Park City Offers Winter Wonders and Summer Activities - Park City, Utah
Ever since Mormon settlers founded Salt Lake City in the Salt Lake Valley in Utah, people have been drawn to the mountains, canyons, and lakes of the Wasatch Range to the east for adventure, relaxation, or a quiet place to live. Some of these settlements were later abandoned but others grew into important communities. Perhaps no town in the region has reinvented itself so many times and as successfully as Park City.
Today, this city of 7500 permanent residents serves as a popular center for cultural, outdoors and entertainment activities, attracting an estimated 4 million visitors each year. It is not only a fashionable place for the rich and famous to stay during ski season, but a fun location for families and couples to explore year-round on a day trip from nearby Salt Lake City or as a stop on a vacation to Utah.
Park City History
First settled in the 1860s, Park City began to attract prospectors and business interest after silver, gold, and iron deposits were discovered in the nearby mountains in 1868. Over the next 30 years, a frontier town developed there to service the mining industry and the needs of an estimated 7,000 mostly male residents. The main streets of Historic Park City were filled with saloons, brothels, and rooming houses above ground, while underground mining shafts crisscrossed the entire area. Great wealth was created during this time for companies like the Ontario Mining Company owned by George Hearst while miners struggled to earn a living in dangerous and unhealthy working conditions.
After a devastating fire consumed much of the downtown in 1898, a large part of the city was rebuilt with brick and stone structures. The mining industry struggled during several economic downturns thereafter and the mines finally closed in 1950. After the 1960s, some enterprising business people established ski resorts in the area such as the Treasure Mountain Resort and the Deer Valley Resort which began to attract people from around the region. With dozens of skis slopes, reliable snowfall, and beautiful scenery, Park City emerged as a popular winter vacation spot. This reputation was solidified by the designation of Park City as the venue for several types of skiing, luge, and bobsled competitions during the 2002 Winter Olympic games. Park City was revitalized again in recent decades as a center for culture and entertainment with the success of the annual Sundance Film Festival. The economic development of Park City and the surrounding communities continues today. Affluent westerners flock there to acquire seasonal condominiums and permanent residences, while young people seek jobs to serve the year-round visitors and housing to enjoy the area’s outdoors lifestyle. Many visitors stay at Airbnb properties or boutique and luxury hotels such as the Waldorf Astoria or the St. Regis Deer Valley Resort.
THINGS TO DO
Historic Main Street - There are many attractions for visitors in Park City. Most people begin with the Historic Main Street which contains some revitalized buildings from the early 1900s as well as replicas of structures from the frontier town. The street climbs halfway up the mountain and along the way there are shops, restaurants, cafes, and entertainment venues. There is convenient access to Main Street from the public parking places on Swede Alley located only a block away. In addition, there is a trolley system which runs from the bottom of the street up the hill and then turns around with stops at many of the parking lots.
One unique feature of shopping in Park City is that the community has limited the number of stores permitted from national chains or brands. So, although you can find high-end stores like Gorsuch and Lululemon there, many boutiques and shops on Main Street are locally owned such as a bookstore, a toy store, and a candy shop. Another attraction for shoppers is the stores providing gear and outfits for horseback riding, skiing, hiking, biking, and every other form of outdoor activity. It is worthwhile to spend an hour or two walking up one side of the street and down the other to peer in the windows, buy something, and have something to eat. There is everything from pizza parlors to steakhouses to coffee shops, fine dining establishments, and healthy food choices available at dozens of restaurants along the way.
Sundance Film Festival - The Sundance Film Festival was the brainchild of actor Robert Redford and his Sundance Institute. The internationally respected film festival is now held for ten days every January in the region. It features independent films, documentaries, and low budget productions seeking positive reviews and media attention. During that time, Park City venues like the Egyptian Theater on Main Street are filled with premiere showings of numerous movies or events featuring stars and producers.
Park City Museum - On Main Street it is also worthwhile to visit the compact, interesting, and affordable Park City Museum. Through period displays and interactive exhibits, the museum provides a good overview of the settlement of the region, the mining heritage of the town and its people, and the later development of ski resorts and the movie industry. Children will enjoy seeing the town’s original jail cells and pictures of some notable prisoners who resided there along with the mine cars and drills used for silver extraction deep underground.
Ski Slopes and Winter Wonders - The ski resorts located in and around Park City have a national reputation among novices and skilled skiers. The huge Park City Mountain Resort is popular with snowboard and ski enthusiasts. It has more than 300 trails and dozens of lifts including one which starts right at the bottom of Main Street. Other popular winter activities include taking a sleigh ride or enjoying a heated outdoor sauna with friends and family. Deer Valley Resort located a mile and a half from downtown has a renowned ski school. Snowfall begins as early as October and ski season continues through April. Winter conditions can limit access to the city from some locations so monitoring the weather is a good idea.
Summer Outdoor Activities - Park City can be enjoyed year round. During the summer months, the 7000 foot elevation makes it an attractive day trip. People can explore dozens of hiking and biking trails that begin near the main roads in town and head out in all directions across the mountains and canyons. You can follow well mapped trails such as the 26 mile long and relatively flat Union Pacific Rail Trail or test yourself on more strenuous ascents such as the Wasatch Crest Trail. Local ski resorts and other operators also offer excursions for fly fishing, river rafting and tubing, or riding down the mountain in Alpine coaster.
Utah Olympic Park - As you head into Park City along Route 224, the first sites you see on the hillside are the ski jumps and other facilities of the Utah Olympic Park which are left over from the 2002 Winter Games. There is an interesting museum there, but visitors can also take a summer ride on a modified bobsled with an expert on the Olympic track, ride a zip line, watch the Flying Ace Freestyle Allstars soar through the air into a splash pool, or go tubing down a portion of the ski run. Future Olympians continue to train on the facilities here year-round.