A summer day in Park City Utah can be as adventurous or as kicked back as you choose. From amazing hikes to sipping beverages on a Main Street restaurant patio, Park City offers an escape from the city heat and crowds in the valley below. Below is a brief summary of some of the fun around town.
Sightseeing
Park City was first explored by westerners when the Mormons passed through the area on their way into Salt Lake in the 1840’s. The town was incorporated in 1884. The first known discovery of ore in this area was by men serving under Colonel Patrick E. Connor, who invited his men to prospect in the area after having been relocated from Gold Rush-era California The finding of silver, gold, and lead sparked the first silver mines in Park City in the 1860s. Park City’s large mining boom brought large crowds of prospectors setting up camps around the mountain terrain, marking the first mining settlements. Although it was not the first find, the Ontario silver mine, discovered by Herman Buden in 1872 and quickly purchased by George Hearst through his business partner R.C. Chambers, was the first major producer.
In the decades that followed, ski areas popped up around the basin. Today Park City, Deer Valley, and Canyons Village (part of Park City) lure riders and skiers form around the world to mash moguls and cruise glades in some of the sweetest snow on Earth. In 2002, the Winter Olympics were held in Salt Lake City. Park City and Deer Valley hosted a variety of alpine events from Moguls to ski jumping, luge, bobsled, skeleton, and the snowboard events. Today visitors can enjoy a trip down memory lane (after All, these Olympics happened almost 20 years ago!) at the Utah Olympic Park. Visitors can explore the memorabilia from the games and then head out to the ski jumps and bobsled course. You might even get the opportunity to watch some summer training. https://utaholympiclegacy.org/
The city’s silver mining heritage is on display in the many buildings around town. Those interested in the area’s history can check out the Historical Society Website and visit the Park City Museum on Main Street. https://parkcityhistory.org/
Hiking, Riding, & Mountain Biking
Take a hike! Somewhere. I love heading up to Guardsman’s Pass at the top of Deer Valley. The views are spectacular and you might just see deer or moose. I also like Bonanza Flats. There are over 400 miles of hiking trails in the area. You could go for days and days and never have to back track. https://utah.com/hiking/park-city
Guardsman’s Pass offers beautiful and expansive night sky viewing as well. Take a light jacket and possibly gloves if you are headed up for stargazing. Even a hot summer day gives way to a chilly evening at these altitudes.
If you are into Mountain Biking, most of these trails allow bikes. Bike rentals are easily available at many shops in town. You can rent from a wide range of road, mountain, and hybrid bikes. Shop around to find the best rates and the equipment that will suit your adventure.
Hikers and Bikers beware! The mountains are high in altitude. Park City town lies at 6,500 feet above sea level. Many of the mountain passes flirt with 10,000 feet. The air is also extremely dry. While the lack of humidity is chiefly to thank for the soft, fluffy powder in winter, it also means you sweat a lot less. While your body is still shedding liquid as you exercise, you don’t readily notice it. Be sure to take water on any outdoor adventures.
If you wish to get out and explore without the cardio output, what about a trail ride? Several stables offer day rides around the area. For information on rates, locations, and ride specifics, check out https://www.visitparkcity.com/outdoors/horseback-riding/
Family Play
Looking for something fun for the family? Park City Mountain Resort has lift access for hiking and biking, an alpine slide, zip lines, mini golf, and other fun activities. You could easily spend a full day in the sun enjoying some same time. The lifts aren’t open every day, so check out their website http://parkcitymountain.com for hours of operation, prices, and area information.
Want to practice your hockey moves, your curling game, or your quad-triple-triple jumps? There is a beautiful ice arena just outside the main part of town. Head down Kearns Avenue past the High School can continue toward Highway 40 (the road into Heber). https://www.parkcity.org/departments/park-city-ice-arena
Heber Valley Railroad offers scenic day trips and evening dinner rides on a vintage train. If you have train nuts of any age in your family, this is a must. https://www.hebervalleyrr.org
Shopping & Dining
Main Street Park City is the old mining town. It’s adorable and the many shops and restaurants are in beautifully renovated buildings from the silver mining era. This is the place to go to wander through shops that sell high end art, expensive hiking and ski gear, jewelry, and other fun things.
There are a ton of great restaurants along Main Street. Pick whichever one catches your eye is the one you should enjoy. There is everything from high end dining to pizza, pubs, and Mexican Food. All good.
If you want to eat away from Main Street, there are more excellent eateries scattered around town. By no means have I eaten at all of them, so go explore on your own. Some of my favorites off Main Street include – Blind Dog and Sammy’s Bistro in Prospector Square area, Squatter’s Pub on Highway 224, About Time sports bar (they’ll put on whatever sport you want as long as it’s being broadcast on their system) in Redstone. Also in the Redstone area Grappa Italian, Sushi Blue, and Red Rock Brew Pub make for good meals.
A bit further afield
If you’ve ventured into the Park City area and wish to explore more, take a drive down to Sundance. This small mountain community and ski resort was originally established by Robert Redford who explored the area during his early filming days. Much of Butch Cassiday and the Sundance Kid was filmed in the area about Midway and Heber. Sundance is, truly, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. Words don’t do it justice. The community sits at the base of Mount Timpanagos. “Timp “as the locals call it, is the second highest peak in the Wasatch Range, rising 11,752 feet above sea level. The mountain is a testament to glacial carving with knife edge peaks and hanging valleys.
A nice walk to Stewart Falls makes for a wonderful mountain escape. But, if you’re a bit more adventurous, I recommend taking the summer chair lift access and hiking down to the falls base. It’s more of a hike than coming from town and the trail takes you through high mountain meadows, aspen groves, and beautiful vistas.
Continuing on from Sundance in summer, you can take the back road (State Highway 92) up over the saddle, past Timpanagos Cave National Monument, and into the valley below. The cave is worth a stop to see what happens when water carves the insides of a mountain. Timpanagos Cave is part of the National Park System.
Once out of the mountains, you’ll be close to American Fork where you can jump onto Interstate 15 back into Salt Lake.
If you’re Looking for A Couple Days Away
If you’ve got a couple days to really explore, head east on Highway 40 through Heber for about 130 miles and you will come to the town of Vernal, Utah. Vernal is the Gateway to Dinosaur National Monument. This monument got its name for the amazing paleontological find of a huge pile of dinosaur bones. It is completely worth it just explore the unique story of this dinosaur graveyard. But the park is so much more than the dinosaur story. The Green River cuts through the park, carving into the layered rock walls as it heads south.
Petroglyphs are well preserved and visible. Homesteaders and outlaws found refuge in these lands. Whether you are a dino nut, a fan of the outlaw west legends, fascinated with early Native Settlements, or just love beautiful scenery, this place is worth the trip. https://www.nps.gov/dino/index.htm
This is, by no means, an exhaustive list of things to do. It’s just a start. And I haven’t even touched on the multitude or activities available during winter when the area takes on a whole different feel. Find what appeals to you, spend a day or a week. You might just decide you’ll never leave.
