Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort is nestled near the historic mining town of Alta, in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. This mountain oasis is approximately 29 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, in Little Cottonwood Canyon at an elevation of 8,100 feet. While Snowbird is world famous for skiing, the area also provides great year-round recreational opportunities.

Miles of historic mining roads and newly developed ski hill roads provide an extensive trail system leading up from Snowbird to adjacent peaks topping out at around 11,000 feet in elevation. If the thought of walking up that high sounds like too much of a challenge, take a ride on the 125-passenger Aerial Tram from Snowbird to Hidden Peak and you are at the top!

You don’t even have to leave the Snowbird area to enjoy the scents and scenes of the Wasatch Mountains. Adults and children of all ages and abilities can enjoy this low impact trail experience. There is a wheelchair accessible, Barrier Free Trail at Snowbird that offers a one-mile round-trip nature walk that begins at the Snowbird Plaza and ends up at a beautiful observation deck overlooking the Gad Valley.

Six miles back down Little Cottonwood Canyon and you are back in The Valley of the Great Salt Lake. The Great Salt Lake is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere and one of only 17 sites of hemispheric importance, which make up the Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network. Antelope Island, in the Great Salt Lake, with one of the only unfenced bison a herd in the states also has antelope, deer and big horn sheep populations and is an anticipated sage grouse reestablishment area.

Here is just a sampling of the “can’t miss” activities that are available to you as you plan your trip to Snowbird:

On-property activities at Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort: Aerial tram rides, ZipRider, Mechanical Bull rides, Alpine Slide, Peruvian Chair & Tunnel, Bungy Trampoline and more. Further information can be found online at www.snowbird.com.

Other Nearby activities: Hiking, Horseback Riding, Fly Fishing, Polaris Ranger Tours, Mountain Bike riding and more.

Oktoberfest: Attracting over 70,000 visitors over the seventeen-day celebration, Oktoberfest has grown to become one of the largest festivals in the state of Utah. Oktoberfest includes Oktoberfest Halle featuring the tastes of Bavaria with entertainment from local and national German bands and yodelers. Oktoberfest offers fun activities for children of all ages; Der Marktplatz will allow shoppers to browse through a variety of crafters. Open weekends through October 10, 2010!

Visit Salt Lake: Located a short 35-minute drive from Salt Lake International Airport, Snowbird is North America’s most accessible year-round resort with all the amenities of a world-class city only minutes away. While in the area, be sure to take advantage of the bounty of activities available in nearby Salt Lake City, including: the Utah Olympic Park, Hogle Zoo, Living Planet Aquarium, Tracy Aviary, Utah Museum of Natural History and more. For more information, visit www.visitsaltlake.com.

Beyond Salt Lake City: Thinking about coming to Utah early or staying after the conference? Don’t miss this opportunity to visit some of the nation’s most stunning national parks and areas of interest such as Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Yellowstone and Moab, Utah.

The Wasatch Cache National Forest has two camping areas in the Snowbird area, Tanner’s Flat and Albion Basin. Tanner’s Flat is below Snowbird, at about 7,200 feet, and Albion Basin is near the top of the Canyon at 9,500 feet.  Both of these campgrounds are somewhat small and reservations are suggested, but first come, first served sites are available. Weather conditions in the may vary considerably but campers should expect cool nights and possible thunderstorms.

Wildlife viewing opportunities abound in Little Cottonwood Canyon.  That’s the primary reasons we wanted to hold the meeting up here. Moose, elk, deer and mountain goats are the larger species you may spot with pika and chipmunks at the other end of the size spectrum. The entire area is aspen conifer and high alpine in nature. Whenever you hike be ready for steep terrain; it is usually up from anywhere in the canyon or upper basin. There is a good canyon mountain road complex for access to most areas in the Basin. Little Cottonwood Creek is stocked with trout for recreational fishing.

Please note that dogs are not allowed in the Snowbird area, or Big or Little Cottonwood Canyons, because these are culinary watershed areas for Salt Lake Valley.

Statewide big game hunting opportunities are scheduled for fall and early winter and many hunts are limited to special permit holders. Check the wildlife.utah.gov site for details on hunting and fishing or the Outdoors in Utah web site for additional information.

The Wildlife Society and the Utah Chapter of TWS are really excited to share this mountain experience with you as we join to discuss the conservation challenges wildlife professionals face in their daily lives. The unique scenery and atmosphere at Snowbird will help us all to relate to the values we share and are working to preserve.