In this village of film-festival fame, sequestered in the north fork of Provo Canyon at the base of Mount Timpanogos, this property is a 5,000-acre showcase for the eco-conscious traveler. Management is striving for something genuine, but there is still enough understated sophistication to justify describing the surroundings as rustic chic. The rarified air and looming, almost menacing, mountain add to the ethereal effect. Summers are rife with wildflowers, winters with boughs burdened with snow.
A catch-and-release trout stream swoops through the property and borders the small parking lot. Walkways follow and cross its course, and one building near it is used for meetings. Creekside, the main building, serves as the central information point. Staffers here take care of on- and off-site recreational arrangements, including the resort's ski school and rental shop, and workshops with the artist-in-residence.
The Tree Room restaurant sports decor that is part Native American, part Butch Cassidy. A large live
tree sits at the center of the venue, and fine western art from the private collection of owner Robert Redford is displayed on the wall. The chef usually prepares seasonal Mountain Cuisine using local trout, lamb, and organic herbs and vegetables from Sundance farms. An inviting adjoining lounge carries on the decor theme. The well-priced Foundry Grill is livelier and friendlier and is open all day. Much of the broad selection on its menu is prepared on the wood-burning grill and rotisserie, and it offers a wider selection of vegetarian dishes than the dinner-only Tree Room. A full-service cowboy saloon features 1890s rosewood bar decor complete with bullet holes that is said to have served Butch Cassidy's Hole-in-the-Wall gang at its original location in Wyoming.
The indoor-outdoor theater stages musicals six times a week in summer, the screening room shows foreign films and documentaries, and art classes are ongoing—activities that are particularly engaging for the younger set. The chairlifts take skiers to 40 trails, seldom with lines, and the resort also has snowshoe rentals and 10 miles of cross-country trails. Summer brings 
hiking, fly-fishing, guided trail rides (on horses or mountain bikes), watersports at nearby Deer Creek Reservoir and a choice of nine local golf courses. First-time visitors to the small spa receive a foot soak and can then choose from a long list of treatments, all influenced by Native American traditions. The fitness center offers workout rooms, daily yoga classes, and saunas and steam rooms.
Meeting rooms host 200 people, with most business coming in the guise of seminars, think-tank conferences and film festivals. The gift shop (the source of the Sundance catalog) and an exceptional delicatessen round out the offerings.
The individually owned cottages include both studios and suites, and the fir and aspen groves nestle a few two- to five-bedroom homes. All reflect the landscape in their custom wood furnishings, natural-pine pillars and fine art. The decor runs the gamut from Ralph Lauren to Native American, with a few leaning toward contemporary. Dried-wildflower arrangements, books and games are a far cry from 
the knickknacks adorning most resort rooms. All units are spacious and feature comfortable beds topped with duvets, private decks, upscale toiletries, and serene wood and mountain views. Most have fireplaces or wood stoves, and all add phones, TVs, VCRs, robes and hair dryers. Each suite is individually decorated but maintains the mountain theme and offers a well-equipped kitchenette and a large bath with slate steam tubs. Many boast cathedral ceilings and sofa or Murphy beds, and some add sleeping lofts. Rooms to avoid are the lower-level, almost-basement rooms with minimal views from their high windows.
After more than 30 years, this environmentally responsible resort continues to offer elegance, intimacy and rustic charm, even though the staff is often more casual than the high prices warrant. Large numbers of visitors here are repeats and locals, and many take advantage of the inviting package deals offered year-round, especially during the film festival and winter holidays, when rack rates are higher.