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Brighton is this skier's pick for the best value snowsports vacation in Utah, where ski hills are many and close by to Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City sits in the epicenter of one of the richest collections of ski mountains in the United States.  Within 45 minutes of baggage claim, you’ll reach 10 mountains worthy of that annual family ski vacation. Here you’ll find some of the most luxurious ski resorts this side of Gstaad with prices at the top end of the industry. Deer Valley, Snowbasin, Snowbird, the Canyons and, at a more modest level, Alta, occupy this haute tier by offering great skiing and luxe service and facilities. 

But if value is your guide and goal, you’ll find several mountains favored by locals that offer excellent family skiing experiences for less.  A family looking to save will have to accept more modest accommodations or, even more cost-efficient, base themselves in Salt Lake City and commute to the mountains.  This is not a huge compromise, as Salt Lake offers excellent restaurants and decent value hotels. The Utah Jazz play basketball right downtown and a nearby multiplex provides après-ski family entertainment, all ideal for kids of any age.  You can also save on a rental car as regular bus service takes skiers from downtown hotels to the resorts at nominal cost -- also a nice way, I found, to give teens some independence while feeling green.

On the southeast corner of Salt Lake City two canyons rise up from the valley into the stunning Wasatch  Mountains. Little Cottonwood Canyon has bragging rights to the two legendary mountains of Alta and Snowbird. 

Big Cottonwood hosts two smaller, quieter resorts best known to locals— Brighton and Solitude. Both have excellent value family programs.

Best Skiing Value - Brighton

For good value in family skiing at an individual resort, you’ll want to head to the upper end of Big Cottonwood. Families will find that Brighton is hard to beat, particularly if your kids are under age 10, since they get to ski free. Night skiing has come to Brighton, as well, with slopes open until 9pm, a nice (cheap) way to entertain and tire out the kids.

In other ways, Brighton offers some of the best values along with fine slopes and excellent children’s programs. It has the cheapest lift tickets ($58/day in 2009-2010), with kids under 10 skiing or boarding  free with a paying adult. There are two full-service base lodges serving three peaks ranging over 1,050 skiable acres. This means lots of good beginner runs, and a variety of demanding terrain for more advanced skiers and boarders.  Snowboarders are welcome to ride three terrain parks.  Next to the main base lodge, Molly Green’s is an excellent casual restaurant, supplementing the basic base lodge fare nearby. It’s a very comfortable, modest-scale mountain with plenty of variety for all skill levels. 

The well-run ski school is highly regarded and offers board or ski instruction beginning at age 4 up to 12. A full-day kids program runs $100, a value compared to some of the more expensive resorts, which have full-day kid ski school prices of $177. Note that the snowboard program starts at age 4, which is uncommonly young in the industry and sure to delight some toddlers.