SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — For 10 days each year, Utah’s snow-covered peaks provide a backdrop for the Sundance Film Festival, which ended yesterday. But all season long, the Beehive State’s jagged mountains provide not just ambiance, but some of the best opportunities around for skiing and snowboarding.

Throughout Utah, license plates, billboards, and T-shirts boast of the “Greatest Snow on Earth.” Throughout the greater Salt Lake City area, snow bunnies will find a wonderland of light, dry powder, and a smorgasbord of recreational activities. From pristine hills of backcountry snow to the groomed trails of luxurious ski stations, the choices are endless. Here’s what you can expect at some of the area’s standout resorts.

DEER VALLEY

Situated in Park City, Deer Valley Resort has gained a reputation for being one of Utah’s most elite — and pricey — ski destinations. This year, Ski magazine named it North America’s no. 1 ski resort for its service and quality of trails.

Deer Valley sprawls across 2,026 acres of the Wasatch Mountains, boasting 99 trails, six bowls, and 10 on-mountain restaurants. Private ski lessons and the chance to attend training camps directed by Olympic medal winners are among the selling points for the resort; other perks include ski valets who carry your skis for you and limited lift-ticket sales that ensure the lift lines aren’t crowded.

The resort has a number of idyllic lodges — some of which are nestled in the depths of snow at a cozy 8,300 feet above sea level — and luxury dining and spa amenities are also draws. Rooms can cost anywhere between $200 and $2,000 a night. Early December and early April — the ski season is set to end on April 13 — are considered the value seasons for lodging, but discount packages are available year-round.

The resort is open exclusively to skiers — snowboarding is not allowed.

(Park City, Utah, 800-424-DEER, deervalley.com, typical full-day lift tickets, $79, adults; $56, seniors; $47, children 4–12; half-day and multi-day passes are also available.)

BRIGHTON

While Deer Valley caters to skiers, Brighton is better-known as a haven for snowboarders. The resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon is about 35 minutes from the Salt Lake City International Airport. This 1,050-acre ski-snowboard resort features multiple freestyle parks, a half-pipe, and the largest night-skiing terrain in the area with 200 lighted acres and 22 runs. The resort also has an on-site ski-snowboard school — offering private and group, hour-long and day-long lessons. There’s a laid-back atmosphere at Brighton, where locals come in droves to kick back on well-groomed snow.

Brighton opens in mid-November and closes in mid-April. The resort has one 20-room lodge, where the rates are between $99 and $175. Other nearby rooms for rent and chalets are also available.

(Brighton, Utah, 800-873-5512, brightonresort.com, typical full-day lift tickets, $53, adults; $10, seniors; $25, children 7–12; $46, half-day; children 6 and under ski free; $30, night rides.)

SNOWBIRD

Snowbird is a world-renowned resort nestled in the upper reaches of Little Cottonwood Canyon, which runs parallel to Big Cottonwood Canyon. Since opening its doors in 1971, it has maintained its reputation for having impeccable, picture-perfect trails.

The resort is located about 40 minutes from Salt Lake City, but direct shuttles, rental cars, taxis, and charter buses make frequent trips from the airport to the canyon. Snowbird has 2,500 skiable acres, but a cooperative agreement with a neighboring ski-only resort, Alta, makes it possible to buy a combined lift ticket and have access to up to 4,700 acres.

The highest of Snowbird’s lifts soars up to 11,000 feet, where the snow is even colder and drier. As a result of the park’s altitude, it boasts one of the longest operating seasons, opening in mid-November and closing in mid-May, conditions permitting. Aside from skiing and snowboarding, the park offers snowmobiling, tubing, orienteering, and snowshoe tours.

Lessons on how to ride the resort’s 329-foot-long, 18-foot-tall Superpipe, and pointers on navigating a new terrain park with medium jumps and rails, are also available. In the summer, the resort stays open to mountain bikers and hikers. Snowbird has four on-site lodges with more than 800 rooms, a variety of dining opportunities, and spa services.

(Snowbird, Utah, 800-232-9542, snowbird.com, typical ticket cost, $69 full-day tram and chairs, adults; half-day, $52, adults; $39 full-day tram and chairs, children 7–12 ($29, chairs only); $79 full-day at Alta-Snowbird, adults; children 6 and under ride free [chairs only]; discount multi-day passes available.)

SUNDANCE

Sundance Resort has created a world of its own in the shadow of Mount Timpanogos in Provo Canyon. Off the beaten path — about an hour from the Salt Lake City airport — and smaller in size than Utah’s other major resorts, Sundance offers a year-round, unique experience and a combination of art and recreation that is unparalleled.

Actor Robert Redford bought the relatively small resort in 1969, opting not to develop the stunning land into condominiums and houses. Instead, he embarked on an effort to preserve and respect the nature surrounding Sundance, an endeavor that becomes obvious to visitors who come to snowshoe, downhill ski, or cross-country ski at the resort.

There are a number of studios, suites, and mountain lofts available for lodging; its spa services and fine dining options have earned the resort a number of awards, including a spot on the 2008 Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List.

Sundance has 450 skiable acres and an elevation of 8,250 feet. The resort also offers daily classes in drawing, painting, pottery, photography, and jewelry making. Art and film exhibits and an authors’ series provide other opportunities for escape.

Sundance prides itself on being eco-friendly, doing things such as using organic soaps that are made on-site, taking steps to conserve energy and water, and partaking in annual mountain restoration projects.

(Sundance, Utah, 801-225-4107, sundanceresort.com, typical full-day lift tickets, $35–$45, adults; $20, children 6–12; $12, seniors; children 5 and under ski free; half-day passes $28–36, adults.)