What it is

Robert Redford’s 5,000 acre retreat, with three legendary restaurants and Utah’s longest zipline.

What it isn't

Just about skiing. Yes, this is often ranked the top ski resort in the country, but it’s also home to every other covetable vacation exploit, from an art studio to fly fishing to horseback riding.

What we think

Robert Redford is no slouch. So it tracks that his Sundance Mountain Resort is Perfect with a capital P, from the Zagat-beloved Tree Room restaurant dotted with his own western memorabilia to the Sundance art studio, where you can try your hand at soap making or pottery for a HGTV-worthy apres-ski experience. We love the woodsy feel of the rooms, each of which is like a Ralph Lauren fever dream sprung to life with their exposed beam walls, burnished wood and stone finishes, and cinematic black and white photography of, say, wild horses on the lam. Each is stocked with a DVD player, iPod dock, and luxury linens and robes, but we’d wager that the best amenity of all is the two lift tickets. Oh Robert, you shouldn’t have!

You're here because

Redford scored an 1890 rosewood bar where Butch Cassidy once drank from Thermopolis, Wyoming, for the Sundance Owl Bar. So yes, you can tip back whiskey with the ghost of a wild west legend.

The Moment

When you heard the Tree Room was built around a literal tree, you thought you’d heard wrong. But there it is: an ode to the forest, right in the middle of an award-winning dining room. Sitting by a stone fireplace designed by Redford himself, you order the most blockbuster-ready meal you can think of: a pepper steak with buttermilk mashed potatoes and mango chutney.

Restaurants & Bars

- BEARCLAW CABIN - Enjoy tacos, burritos, nachos and drinks at the top of the mountain

- OWL BAR - creative cocktails

Location

At the base of the slopes in Sundance, Utah, about an hour’s drive from Park City and an hour from Salt Lake.