Park City VS Breckenridge: A Resort Breakdown

We match Park City VS Breckenridge to see who has the best snow, trails, and experience.

These are two of the most iconic ski resorts in the United States and both offer an incredible opportunity to enjoy some of the best snow you can find along with their breathtaking mountain views. When you are ready for some après-ski shenanigans, head into the town for some great food, drinks, and live music. With such similarity between the two ski destinations, people often want to know what sets them apart.

Comparing Terrain Type

The slopes are what truly matters at the core of any ski or snowboarding trip and we want to break down the differences. When it comes to total trails, Park City is unmatched since it’s the largest American ski resort. Park City boasts over 7.3K skiable acres split between 341 runs. There is seemingly endless exploring to be done and you won’t be bored of any repeat runs, even if you’re limited to beginner runs. They were even home to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.

Looking at the breakdown to the types of terrain you can see each resort offers plenty of options for ski levels. One difference that can be seen in the data below is that Breckenridge has a larger focus on expert terrain, making up almost 65% of the mountain. You can even head up the Imperial Express lift, the highest chairlift in North America Park City on the other hand is almost split down the middle, but they put a large focus on Intermediate skiing with over 40% of their terrain being blue runs.

The Terrain Parks in both these resorts are amazing with a ton of unique options and areas for all skill levels. They both have small jibs and boxes separated from full size kickers that are expertly maintained. Recently, The Liftie Report, ranked Breckenridge as the 2nd best terrain park in North America due to their multiple award-winning terrain parks and 22-foot superpipe.

Park City VS Breckenridge: Terrain Overview

Comparing Snow Quality

For overall snow quality, Breckenridge is producing more artificial snow at 7 acres total. This is typically used to build a solid base layer and cover up some of the larger rocks and trees. As for natural snow, the good stuff, Park City can see almost 50 inches more in a year.

When comparing Park City VS Breckenridge, who has the longer ski season? Breck, by well over a month! While Park City sees an average of 142 day open, Breck can stay open over 200 days. This means the added snowfall that Park City gets is quickly lost by the reduced season.

In the graph below you can see the Breck starts off a little quicker in October, but in November Park City quickly surpasses them in terms of the average monthly snowfall. However, it’s downhill from there for Park City’s snow averages as it steadily declines. Breckenridge actually sees its highest average month in February, but at this point, Park City is already dropping quickly. Overall, Breckenridge has the longer season, with the most time for enjoyable snow.

Park City VS Breckenridge: Best Time For Snow

Is Park City or Breckenridge Better For Skiing?

So, Park City VS Breckenridge, who comes out on top? This comparison is as close as they come as it will ultimately come down to what type of skier or rider you are and how you want to enjoy the mountain. If you want to immerse yourselves in some expert level skiing or terrain parks, Breckenridge is where you want to consider. If open, the Imperial Express lift if a must hit. If intermediate skiing is more your style, Park City will provide enough trails to never try the same one twice. Though it’s a close call, Breckenridge is the winner in our books due to the focus on advanced skiing and some incredible back bowls.

Want to check out the Breckenridge or Park City trail maps?

For a more general comparison of Utah VS Colorado Skiing, check out our comparison and let us know what you think.