Some 6,000 acres of protected wilderness cradle Sundance Village, a collection of rustic, wood-framed western buildings that seem as rooted to their surroundings as the towering groves of trees and mountain peaks around them. Within these structures are the resort’s mainstays—restaurants, a general store, working artist studios and shops, a screening room, a rehearsal hall and an outdoor theater. Are you getting the idea? Creativity is nurtured, and no senses go untouched.

STAY
Set like clusters of treehouses amid verdant spruce and aspen groves that stretch upward toward the summit of Mt. Timpanogos, Sundance’s “cottage neighborhoods” (River Run, Pines and Mandan) feature 96 wood-sided cottages. While interiors echo the natural surroundings in color and material, they also offer every creature comfort, including hand-hewn furnishings, Native American art, wood-burning stone fireplaces, downy bedcovers and satellite television (featuring the Sundance Channel, of course). Views are unmatched. A network of tree-lined footpaths makes for easy access to the village.

Visitors can choose from a variety of accommodations, each with an individual appeal. Cozy up in a studio, with queen or twin beds and a private bath. Open bay-style Sundance Suites are larger and also have mini kitchens, fireplaces or wood stoves, and private decks. Mountain Suites are roomier still, with separate master bedrooms, a full living room, and a kitchen and dining area. Located on hillsides above the cottages, Mountain Homes are deluxe, with one to five bedrooms, central living areas and spacious kitchens providing a true taste of the Sundance lifestyle.

EAT
Sundance is legendary for its “earth to table” cuisine, or cookery, as it’s known, and you won’t want to let a mealtime go by without indulging heartily.

The convivial Foundry Grill serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Open and airy, it features a wall of windows that let the outside in, an impressive collection of antique farm and ranching tools, and a bigger-than-life mural of stampeding horses. Daily, the wood-burning grill, rotisserie and oven in the open kitchen fire up to turn out specialties of the American West. On Sundays, the grill serves up one of the best brunches in the West. Make room for everything from octopus and cactus seafood salad to raspberry French toast with vanilla bean butter, made-to-order omelets and banana-chocolate mousse cake.

At least one night, you’ll want to make a reservation at the famed Tree Room. Lit by flickering candles and firelight, Redford’s collection of black-and-white movie photos (can you pick out the Sundance Kid?) mix perfectly with museum-quality Native American artwork and artifacts—drums, baskets, earthenware vessels and hand-loomed rugs. On the menu: wild mushroom tarts, foie gras with apples presented three ways, Niman Ranch pork, pepper steak with mango chutney, and apple galette with ginger ice cream.

Before or after dinner, stop in the Owl Bar for a Three Amigos margarita or a local Uinta Cutthroat Pale Ale, hear some live music, and check out the restored 1890s wooden bar that was once a hangout for Butch Cassidy’s Hole-in-the-Wall gang in Thermopolis, Wyoming. For snacks, the tin counters, wood shelves and takeout counter in the country-store-style Sundance Deli Grocery offer everything from Sundance Farms jams to freshly made sandwiches to basic groceries for back at the cottage.

SHOP
Stepping into the Sundance General Store is like walking into the pages of the Sundance Catalog, which was, in fact, inspired by the resort’s original store. Reminiscent of a Native American trading post, the store carries casual, and slightly dressier, clothing with Western flair, as well as shoes, jewelry, candles and soaps, and a selection of housewares. Tip: If you venture to Salt Lake City, be sure to put a stop at the Sundance Catalog Outlet Store on your to-do list.

PLAY
There are lots of ways to experience summer at Sundance (and get some exercise to boot); the Sundance concierge can help you arrange it. Hikers can hit moderate to expert trails, such as the easy 1.5-mile Nature Trail, the three Mount Timpanogos Summit Trails and the steep, 7.4-mile Big Baldy Trail. Mountain bikers have miles of trails to follow, and guides and rentals are available if you didn’t bring your wheels. If you’re into horseback riding, Sundance Stables offers daily trail rides through meadows and to mountain waterfalls, as well as riding lessons. The nearby Provo River attracts anglers with world-class fly-fishing (pick up a fishing license at the General Store; guides and equipment are available as well).

FILM FESTIVAL
Although Robert Redford did give the Sundance Film Festival its current name, he did not found the event, as many assume. The festival—then named the Utah/United States Film Festival—debuted in Salt Lake City in 1978. The festival moved to Park City in 1981 and four years later, Redford’s Sundance Institute took over operations. In 1991, the event was officially renamed the Sundance Film Festival, and today it is considered one of the top film festivals in the world.

STAR GAZING
Despite the high profile of its legendary founder, Sundance is not a see-and-be-seen destination for his famous friends. At least, not in the way you might think. Since its inception as an arts community, the celebrities Sundance draws come as performers in the fields of music, dance and theater, literature and fine art. Stroll the photo wall beside the Foundry Grill, where framed photos of John Denver, Willie Nelson and Quentin Tarantino, along with early ski instructors and homesteaders, tell the story in black and white.

FYI
Sundance Lodging Reservations
(800) 892-1600
General Information
(801) 225-4107, sundanceresort.com