Deer Valley Base Areas Explained

Deer Valley has four base areas: Snow Park on the Park City side, Silver Lake at mid-mountain, Empire Pass higher up, and the new East Village on the Jordanelle side off US-40. They're close on the ski map but far apart by road, so the base you tell your driver decides which highway exit you take and how long the trip runs.

Deer Valley lists itself as a 38-mile drive from Salt Lake City International Airport, with access "just off Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 40". Which of those two roads you end on depends on the base area. For the trip itself, see our guide to getting from SLC airport to Deer Valley.

The four base areas at a glance

Snow Park

Snow Park Lodge, at 2250 Deer Valley Drive South, is the main base and the one most people mean by "Deer Valley". It's on the Park City side, reached by driving through town. The Silver Lake Express chairlift runs from here up to Silver Lake.

Parking has been free at Snow Park, with Lot 2 set aside for carpools of three or more on busy holidays and weekends (2025-26 figures from Ski Utah). When the lots fill, Deer Valley sends drivers to the Richardson Flat Park and Ride and a bus, though the resort's page still shows 2024-25 bus dates. Park City's free buses stop at Snow Park, so if you're staying in town you can skip the car entirely. Our Park City car guide explains how the buses work.

What's happening with Snow Park construction

Deer Valley plans to rebuild Snow Park as a village with a large garage. A 2024 plan said Snow Park parking would shrink to about 400 spaces (from about 1,700) during summer 2026 and the 2026-27 ski season, pushing day skiers toward East Village. That schedule has slipped. In April 2026, Deer Valley told the Park Record there would be no construction at Snow Park that summer and that it didn't have an updated timeline.

So for 2026-27, the Snow Park parking count isn't confirmed. If you're planning to drive, check deervalley.com close to your trip.

Silver Lake

Silver Lake is Deer Valley's mid-mountain village. The resort describes a mix of hotels and condominiums there, some ski-in, ski-out and some within walking distance of the village, with intermediate runs off Bald and Flagstaff Mountains. Lifts around the village include the Sterling, Wasatch and Sultan Express on Bald Mountain and the Silver Lake Express down to Snow Park.

The village has restaurants including Silver Lake Restaurant and Royal Street Café, and Silver Lake Beach is the après spot. Park City's free buses run up to Silver Lake Village. As a landmark, the Goldener Hirsch hotel sits in Silver Lake Village with a Royal Street address.

When you book a ride, give the lodge or condo name and street address. "Silver Lake" on its own covers a lot of buildings.

Empire Pass

Empire Pass is a separate lodging area that Deer Valley describes as sitting high up on the mountain. The lifts here are the Northside Express and Silver Strike Express on Flagstaff Mountain, the Ruby Express and Empire Express in Empire Canyon, and the Lady Morgan Express. Deer Valley's Empire Pass page lists lodges such as The Grand Lodge, One Empire Pass, Flagstaff, Shooting Star and Arrowleaf, and names Montage Deer Valley among the places to eat.

You get there on Marsac Avenue, climbing from the south end of Park City. UDOT's traction law covers Marsac Avenue, so in snow it's a road for a vehicle with proper tires. Park City's free buses serve Empire Canyon Lodge, and resort-managed rentals in the area include a shuttle booked through the Empire Express app.

East Village and the Jordanelle gondola

East Village has more than doubled Deer Valley's skiable acreage, according to KPCW. It sits on the east side of the resort near Jordanelle Reservoir, and you reach it from US-40 rather than through Park City. Deer Valley lists it on N Mayflower Mine Road.

What's there now, per Deer Valley's March 2026 release and KPCW reporting:

• Parking: 1,200 day-skier spaces.
• Gondola: the 10-passenger East Village gondola runs up to Park Peak. It opened in 2025-26 along with a large batch of new lifts and runs.
• New for 2026-27: the Hail Peak Express chairlift, seven new runs and about 200 new acres, bringing the resort to 209 runs and 32 lifts. A growing share of skiers already start their day here, and the resort expects that to continue.
• Lodges: a temporary skier services building is in use for now. KPCW reported in August 2026 that the East Village Lodge and Park Peak Lodge both open for 2027-28.
• Hotels: the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley, the village's first hotel, is already open (Park City Magazine, January 2026).

Sources differ on Park Peak Lodge. Park City Magazine reported in January 2026 that its first floor would open for 2026-27. KPCW's later report, from August 2026, says the lodge opens for 2027-28 and that supplies go up by gondola because there's no winter road. The later report is more likely to be current, but check with Deer Valley if a lodge visit matters to you.

The rest of the village is still being built. The East Village Lodge, the first shops and the pedestrian plaza are slated for late 2027, with more than 70 shops and restaurants and further hotels targeted for 2028.

Deer Valley also lists a separate base for the Jordanelle Express Gondola, at 2312 W. Deer Hollow Road. In 2025-26 Ski Utah listed a paid first-come lot there. Don't confuse it with the East Village gondola. If either is your meeting point, give the driver the exact name and address.

Which base to tell your driver

The road difference is real. Our routing cross-check (free-flowing traffic, not an official figure) puts Snow Park at about 39 miles and 55 minutes from the airport, and East Village at about 44 miles and 59 minutes. A driver heading for the wrong one has a long way back around.

If you're staying in Heber City or Midway, East Village is your nearest Deer Valley base. See SLC airport to Heber City and Midway for that drive.

Passes and opening day

Deer Valley is on the Ikon Pass for 7 days in 2026-27, with lift reservations required for Ikon holders, and it isn't on Ikon Base. It's also part of the Wasatch Benefit add-on. Compare it with the other resorts in Ikon vs Epic for Utah.

Opening day for 2026-27 is projected for Dec. 5, 2026, per the Deseret News, with the usual caveat that dates can slip if snow is late. The current list is in Utah ski season dates. Flying home from Deer Valley, read how early to leave Park City for SLC airport.