The sun sets over white snowy mountain peaks near Park City, Utah.

Conserve & Preserve

“Our commitment to Sundance has always been to develop very little and preserve a great deal.”
– Robert Redford

Every day is Green at Sundance Mountain Resort.

Sundance Mountain Resort has a long standing history of Green policies, dating back to the property’s original purchase in 1969. Today, Sundance Mountain Resort continues to update and implement new techniques and technologies, staying at the forefront of environmental stewardship.

Both visitors and lodging guests can participate in our resort-wide recycling program. Sundance Mountain Resort recycles cardboard, cans, paper and plastic on-site.

Conservation Easements

Conservations Easements are the bedrock for preservation in the Sundance Northfork Canyon. Nestled at the base of 12,000-foot Mount Timpanogos in Utah, the Sundance Mountain Resort calls the Sundance Preserve its home. Protective covenants cover 3,343 acres of land along with the Redford Family Nature and Wildlife Preserve consisting of 860 acres of protected land.

The Sundance Preserve is dedicated to maintaining the balance of art, nature and community as well as the cultivation of independent, innovative thought among artists, scholars, scientists, public policy and business leaders. Residing within the protected splendor of its own preserved lands, it is the mission of the Sundance Preserve to inspire action for the benefit of civil society.

Green Lodging

Guests who stay at Sundance Resort can participate in the linen re-use program, which saves water, energy, and reduces waste. All Sundance rooms are cleaned using non-toxic cleaning supplies, and guests are given the opportunity to recycle their paper, cans and glass products in their guest rooms.

Sundance water throughout the resort and in every lodging accommodation comes from local mountain-fed springs. Due to the purity of our water and in our effort to conserve whenever possible, we do not offer bottled water in our lodging units. It is available for purchase on property, and we encourage guests to recycle the plastic bottles when finished.

A Message From Robert Redford and the Redford Center

My son James and I started The Redford Center: a non-profit organization set up to harnesses the power of documentary films and impact campaigns to help make the world a better place.

About four years ago The Redford Center set out to do something about climate change. We felt that the pervasive, apocalyptic climate story we were hearing was helping create urgency and awareness of the climate problem but it was not moving enough people into action. This is why we created, The Happening Project, to make sure people are also hearing climate solutions stories and progress stories, understanding where they fit in, and making sure they know that their actions do matter and that they will be in good company if they get inspired to get involved.

At the center of The Happening Project is the latest Redford Center film, Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution, that James is directing and starring in. It will air on HBO starting December 11, 2017 … It is our most ambitious project and is a direct response to the climate crisis—answering the questions: What can we do? Where is the hope?

Recycled Glassworks

Because recycling glass in Utah presents a set of challenges, Sundance Mountain Resort installed its own glass works kiln. Wine and other glass bottles used at Sundance Mountain Resort are not only recycled onsite, but are turned into decorative art and housewares for use around the property. Glass blowers from Tlaquepaque, Guadalajara (best known for its hand-blown glass) come each year to blow our glass on-site. In a perfect fusion of artistic and environmental purposes, they transform hot molten balls of discarded glass into art pieces, vases, wine glasses, dinner plates or pitchers, many of which you will use again in the restaurants or experience at other venues around the resort. The glass blowing artists use up to five 30 gallon barrels of glass each day and are able to produce as many as 500 glasses each day.

Green Purchasing

The General Store and Deli purchase environmentally responsible products. The General Store purchases recycled cotton grocery bags, organic cotton t-shirts and housewares made from natural and recycled materials. Our restaurant and catering teams use organic produce and products, as well as chlorine free products such as paper cups and coffee filters. Sundance utilizes many local vendors to keep shipping costs and fuel consumption down. We recycle all packing materials on shipments to the resort.

Green Products and Building

A Green Building Policy guides all new development and remodeling projects at Sundance. For instance, the Spa at Sundance contains many environmentally responsible building products including low VOC paint, water saving devices, energy efficient lighting and heating, wallboard made from sunflower seed hulls and the use of Trestlewood – a lumber salvaged from the Great Salt Lake.

The Redford Conference Center features geothermal heating and cooling. 95 percent of the lights in the Redford Conference Center are LED or fluorescent, the carpet is cradle to cradle certified and 100 percent PVC-free, wood finishes are all reclaimed materials including barn wood, snow fence, and corral boards. The hearthstone is a locally quarried (within 30 miles) piece of stone that required only 2 cuts for installation. In place of traditional stain, 70 pounds of coffee grounds and 70 gallons of coffee were used on the building. Additionally, only three trees were removed to build the center and all rocks were re-used in landscaping.

Mountain Restoration

Sundance Mountain Resort mountain staff implements ongoing mitigation projects each year aimed at restoring the mountain to its natural state by working to eliminate noxious weeds on the mountain, laying erosion blankets, and restoring vegetation where seasonal land use has altered the terrain.