The Lodge at Blue Sky

Set on 3,500 acres in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains, just 30 minutes from Park City and 40 minutes from Salt Lake City, The Lodge at Blue Sky is a modern ranch retreat with a design focus, elevated cuisine and renowned horsemanship, culinary and art classes and wellness programs at the Edge Spa. The property is both easy to get to and intimate—with fewer than 50 rooms and suites, many of which are flawlessly built into the hillside and covered by native grasses and wildflowers come summer. (The Lodge at Blue Sky, which opened in May of 2019, was also a popular hideaway during Covid for Indagare members.) All accommodations feature a sleek aesthetic of clean lines, natural woods, glass, local stone and leather. For those looking for a serious nature fix, there’s no shortage of year-round adventures in the great outdoors, including on-property hiking and biking trails, a top-notch horseback-riding program, fly-fishing and an 18-stand sporting clay shooting course in warmer months; and snowshoeing as well as cross-country, downhill and heli-skiing in winter.

**The Standout: **The fantastic equestrian program and on-site horse rescue foundation

**Don't Miss: **A visit to the hotel's private ski-in/ski-out lounge at the base of Park City Mountain (in winter) and live music and whiskey tastings at High West Distillery (in summer)

• The adults-only Creek Houses, with floor-to-ceiling windows
• The female-led organic farm on-property
• Yuta, the farm-to-table restaurant, which celebrates Native American traditions

Located in the Wasatch Mountains just a 40-minute drive from the Salt Lake City Airport, the Lodge at Blue Sky, part of the Auberge Collection, offers a contemporary ranch-style experience focused on wellness, dining and the great outdoors.

The property is intimate, with fewer than 50 rooms separated into three different sections: the spacious Sky Rooms in the main building (the smallest start at 570 square feet); the Earth Suites (separate structures that easily connect and are great for families, but feel slightly less private); and the five Creek Houses, located at the bottom of the hill (extremely private and adults-only). The design elements throughout are sleek and elevated, featuring natural woods, glass, local stone and leather. Thoughtful details in all of the rooms include backpacks and walking sticks for on-property hikes, as well as a curated collection of books for a quiet afternoon.

Yuta, the main restaurant, focuses on local produce and pays homage to native American cuisine from the area. The High West Distillery, which also has a location in Park City, is not part of the hotel, but is located on Blue Sky's property (making it an easy option for guests to dine outside the hotel while remaining nearby). The Refectory, the restaurant at High West Distillery, is open Thursday to Saturday for lunch and Sunday for brunch. Advanced reservations are highly recommended as space fills up quickly. Activities include hiking with or without a guide, biking and fly-fishing in nearby rivers, but the real draw is the horseback riding and horsemanship program (based on the vaquero method championed by Buck Brenneman, the original “horse whisperer”), as well as the clay shooting club on the ranch, where guests can take part in both the 18-stand sporting clay course or a simulated drive. Winter activities include snow shoeing, cross country skiing and, since the lodge is located only 30 minutes from Park City, skiing at the nearby mountain resorts, as well as heli-skiing directly from the property. When skiing at Park City Mountain Resort, guests can take advantage of the hotels private ski lounge based at the foot of the resort as well as the complimentary shuttle service between the hotel and the lounge.

The extensive wellness program encompasses specialty treatments, yoga, meditation and sound bathing in the spa or even outdoors in a mountain yurt. (Parents can enjoy a treatment while their children are entertained in the Little Vaquero Program.) Activities tend to be quite expensive, but the property does have some complimentary offerings, and guests are able to hike and bike around the ranch at their leisure. There are complimentary vehicles available at a first-come first-served basis for guests to take out and explore the area.

Couples, families and groups seeking a Wild West experience in a modern and design-forward setting.

The activities are expensive, so travelers looking for more of a value option should consider another property. The design is contemporary, so those looking for an old-school ranch with a traditional atmosphere may prefer another property, as well.