Snowcat dropping people off for a day of backcountry skiing.
Backcountry skiing at Snowbird Resort.
Backcountry snowboarding at Brighton Resort.
About the Backcountry
Each day, hard-working ski patrols make the terrain inside of ski area boundaries extremely safe from avalanches. Those leaving the ski area boundaries or entering the backcountry from a trailhead need standard avalanche rescue gear, avalanche training and should regularly consult the Utah Avalanche Center website for critical avalanche safety information before venturing out in search of the goods. Let someone know your itinerary and the time you expect to return. Know the information for search and rescue, and bring a spot device (Read: 4 Tips to Prepare for Utah's Winter Backcountry). Learn more about how you can support Utah’s local search and rescue teams with a Utah Search and Rescue Assistance card.
If you don't own avalanche equipment or skills, no problem. The local guides listed below can set you up with the proper gear, keep you safe and lead you to the good stuff.
Backcountry guides:
- Utah Mountain Adventures has operated in the mountains of Utah since 1993. They offer all types of guiding including backcountry skiing, boarding, mountaineering, rock climbing and ice climbing.
- Powder Mountain Guided Tours leads exploration into DMI (Don’t Mention It) and Wolf Creek areas for fresh tracks in Powder Mountain's backcountry.
- Park City Powder Cats guides skiers and snowboarders on over 15,000 skiable acres of private terrain in the Uinta Mountains.
- Ski Utah Interconnect Tour gives advanced to expert skiers the opportunity to expereince the beauty and backcounty terrain of the Wasatch Mountian Range. Guests have the chance to ski resort terrain and the backcountry terrain through as many as six resorts in one day.
Know Before You Go
- Get the Equipment: Everyone should have a transceiver, shovel and probe on their person and know how to use them.
- Get the Training: Take an avalanche course to learn obvious clues to danger and how to read the terrain. More courses can be found here.
- Get the Forecast: Consult the Utah Avalanche Center website before heading out for critical avalanche information and education resources.
- Get the Picture: Recent avalanches on similar slopes mean dangerous conditions.
- Get out from Harm's Way: Travel one at a time on avalanche slopes and get out of the way at the bottom.
Hiring a Backcountry Ski Guide
Thinking of exploring backcountry terrain this winter? We can see why. With empty slopes and fresh powder, it’s an alluring idea. But there are things you should know before you venture out of bounds.
More Winter Activities
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Cross Country Skiing
Cross-country skiing Utah is awesome! Find popular Nordic trailheads in the north, high altitude serenity in central Utah and miles of regularly groomed trails in the south.
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Heli Ski & Snowboarding
Utah heli skiing and snowboarding are perfect for those who want to ride some of the best backcountry in the world. Find your next ride here.
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Ice Fishing
Utah’s award-winning waters hold some of the best ice fishing in the country, and with so many large lakes and reservoirs, it’s easy to grab your gear and join in.
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Ice Skating
Find the best ice skating rinks in Utah and plan the perfect skate night with your friends and family. Lace up and get skating!
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Kite Skiing
Kite skiing (snow kiting) is attracting freestyle adventure seekers to Utah. Learn about the cool places to kite ski in Utah, grab your equipment and go!
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Skiing
Skiing in Utah? Choose from 15 resorts — 10 within an hour of the airport. Discover lively ski towns, best times to visit and tips for booking lessons and rentals.
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Snow Tubing & Sledding
The classic, winter tradition of finding the perfect hill from which to launch a tube or sled is alive and well in Utah. Whether you’re looking for commercial parks with structured lanes or a local hill and your own thermos of hot cocoa, we’ve got it all.
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Snowboarding
To put it simply, the riding in Utah is epic. Thirteen snowboarding resorts are scattered along the state's mountain ranges that are perfectly positioned for dumps of fluffy powder all winter long, most of which see an average of 500 inches of snow each year. Best of all, there are eight world-class, snowboard-friendly resorts within an hour’s drive of Salt Lake City, so you can easily ride new terrain every day of a week-long vacation.
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Snowmobiling
Snowmobile vacations are popular outdoor adventures. Utah’s 800+ miles of groomed trails offer winter snowmobiling fun for all — find out more!
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Snowshoeing
There’s a sense of excitement that comes with breaking trail across an untouched stretch of Utah’s famous powdery snow.
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Winter Hiking
You might think the cold is unavoidable and the terrain impassable during the winter months, but if you can surpass these doubts you might just be rewarded with your best hike of the year.
