9 New Things To Do In Utah This Winter

Q: What is the best month to visit Utah for winter activities?

January and February offer the most consistent snow depth, cold temperatures for snowmaking, and prime conditions for dog sledding, snowmobiling and skiing.

Q: Do I need a four-wheel-drive (4WD) car in Utah during winter?

If you plan to drive into the Wasatch Canyons (Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons) or higher mountain passes, 4WD/AWD is strongly encouraged. Utah law also mandates winter tires and/or chains during winter storm events.

Q: What are the best non-skiing winter activities for families with young children?

Snow tubing at Soldier Hollow, visiting the geothermal Homestead Crater in Midway and touring the Utah Olympic Park are top-rated family activities that do not require specialized sporting skills.

Logan Canyon | Matt Hage

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New Things To Do This Winter

Snow tubing at Brian Head Resort

Photo: Jay Dash

Snow Tubing & Winter Play Parks

If you want the thrill of sliding down the mountains without needing ski lessons, Utah’s groomed snow tubing parks offer lanes ranging from gentle family hills to massive 1,200-foot drop runs serviced by magic carpet lifts.

Woodward Park City: Features precision-groomed tubing lanes with night tubing options and a state-of-the-art action sports hub.
Soldier Hollow (Midway): Home to the longest tubing lanes in Utah (nearly 1,200 feet) with a built-in sound system and lift-serviced towing.
Wasatch Parc (Eden) & Cherry Peak (Richmond): Quieter northern destinations near Ogden and Logan.
Brian Head Resort (Southern Utah): Features two dedicated tubing parks (Navajo and Giant Steps) sitting at over 9,600 feet in elevation.

Traveler Tip: Advance reservations are highly recommended, especially for weekend slot times at Woodward and Soldier Hollow.

Soak or Scuba Dive in the Crater at Homestead

Tucked inside a 55-foot limestone dome in Midway, Utah, the Crater at Homestead is a natural geothermal hot spring maintaining a balmy 90-96°F (32-35°C) temperature year-round. It stands as the only warm-water scuba diving destination in the continental United States.

What to Do: Swim, soak, stand-up paddleboard yoga, or complete a winter scuba certification.
Location: Midway, UT (approx. 50 minutes east of Salt Lake City).
Booking: 40-minute soak slots fill up fast. Book well in advance for winter weekends.

Dog sledding in Park City

Photo: Mike Schirf

Backcountry Dog Sledding Tours

Experience the Wasatch backcountry pulled by a team of rescue Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes. Utah’s dog sledding outfitters offer snowy wilderness tours through alpine meadows.

All Seasons Adventures (Park City): Guided dog sledding trips near Park City, with 25-minute and 1-hour adventures.
Bear Ridge Adventures (Heber Valley): Located 25 minutes from Park City, offering guided 1-hour, 2-hour and half-day mushing tours from December through March.

Snowmobiling in Wasatch Mountain State Park

Photo: Adam Clark

Snowmobiling on Groomed Alpine Trails

With over 800 miles of groomed snowmobile trails stretching from the high-elevation Uinta Mountains down to the red rock canyons of Southern Utah, snowmobiling is one of the best ways to cover vast backcountry terrain.

Top Trailheads: Wasatch Mountain State Park, Mirror Lake Highway (Kamas), and Monte Cristo (Ogden Valley).
Rentals & Guides: Full-day guided tours, self-guided machine rentals, and gear outfits are readily available in Park City, Heber and Salt Lake City.

"City Slicker" trail at Soldier Hollow in Heber Valley

Photo: Steve Greenwood

Nordic & Cross-Country Skiing

There are many ways to experience The Greatest Snow on Earth® beyond the dreamy downhill of our 15 ski resorts. Nordic skiing in Utah ranges from manicured Olympic tracks to high-elevation red rock trails in Bryce Canyon National Park.

Soldier Hollow Nordic Center: Ride the same groomed tracks used during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
Solitude Nordic Center: Offers 20 km of groomed trails, lessons, rentals and tours.
White Pine Touring (Park City): Grab a day pass and explore over 20 km of groomed tracks in Park City, plus equipment rentals and lessons.
Southern Utah Backcountry: High-altitude regions like the Manti-La Sal Mountains and Bryce Canyon Rim offer visitors solitude and stark scenic contrasts after a fresh snowfall.

Bobsledding in Olympic Park

Photo: Utah Olympic Park

Olympic Heritage & Bobsled Ride

Relive the magic of the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games—and prepare for the returning 2034 Olympic Games—at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City.

Winter Bobsled Experience: Take a ride with a professional pilot down the official Olympic track that hosted the bobsled, skeleton and luge events.
Museums & Training: Tour the Alf Engen Ski Museum and Eccles 2002 Winter Olympic Games Museum, or catch future Olympic athletes training at the freestyle jumping ramps.

Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing requires zero prior experience and offers an affordable, quiet way to watch the sunrise over the Wasatch Range.

Best Northern Utah Trails: Round Valley (Park City), The Pipeline Trail (Millcreek Canyon near Salt Lake City) and Wheeler Creek (Ogden).
Best Southern Utah Trails: Fairyland Loop at Bryce Canyon National Park (snowshoes required when snow depth exceeds 16 inches).
Gear Rentals: Local outfitters in Salt Lake City, Park City and Ogden offer daily rental packages including snowshoes, boots and trekking poles. Near Bryce Canyon, you can rent snowshoes just outside the park at Ruby’s Inn.

Ice Skating

Utah ice skating includes Olympic rinks, county complexes and magical, light-strung rinks spinning the sounds of the holidays.

Salt Lake City: Gallivan Center (outdoor ice rink downtown) and SLC Sports Complex
Park City: The Park City Ice Arena is an indoor, year-round facility with open skate sessions and private lessons.
Kearns: Open year-round, the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns (just south of Salt Lake) is an opportunity to skate on a 400-meter ice oval, home to the 2002 Olympic speed-skating events.
Sandy: Mammoth Ice Center, the official headquarters for Utah's professional hockey team, offers ice time to local hockey teams and community ice skating.
Provo: Peaks Ice Arena is an indoor ice hockey venue offering year-round public skate sessions and late night ice skating for the evening crowd.

Luxury Spa & Wellness

After a day outdoors, unwind at one of Utah's luxurious spas:

Sundance Mountain Resort Spa: Inspired by the healing power of nature, located at the base of Mount Timpanogos.
The Spa at Stein Eriksen Lodge (Deer Valley): A Forbes Five-Star hotel and spa setup.
The Grand Spa (Grand America Hotel, Salt Lake City): The perfect place to pamper yourself with a massage, facial or other wellness treatments.

Frequently Asked Questions About Utah Winter Travel

What is the best month to visit Utah for winter activities?

Do I need a four-wheel-drive (4WD) car in Utah during winter?

What are the best non-skiing winter activities for families with young children?

More Winter Activities

Utah Is Your Easy Winter Vacation Destination

Written By Paula Colman

5 minute read

Whether you’re looking for a break, vacation or quest for fun this winter, Utah is the place, as always, for adventure — whatever you plan to do or wherever the trail takes you along the way.

Ski Resorts

Where to Stay

Utah's metropolitan areas are situated right by our snow-packed mountains, offering visitors unparalleled access. The only challenge is deciding if you want to stay in a slope-side lodge or a hotel in the city. Either choice is good, or even better, try out both. Moving from city to summit doesn't take long.

Basecamp Options

National Parks in Winter

In the winter months, Utah's five national parks and their surrounding country are full of solitude and with an adventurous spirit to shrug off mild doses of moody weather you can count on having red rock country all to yourself.

Winter in Southern Utah