Deer Valley or Rapid City?

Neither city has a proper beach, but Rapid City has the slightly better swimming. Sheridan Lake, Pactola Reservoir and Sylvan Lake lie among the pines within half an hour, with clear water that is pleasant in high summer.

Deer Valley's choice comes down to the sandy shore at Jordanelle state park or Deer Creek Reservoir, both boating lakes first. Most visitors there end up swimming in the hotel pool.

Deer Valley eats somewhat better, mostly because Park City's Main Street has more steakhouses, sushi bars and modern American bistros than a town its size would normally have. The polish is in the upscale tier, along with the turkey chili ritual at the base area.

Rapid City's appeal is regional rather than refined: bison burgers, chislic and Indian tacos on Lakota fry bread, plus a few brewpubs downtown. It is hearty and local, but chain restaurants line the highways.

Rapid City has more for sightseers, though neither is a culture destination. Its downtown has bronze statues of the presidents on the street corners, and the Journey Museum covers Lakota history and the gold rush. The fossils at the Museum of Geology make a good next stop.

Deer Valley's heritage is borrowed from Park City's restored silver-mining Main Street, with its museum in the old city hall and the Olympic Park's ski jumps. Together they fill an afternoon at most.

Both are early-night towns, and the difference is in mood. Park City's Main Street fills with après-ski crowds, saloons and cocktail bars on winter weekends, under Utah's liquor rules. Rapid City's few downtown blocks lean towards brewpubs and country-music bars, except during the Sturgis rally in early August, when the whole region runs loud and late.

Both are excellent bases for the outdoors, but Deer Valley has the edge, mainly because of the skiing. It has its own immaculate slopes, Park City Mountain next door and Utah powder in the Cottonwood Canyons. In summer the runs become linked biking and hiking trails at about 2,000m.

Rapid City's landscape is more varied than alpine. It has the granite Needles, bison and pronghorn in Custer State Park, Wind Cave and Jewel Cave underground, and the Badlands an hour east. Winter adds little beyond one small ski hill.

Rapid City wins easily. Mount Rushmore is half an hour away, and the Crazy Horse Memorial, Deadwood's brick gold-rush streets and the Mammoth Site at Hot Springs give you a different outing every day. The Minuteman Missile silo and Wall lie east along the interstate.

From Deer Valley, the main trip is to Salt Lake City and Temple Square, with smaller outings to Midway, the Heber Valley steam railway and Sundance.

Rapid City is the better all-round family choice. Generations of road-tripping children have watched bison stop traffic, panned for gold, toured caves and climbed onto the concrete dinosaurs. Motels with pools are everywhere.

Deer Valley is excellent if the family skis, with strong children's ski schools, gentle groomed runs and no snowboarders. Beyond the slopes and the Olympic Park's tubing and coaster, though, children's attractions are an hour's drive away.

Deer Valley is far easier without a car. Fare-free buses link its base areas with Main Street and Park City Mountain, and ski-in lodging lets the car sit for days. Trips further afield still mean driving, and snow tyres matter in winter.

In Rapid City a car is essential. Beyond the walkable downtown, buses don't reach the parks or hill towns, though the scenic roads through the hills are part of the reason to come.

Neither is worth the journey for shopping, but they sell different things. In Park City it is mountain gear, galleries and upmarket boutiques along the old Main Street, plus the outlets at Kimball Junction. Rapid City's specialities are regional: Black Hills gold jewellery and Lakota quillwork, beadwork and star quilts.

This is the sharpest difference between the two. Deer Valley is among the world's most expensive ski resorts. Lodging, lift access, ski school and meals are all priced at the top end, and many visitors sleep in the Heber Valley or Salt Lake City to cope.

Rapid City is moderate by American standards, with sensible motels and plenty of free sights. Car hire, fuel and park entry fees add up, and the summer peak and rally week cost more.

Deer Valley has slightly more to offer, especially in summer, when the Utah Symphony's outdoor festival brings picnics on the grass at Snow Park. The 1920s Egyptian Theatre on Main Street stages shows all year.

Rapid City's most distinctive performances are its powwows, above all the big one held each autumn. The other highlight is summer theatre among the pines in Custer State Park.

Deer Valley is clearly the better place to unwind in style, with fireside lodges, terrace hot tubs and polished hotel spas used to aching skiers' legs. The warm spring pool inside Midway's limestone Homestead Crater adds an unusual soak half an hour away.

Rapid City has few spas of note. Its restful side is the historic spring-fed pool at Hot Springs, an hour south, and slow cabin stays in the hills.