest resorts in North America (though only the second-largest in the valley, behind Park City Mountain Resort). But first, take a look at where this luxury lair got its start.
At First, Frog Valley
Initially, what is now Deer Valley was called Frog Valley. Trails in the present-day Snow Park area were built by the Works Progress Administration to spur winter recreation and employment in the region. In 1936 some 600 people came via a rail connection from Salt Lake City up Parley’s Canyon to the Park City/Snow Park Winter Carnival .
The first lift-serviced access in the area opened on Flagstaff Mountain in 1947 and was named the Snow Park Ski Area. It was founded by two Park City locals, Bob Burns and Otto Carpenter, who salvaged tram machinery from disused mines, then felled aspens and lodgepole pines to construct rudimentary lift towers. Skiers paid $1.50 to ride the lifts for the day. The resort was in operation until 1968, and today’s Burns and Carpenter lifts, at the base of Bald Eagle Mountain, are named after the ski area’s original owners.
Deer Valley Is Born
Deer Valley came to life under Edgar and Polly Stern, who had spent years working in the broadcasting and hospitality industries. In 1948, the Stern family launched Royal Street Corporation in New Orleans. The company owned and operated NBC affiliate stations in Louisiana and Alabama before transitioning into real estate development and then resort and hotel operations. Its successes included the Royal Orleans Hotel, located in the heart of the French Quarter, and the legendary Stanford Court Hotel on Nob Hill in San Francisco.
The Sterns first visited Park City in 1968 and purchased the existing Treasure Mountain Ski Area (now known as Park City Mountain Resort) in 1971, along with additional land that would later become part of Deer Valley. After a few years, they sold Park City Mountain to Nick Badami (U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame Class of 2011) to focus on developing Deer Valley Resort.
As envisioned by the Sterns, Deer Valley would provide a service-oriented skiing experience, with fine accommodations and memorable dining. They intended to create this five-star destination resort from the ground up. While many individuals contributed to making Deer Valley a reality, 1952 Olympic champion and freestyle skiing pioneer Stein Eriksen was at the forefront. Eriksen advised Edgar Stern on creating the world’s finest ski area and best ski hotel. He then served as the director of skiing at Deer Valley for 35 years while fronting the Stein Eriksen Lodge, which celebrates his legacy.
When the resort opened on December 26, 1981, it had five chairlifts, 35 ski runs on Bald Eagle and Bald mountains, and two day lodges. Over the next 38 years, additional facilities were built, which up until the expansion totaled 21 chairlifts, 103 runs and six bowls spread over 2,026 acres.
In 1987, Roger Penske, an owner at Stein Eriksen Lodge since its inception, became a partner in Deer Valley Resort. The founder of Penske Corporation, which includes Penske Truck Leasing and Detroit Diesel, he also owns Team Penske, the most successful team in the history of the Indianapolis 500.
The expanded ownership helped with the launch of the Crown Point lift in 1991, along with the resort’s first high-speed quad, the Carpenter Express, on Bald Eagle Mountain. The Red Cloud and Viking lifts were built on Flagstaff Mountain, and in 1993, the Northside Express opened. New high-speed quads replaced the Carpenter and Wasatch lifts in 1996. In 1997, the Wasatch triple was relocated to make room for the Quincy lift, and the Deer Crest quad was constructed.
A major terrain expansion occurred during the 1998–1999 season, when two additional mountains were added: Little Baldy Peak and Empire Canyon.
During the 2002 Winter Olympics, Deer Valley hosted freestyle mogul as well as aerial and Alpine slalom events. It has continued to host World Cup and Olympic Qualifier competitions.
New Owners, Rival Development
In October 2017, it was announced that Deer Valley was to be purchased by a newly formed entity between KSL Capital Partners and the Aspen Skiing Company, which soon became the Alterra Mountain Company.
