A Notre Dame Fan's Guide to Sundance Mountain Resort
There comes a point during a good road trip when you almost forget what brought you there in the first place.
Shot by Mary Harris
Come for Football. Stay in the Mountains.
For us, that happened somewhere around Sundance Mountain Resort.
The Irish Tribune traveled to Utah Valley ahead of Notre Dame’s October 17 matchup with BYU, courtesy of Explore Utah Valley, to see what Irish fans could expect when they make the trip west this fall. After touring BYU, exploring downtown Provo and hiking the Y, we made our way through Provo Canyon and eventually arrived at Sundance.
This is where the trip stopped feeling much like a college football media trip.
Over the next couple of days, we fly fished the Lower Provo River, descended more than 2,100 vertical feet on the ZipTour, rode horses beneath Mount Timpanogos, ate considerably better than any of us expected to eat on a football trip and eventually laid our heads beside a mountain stream.
Sundance is close enough to Provo that Notre Dame fans can visit for a few hours or make it their Friday or Sunday excursion. But there’s enough hiding up Provo Canyon that you could just as easily make Sundance half of the vacation.
Shot by Mary Harris
For Notre Dame fans looking to turn the October 17 game into a full Utah vacation, here’s what Sundance offers and how to work it into your weekend.
The Story Behind Sundance
Sundance’s identity begins with the late Robert Redford, who first came through Provo Canyon in 1961 and purchased a small piece of land beneath Mount Timpanogos.
Over the following years, Redford acquired thousands of surrounding acres and began developing what would become Sundance Mountain Resort. His vision was never simply to build another ski destination. Art, recreation and conservation were intended to coexist, with development kept relatively restrained within the surrounding landscape.
That philosophy remains a major part of Sundance today. Roughly 70 percent of the resort’s land is permanently protected as wilderness, while the Resort Village combines lodging, restaurants, shops and art facilities with access to thousands of acres of mountain terrain.
It helps explain why Sundance doesn’t feel like a conventional hotel complex dropped into the mountains. The mountains are the complex.
Where to Stay
Sundance offers three primary lodging experiences: The Inn, Cottages and private Mountain Homes.
The Inn
The Inn is the newest and most conventional hotel option, with 63 rooms and suites located in the heart of the Resort Village. Restaurants, shops, the Art Studio and mountain activities are all within easy walking distance.
Rooms are divided largely by their surroundings, including Mount Timpanogos, ridge and river views. During our stay, we had riverside accommodations where the North Fork Creek could be heard running immediately outside.
Photo via Sundance Mountain Resort
Guests also receive access to The Springs, a collection of three outdoor soaking pools accompanied by a sauna and cold-plunge shower, along with the resort fitness center and wellness programming.
For couples or anyone spending only a night or two at Sundance, The Inn offers the simplest way to stay in the middle of everything.
The Cottages
For something more secluded, Sundance’s Cottages are scattered throughout the woods surrounding the Resort Village while remaining within roughly a five-minute walk of its center.
Accommodations range from individual rooms and studios to larger suites and lofts, with various combinations of fireplaces, decks, kitchenettes and living spaces.
Photo via Sundance Mountain Resort
This is the option for visitors looking for more of the traditional rustic Sundance experience without separating themselves from the resort.
Mountain Homes
Families and larger groups should look at Sundance’s collection of private Mountain Homes.
The properties range from two to six bedrooms, with some accommodating as many as 16 guests. Full kitchens, living areas and private decks come standard, while select homes also offer private hot tubs.
Photo via Sundance Mountain Resort
For a large group splitting the cost of Notre Dame weekend, this is where the math can start getting considerably more interesting than booking several separate hotel rooms.
What to Do
Sundance is probably best known as a ski resort, but there’s plenty to do well before the snow arrives.
Fly Fishing
This would be near the top of my list.
Sundance offers guided fly fishing year-round on the Provo River, a designated Blue Ribbon fishery known especially for its brown trout. Four-hour guided outings are available for beginners and experienced anglers, with equipment and instruction available through Sundance.
Shot by Mary Harris
We spent part of our stay wading into the Lower Provo River with Sundance guides, casting beneath the Wasatch Mountains. Even if you’ve never touched a fly rod before, this is one of the most accessible ways to experience the landscape surrounding the resort.
More importantly for Notre Dame fans, it’s one of the Sundance activities that remains available into October.
ZipTour
For something considerably less relaxing, there’s the ZipTour.
Sundance’s system descends more than 2,100 vertical feet and allows riders to travel side-by-side while controlling their own speed, reaching up to approximately 65 mph.
Photo via Sundance Mountain Resort
We did it during our August visit, and the scale is difficult to appreciate until you’re actually standing above the resort looking down.
ZipTour operates seasonally, however, so Notre Dame fans should confirm October availability before making it part of their plans.
Horseback Riding
Sundance also offers guided horseback rides through the forests, meadows and mountain terrain surrounding the property. Depending on the season, options range from shorter beginner-friendly rides to longer excursions toward Stewart Falls and sunset rides.
Shot by Mary Harris
It was one of the highlights of our stay, but horseback riding is a seasonal offering and should not be assumed to be available during Notre Dame weekend without checking with the resort.
Hiking, Biking and Lift Rides
More than 20 miles of hiking trails run through Sundance, including routes toward Stewart Falls, while the resort also operates lift-served mountain biking during its warmer season.
