Keystone or Park City?

Neither town is a beach destination, and in both most people get into the water through a hotel pool or hot tub. The difference is the lake. Dillon Reservoir below Keystone is for sailing and the views, because the snowmelt water is too cold and swimming is mostly not allowed. Park City's Jordanelle Reservoir has sandy swimming areas and picnic lawns, so on a hot July day you can actually go for a short, chilly swim.

Keystone's food is resort food: grills and pizza at the bases, burgers with craft beer, and one more ambitious dining room up the gondola. Many guests cook in their condo or drive to Frisco or Breckenridge for more choice.

Park City eats noticeably better. Its wealthy ski crowd supports a cluster of serious restaurants along Main Street, serving elk, bison and trout, and Salt Lake City is close when you want more variety. Neither town has a regional cuisine to discover.

Park City has more to see, because it is an old silver-mining town rather than a resort built for skiing. Main Street's restored wooden storefronts, the headframes on the slopes, the Park City Museum in the old city hall and the Olympic museums at the 2002 Games park will fill an afternoon.

Keystone's River Run Village is modern and practical. Its history lies outside the resort, in the cabins and ruins of the Snake River valley and the Victorian towns nearby.

Neither is a place for late nights, but Park City has more going on. Its short stretch of saloons and cocktail bars on Main Street, some with bands or DJs, can get rowdy at the height of ski season, though it still winds down well before the small hours.

Keystone's evenings are mostly après-ski on the River Run decks and then an early night, which suits the families and first-chair skiers it attracts. People who want more take the short trip to Breckenridge.

Both are first-class mountain bases, and the difference is in the kind of mountain. Keystone sits higher, with bowls above 3,600m, Arapahoe Basin a few minutes away and Breckenridge, Copper and Vail within an hour. In summer you can climb nearby 14,000ft peaks, walk the alpine tundra and sail on Dillon Reservoir.

Park City has two large ski areas rising straight from town, and Utah's light powder at Alta and Snowbird is over the ridge. In summer it is the stronger mountain-biking base, with singletrack starting in the streets, and there is fly fishing on the Provo and Weber rivers.

Keystone has more places within reach for a day off the slopes. Victorian Breckenridge is about half an hour away. Georgetown and Silver Plume, linked by their loop railway, and Idaho Springs lie over the Divide. Leadville's opera house and Vail's village are within easy reach, and Denver is further down I-70.

Park City's best outing is Salt Lake City, for Temple Square and the State Capitol. After that come the Heber Valley steam railway, Swiss-style Midway, Ogden's old station and the Sundance canyon road, and then the options run out.

Both work well for a family ski trip. Keystone's extras are winter treats: the snow fort on the mountain, tubing and the huge skating rink on the frozen lake at Lakeside. Its condos with kitchens and short walks to the lifts make things easier for parents.

Park City has more to do once the skiing is over. Children can try the alpine coaster, ziplines and ropes courses at the Olympic Park, and there are alpine slides in summer, with Salt Lake City's zoo and aquarium within an hour. In both places, the altitude can tire young children for the first day or two.

Park City is easier to get around. Free buses link Main Street, both ski bases and Kimball Junction, and Salt Lake City's airport is about 40 minutes away by shuttle.

Keystone is spread over three bases joined by shuttles, though county buses also run free to Breckenridge and Frisco. The trip up from Denver over I-70 is longer, and in winter snow, chain rules and weekend traffic can slow it down. Neither town has a train, and a hire car helps in both if you want to explore further.

Park City is nicer for browsing. Its Main Street has art galleries, Western-wear and cowboy-boot shops, jewellers and ski fashion, and there are outlets at Kimball Junction. Keystone's own shops sell little beyond ski gear and gifts, so for brand-name bargains people head to the large outlet centre in Silverthorne, about ten minutes away.

Both are expensive, especially in ski season, and the Christmas and New Year weeks cost the most in both. Free buses help in both, and summer is easier on the wallet in both.

The ways to save are different. In Keystone, condo kitchens and supermarkets in Dillon and Silverthorne make self-catering easy. Park City visitors on a budget often stay in Salt Lake City or the Heber Valley and drive up for the day.

Park City has a little more of its own. The Egyptian Theatre, a 1920s playhouse on Main Street, puts on plays, comedy and small concerts all year, and in summer the Utah Symphony plays on the lawns at Deer Valley.

Keystone's performances are mostly outdoor summer festivals in the resort's villages. Year round, it relies on its neighbours: Dillon's amphitheatre by the reservoir, Breckenridge's summer classical festival and the professional theatre company at Silverthorne's arts centre.

Park City is the better place to unwind. The big lodges at Deer Valley and the Canyons base run large, polished spas. About 25 minutes away, the Homestead Crater lets you swim in water at about 35°C inside a limestone dome.

In Keystone, relaxing mostly means the hot tub outside your lodge or condo and a massage at a resort spa. The nearest natural hot springs are over the pass at Idaho Springs.