Eagle Point: Your Own Private Ski Resort

On most occasions, I’m just passing through Beaver, Utah. It’s a quick stop along I-15 to grab some sweets and supplies at The Creamery, and then it’s back on the road to red rock country. But this trip was different, as I had planned to make Beaver my base camp for a family getaway to Eagle Point Ski Resort. 

Leaving the farmlands in the rear view and snaking up the Beaver Canyon Scenic Byway (Utah Route 153), the snowy remnants of the previous week’s winter storm dripped from the canyon walls. With increasing elevation the canyon gave way to a set of mountain meadows. Snowmobiles buzzed by my periphery, and the landscape morphed into rolling alpine scenery (Read: Explore the Tushars on Snowshoe). It was there that the first views of Eagle Point’s five chairlifts came into view.

Ski Slopes All to Yourself

Open to the general public from Friday to Monday during the winter season, Eagle Point is different from most other ski areas. “We are a change from the current modern-day ski experience,” says Eagle Point’s director of marketing Scott Curry. “We don’t have lift lines and [we] offer a one-of-a-kind, throwback friendly vibe.” It really does feel like you are skiing at your own private resort. 

Being three-and-a-half hours from its nearest metro areas (Salt Lake City and Las Vegas), Eagle Point sees a maximum capacity of 1,000 skiers on its busiest days, and a couple hundred on most other days. This makes economics the most important part of keeping the resort afloat.

A lone lift attendant greeted me with a warm smile as I boarded the empty string of chairs to the top. It felt like an early ups scenario, yet it was close to 10 a.m. The sun hit my face, the serenity was surreal. When I disembarked, I did so without intention. I just let my intuition guide me. I had nowhere to be, no one to see and zero pressure from anywhere.  

As the morning progressed, I began to see some of the 60 or so other people sharing this “As You Wish” experience. Some I knew, others I met on the slope or on the chairlift. I skied solo, I skied with others.

The steepest terrain, both groomed and ungroomed, was located just off the Lookout lift. I thought to myself how much fun it would be to ski there alone with a fresh snow. Rumor has it that on powder days you can ski first tracks into the latter part of the afternoon.

“Powder is the only thing that brings people down from the Wasatch,” says assistant director of the ski patrol, Jesse McMullin. “It’s powder, but we don’t need to fight for it.“

Switching It Up

Just after noon, I switched things up. Joined by my wife and daughter, we headed for the upper reaches of the resort. After a bite to eat with a few new friends at the Skyline Lodge, we dedicated a couple hours to teaching my daughter how to ski. With a hula hoop for support and wide open terrain, we felt both alone and at ease once again. 

It was all smiles and sweeping vistas. 

“If you look at the upper side (of the resort) it’s a wide, gentle, consistent grade,” says Curry. “When you bring a family, the feeling of anxiety fades away — no judgments, uncrowded and long visibility down runs.” 

With no real plan for any of our days and a great group of friends both old and new, we split our time between skiing, lounging and après-ing. Unlike most high-end ski resorts which only offer a small percentage of their lodging options as ski-in and ski-out, at Eagle Point, most of the condos, studio cabins and houses are of that variety. With a four-year old in tow, this very accessible home base made it easy for us to hit the slopes for a couple hours, grab lunch at the lodge and then have a rest.

In the evenings, the Canyonside Bar offers a low-key hangout spot for anyone 21 and over. But our ski crew had also come bearing it's own entertainment, including a few DJ’s who brought their decks and speakers. With the stars twinkling above a house nestled in the aspen trees, we chatted and danced. And in the moments before a bright moon shed its light, we basked in the darkness of the night before ending another tranquil day at Eagle Point. 

Our three-night stay at Eagle Point was short, but sweet. It was the perfect amount of time to experience this quiet ski destination in the Tushar Mountains (Read: An Insider's Guide to Hiking in the Tushars). While existing in the family/beginner realm, the resort clearly sets itself apart from other major ski destinations by giving its clientele what they want via good value in a ski-in, ski-out atmosphere. 

The future is bright for this Southern Utah resort as they are chock full of plans, including "expanding the resort with a disciplined attitude to keeping our vibe,” says Curry.