Scenic lift rides offer another way to get above the resort without committing to a substantial hike, although regular lift and mountain-bike operations are seasonal and typically wind down before Notre Dame arrives in mid-October.
There is one particularly well-timed exception: Sundance currently has its Halloween Lift Rides scheduled for October 15–17, directly overlapping Notre Dame-BYU weekend.
Art at Sundance
Outdoor recreation is only half of the Sundance identity.
Redford envisioned the property as an artistic community as well as a mountain resort, and that remains visible through the Sundance Art Studio & Gallery.
Visitors can participate in classes and workshops involving pottery, jewelry making, painting, printmaking, photography, perfume and soap making. Shorter projects are also available for people who want to make something without sacrificing half of their day.
Photo via Sundance Mountain Resort
The property also maintains a glassblowing operation, where visitors can watch artisans work and purchase pieces made from recycled glass.
It makes Sundance particularly useful for groups or couples who don’t necessarily want to spend the entire weekend hiking, fishing or throwing themselves down a mountain at 65 mph.
Where to Eat and Drink
You could easily spend several days at Sundance without leaving the property for a meal.
Foundry Grill
Foundry Grill is the resort’s primary full-service restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with an emphasis on seasonal American comfort food.
We ate there during our stay, and it’s probably the easiest recommendation for somebody who wants one dependable sit-down meal without turning dinner into a formal occasion.
Shot by Mary Harris
The ‘Dirty Fries’ and the ‘Wagyu Burger’ were top-notch and both a must-try. If you’re feeling up to drinks, the ‘Copper Cherry Mule’ was a really fun, refreshing take on the classic Moscow Mule. And while you’re at it, give the ‘Mango Coconut Cheesecake’ a try, because you deserve dessert at both lunch and dinner.
Tree Room
For a more upscale dinner, the Tree Room is Sundance’s flagship fine-dining restaurant.
Opened in 1970 and constructed around a living tree, the restaurant serves seasonal American cuisine alongside an extensive wine program and pieces from Sundance’s art collection.
Photo via Sundance Mountain Resort
If you’re turning Notre Dame-BYU into a couples trip and want one legitimate date-night dinner in the mountains, this is the move.
Owl Bar
The Owl Bar is the place I’d make sure to visit before leaving.
The 21-and-up bar serves cocktails, beer and food in a rustic building centered around an antique bar that Sundance says once served Butch Cassidy. Live music is regularly part of the schedule.
Photo via Sundance Mountain Resort
It was where we finished our final night at Sundance, sitting beside the fireplace with cocktails after spending the previous two days bouncing between just about every activity we could fit into the itinerary. Let’s just say the Rhuby Road and the Owl Bar Old Fashioned are worth getting… a few of.
Everything Else
For something quicker, The Deli offers coffee, sandwiches, pizza and provisions, while The Lookout provides casual food in the Resort Village. The Library Lounge offers cocktails and smaller plates in a quieter setting.
Higher on the mountain, Bearclaw Cabin serves casual food and drinks with sweeping Wasatch views when seasonal mountain operations allow access.
Spa, Wellness and Shopping
You also don’t have to spend every available hour doing something.
The Spa at Sundance offers massages, facials and body treatments, while lodging guests can use The Springs’ outdoor soaking pools, sauna and cold-plunge shower. Sundance also offers wellness programming that can include yoga, Pilates, meditation and sound-bath experiences.
Photo via Sundance Mountain Resort
The General Store carries Sundance apparel, outdoor gear, handcrafted goods and local artisan work, while the Art Gallery sells pottery, jewelry, paintings, sculptures and glasswork. The Spa also has its own collection of skincare, aromatherapy and home products.
But the souvenirs that make the most sense at Sundance aren’t necessarily the ones with SUNDANCE printed across the chest, although there are some really great options in that vein.
Buy the piece of pottery. Buy the hand-blown glass. Buy something made at Sundance.
How to Build Sundance Into Notre Dame-BYU Weekend
How much of your trip you dedicate to Sundance really depends on what kind of weekend you want.
The quick visit: Drive through Provo Canyon on Friday, stop at Bridal Veil Falls, spend the afternoon exploring Sundance’s Art Studio and shops, grab dinner at Foundry Grill and finish with a drink at Owl Bar before returning to Provo.
Shot by Mary Harris
The one-night excursion: Check into Sundance on Friday, spend the afternoon doing an activity, have dinner and drinks in the Resort Village and spend the night in the mountains. Wake up Saturday, grab breakfast and head back to Provo for Notre Dame-BYU. For a couple turning the game into a long weekend, this is probably the option I’d recommend.
The full vacation: Arrive Thursday, dedicate Friday to Sundance, spend Saturday in Provo for BYU and the game, then return to the mountains Sunday for fly fishing, brunch, the Spa or an Art Studio class before flying home Monday.
Somewhere Along the Way, It Became About More Than Just Football
On our final night at Sundance, as I sat with a cocktail in hand by the fireplace in Redford’s renowned Owl Bar, it occurred to me how ridiculous our itinerary would sound if you stripped away the context.
We had come to Utah Valley to see where Notre Dame would play football in October.
By the time we were sitting beside that fireplace, football wasn’t really what any of us were talking about anymore.
That’s probably the best argument I can make for Sundance.
Notre Dame-BYU gives Irish fans a reason to come to Utah.
Sundance gives them a reason to turn the game into something considerably larger.
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