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Hours of Operation
9:00am-6:00pm (Open Daily)
Admission: Free
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Hours of Operation
9:00am-6:00pm (Open Daily)
Admission: Free
Originally called Timp Haven, the rustic simplicity of Sundance Mountain Resort is graced by 5000 acres of protected wilderness at the base of 12,000 ft Mt. Timpanogos, only an hour’s drive from Salt Lake City. Mountain recreation includes skiing, snowboarding, night skiing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter and hiking, biking and horseback riding in summer and year-round world class fly-fishing on the Provo River.
Originally called Timp Haven, this quaint ski area was owned and operated for two generations by the Stewart family, until it was purchased by Robert Redford in 1969 and renamed Sundance after his iconic film character (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid). Over time, as the property grew from a personal wilderness preserve into an organized destination for arts and recreation, the commercial operation became widely known as Sundance Resort (and later, Sundance Mountain Resort).
A Scottish immigrant named Andrew Jackson Stewart Jr. and his sons first surveyed the rugged canyons beneath Mount Timpanogos in the 1950s. Enamored by the dramatic alpine views, the Stewart family chose to homestead in the area after each member received 160 acres of land under the federal Homestead Act. This early pioneer settlement established the foundational private land boundaries that would eventually host the resort.
By 1911, the descendants of the Stewart family collectively owned 2,200 acres of high alpine ranch land where they raised cattle and sheep during the summer months. The scenic, high altitude basin quickly became known throughout Utah County as Stewart Flats. The family’s agricultural operations kept the canyon pristine and unified under a single line of ownership for decades.
To better manage and expand the family’s growing real estate holdings, the North Fork Investment Company was officially established. The company initially purchased twelve independent 160-acre tracts of land at a modest price of $400 each. Through these strategic buyouts, the company soon controlled over 3,000 continuous acres of prime mountain wilderness.
Winter sports made an official debut in the canyon when the first slalom ski tournament took place on the Mount Timpanogos Glacier. The primitive event attracted rugged local athletes who hiked up the steep slopes to test their turns on the natural summer snowpack. This historic competition proved the area’s legitimate potential for downhill winter recreation.
Ray Stewart and his family formally founded the canyon’s first commercial ski area, naming it Timp Haven. To build community excitement, they launched a naming contest where local resident Ruth Biddulph won a lifetime season pass for submitting the winning title. This milestone marked the official transition of the canyon from a summer livestock ranch into a winter ski hill.
