Utah’s new luxury getaway is a private wilderness retreat with a difference.
Rays of sun create a magical sparkle across the snowy forest floor as I’m instructed to close my eyes. The wintery setting amidst a grove of aspens feels too pretty to shut out, but I do as I’m told.
Naomi, my energy guide, instructs me to quiet my mind so I can listen and feel. The air has a chill, but the midday sun warms my face as I stand silently. We’re standing alongside Alexander Creek and its soft gurgle soon lulls me into a state of calm. I’m unsure how much time passes before Naomi rings a bell, the signal to open my eyes. The sky seems to have taken on a deeper shade of blue and the snow a fresh sparkle. She hands me a mug of steamy elderberry sage tea and I sip as we begin our mindful walk along the aspen-lined trail that leads back to the Lodge at Blue Sky.
The Japanese practice of forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is just one of the unique stress-melting experiences at this intimate 46-room property managed by luxury Auberge Resorts. Spread across 3,500 acres between Utah’s Uinta and Wasatch mountain ranges, the Lodge at Blue Sky is a true private wilderness retreat. While it may feel remote, we’re less than an hour’s drive from Salt Lake City International Airport, and from the slopes of Park City and Deer Valley only 30 minutes.
While most of my ski trips are about the adrenaline, this late spring visit tempers thrills with grounding therapies and relaxing spa treatments. For devoted skiers, a complimentary shuttle is on call to whisk you to Blue Sky’s private ski lounge at the base of Park City. Homemade pastries and vintage ski films are in the background. A host assists with anything from ski tune-ups to massages upon your return.
Why wait in a lift line when exclusive winter adventures await? The hotel offers heli-skiing from the door, accessing 200,000 acres of chutes and alpine bowls in the Uinta and Wasatch Mountain ranges. Through a partnership with Inspired Summit Adventure, there’s snowmobile-accessed ski touring, riding deep into the Uinta Range then transitioning to backcountry skis or a splitboard to make fresh tracks. The hotel also arranges guided snowmobiling in the open meadows of Uinta National Forest, fat biking, Nordic skiing, and ice fishing. Or from the doorstep, strap on snowshoes and follow a trail to a secluded yurt for a fondue lunch or fireside yoga.
I try to do it all, balancing the action with time at the Edge Spa, named for its dramatic rocky perch overlooking Alexander Creek. Each morning, I warm up in the movement studio with ski-specific yoga flows or muscle-melting foam rolling classes. At day’s end, there are tension-alleviating CBD massages, sweat sessions in the barrel sauna, sound-bathing ceremonies and, my favorite, a chakra sleep ritual led by resident healer, Sugar Nap.
Sugar suggests the ritual take place in the comfort of my suite, first clearing the room’s energy by waving bundles of burning sage. I lie on the couch, propped with pillows and cocooned in a blanket, as she gently places crystals on my chakras and guides me through a meditation to clear my internal energy and achieve deep rest. Nearly two hours later, I awake refreshed, as if I’d dozed soundly for eight hours. Sugar was far gone by then, but left a note encouraging me to linger in my rested state. I soak in my massive egg-shaped stone tub, gazing over snow-dusted mountains framed like a painting in the picture window.
Accommodations come in a variety of layouts. Five one-room oxidized-steel Creek Houses have a modern cabin vibe and feature gas fireplaces and terraces overlooking a babbling brook. The Earth House is built into a hillside, the roofs of its 22 suites blanketed in grass with cedar-and-limestone outdoor fireplaces. My suite, Peregrine 16, is in the main Sky Lodge, convenient for the restaurant, bar, and gym. Of the 19 accommodations in this building, the two-bedroom Signature Suites suit families and groups of friends. Spanning two floors, there’s a dining table for eight, large patio, and can be customized with a Peloton bike, Go Pro camera, Theragun self-massager, even a mini glamping tent for the kids. By 2026, the property will offer 64 residences on a 550-acre swath of land just to the west of the current resort.
On my final cold, snowy evening, I’m thankful to be in the Sky Lodge, where the bar and Yuta restaurant are steps from my suite. The on-site farm supplies organic eggs and honey, and most other ingredients come from neighboring farms and local suppliers. Chef Guillermo Tellez, a native of Mexico, is a natural fit having previously worked at Flora Farms restaurant in Baja California Sur. After a decadent dinner of caviar hashbrowns and elk chop with charred broccolini purée, smoked potato and fermented plum, I wander into the bar as the band set up for the evening’s acoustic set.
The bartender recommends the Horse Thief – a mix of tequila, green chartreuse, ginger and lime syrups, muddled blackberries, and High West Campfire whiskey distilled on-site. Proceeds from this cocktail support horse-loving lodge owner Barb Philipps’ Saving Gracie Equine Healing Foundation. Reason enough for another round.