The ski area’s story took an even more unexpected turn in 2019 with the announcement of the Mayflower Mountain Resort, a significant and independent development situated on the backside of Deer Valley Resort, adjacent to the gated Deer Crest subdivision. It would face Jordanelle Reservoir and lie close to U.S. 40.
Mayflower’s developer, Extell Development Company—best known for Manhattan trophy real estate—planned to build three hotels, with at least one of five-star caliber, for a total of around 800 rooms. One hundred of those hotel rooms would offer reduced rates to military personnel, since the project was partly funded by Utah’s Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA). Under the agreement, Extell will receive a portion of the property tax generated from the development in exchange for the reduced fees for the military. The developer anticipated adding more than 1,500 residential units. Plans were also in place for bars, restaurants and retail stores that would occupy approximately 250,000 square feet of commercial space. New ski lifts were part of the design, too.
Extell and Deer Valley’s owner, Alterra Mountain Company, signed a 199-year lease in 2019 to enable a connection between the two resorts in the future. Given the nature of the ski business, the smart money was on an eventual joint project. If the plans for this adjacent resort sound familiar, it’s because they became the blueprint for the current expansion. In August 2024, Extell and Deer Valley announced a collaboration, with the two resorts becoming one under the Deer Valley moniker. The first phase of the expansion is scheduled to open this coming winter.
Expanded Elegance
Deer Valley is now poised to become one of the largest ski resorts in North America. When “Expanded Excellence” is completed, the resort will feature more than 5,726 acres of skiable terrain across 10 mountain peaks, accessible by 37 chairlifts serving 238 ski runs, as well as the new Deer Valley East Village at the base. This development comes as the state prepares for the 2034 Olympics hosted by Salt Lake City.
The new base village will host ski school facilities, children’s programs, rentals, retail and dining options. For those who’ve routinely been caught up in Park City traffic on the way to Deer Valley, the good news is that the village provides an additional gateway via U.S. Route 40, bypassing most of the congestion.
The East Village debuted in November 2024 with the opening of the new Grand Hyatt Deer Valley. It’s an elegant and well-sited hotel with a vast, atrium-style lobby that offers expansive views across Jordanelle Reservoir and the Uinta Mountains. It meets the development’s MIDA requirements, with 100 rooms designated at discounted rates for military personnel.
Yet the hotel is also chic enough that it hosted the opening party for the Sundance Film Festival in its ballroom in January 2025. The Grand Hyatt has 387 guest rooms, 40 suites, 55 private residences and nearly 40,000 square feet of conference and event space. The pool deck features multiple hot tubs. The signature restaurant is Remington Hall, and the atrium serves “High Chocolate,” the hotel’s answer to afternoon tea in a London hotel.
Next door, construction is underway on the new Four Seasons Resort and Residences Deer Valley. There’s a rumor that Aman Resorts, a hotel chain that targets billionaires, will build here, too. The company already operates the super-luxurious Amangiri desert resort on Utah’s southern border, as well as the Amangani in Jackson, Wyoming.
On a recent visit, I was amazed by the vastness of the new terrain, which stretches for miles. The resort sprawls east of Bald Mountain and includes South Peak, Park Peak, Big Dutch, Pioche and Hail Mountains. Many runs have already been cut and include open intermediate terrain plus some steep slopes, bowls and glades for expert skiers. The Green Monster, a new run snaking down the mountain for 4.8 miles, opened in February 2025. It’s an easy run that beginners can enjoy, extending from Bald Mountain down to the new East Village.
The expansion began rolling out in the 2024–2025 season and is expected to gain momentum in the 2025–2026 season and proceed over the next few years. Deer Valley will continue to limit the number of daily guests and intends to remain a skiers-only mountain.
For those who enjoy Deer Valley, the resort has long epitomized a level of service and perfection that’s set a high standard in the ski world. The question is whether this beloved enclave of privileged powder and expert grooming will retain its core values and elite standards across its greatly expanded footprint.