Park City
A former silver-mining town that hosted Salt Lake City's Winter Olympic ski events, home to Park City Mountain, one of the largest ski resorts in the US, and upscale Deer Valley — skiing in winter, mountain biking and hiking in summer.
Park City sits on the eastern slopes of the Wasatch Range in Summit County, Utah, at about 2,100 m (6,900 ft), roughly 55 km (35 mi) and a 40-minute drive from Salt Lake City International Airport. It is one of North America's best-known ski towns. The town boomed on silver in the late 19th century and reinvented itself as a ski resort after mining declined; several snow events of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics were held here, and its venues will be used again for the 2034 Winter Olympics. Winter (Dec–Mar) is famous for dry, light powder, with a choice between Park City Mountain Resort, the largest in the US (Epic Pass), and upscale, ski-only Deer Valley (Ikon Pass). Summer (Jun–Sep) brings daytime highs around 25°C (77°F) and cool nights, with mountain biking, hiking, alpine coasters and lake activities all popular; fall foliage is also lovely from late September to early October. The area breaks down roughly into: historic Main Street and Old Town (restaurants, bars, galleries and museums), Kimball Junction and Utah Olympic Park north of town, Heber Valley to the south (the Homestead Crater hot spring in Midway, Soldier Hollow, the Heber Valley Railroad), and farther afield Sundance Mountain Resort and the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway in the Uinta Mountains. A free bus system serves the main hotels and ski areas in town; you'll need a car for Heber Valley, Sundance and Mirror Lake. Skiers typically stay 4–7 days; in summer 2–3 days is enough. Note: the Sundance Film Festival moves to Boulder, Colorado, after January 2026, so January will no longer see festival crowds; rates peak over Christmas/New Year and around Presidents' Day in February, so book early; the high altitude may cause mild discomfort on arrival — stay hydrated and wear sunscreen.
Top sights
- Park City Mountain – One of the largest ski areas in the United States, with the main-street base area and the Canyons Village base linked by lifts, and more th…
- Deer Valley Resort – A high-end ski resort known for its service and meticulously groomed slopes, which allows only skiers on two skis and hosted the freestyle…
- Historic Main Street – A sloping old street lined with 19th-century mining-era buildings, now filled with galleries, restaurants, and bars. It is the heart of Par…
- Utah Olympic Park – The 2002 Winter Olympic venue for ski jumping, bobsled, and luge. Visitors can explore the Olympic museum and ride a bobsled down a real tr…
- Park City Museum – Housed in the old City Hall on Main Street, it tells the story of the town from silver mining to ski resort, with the old jail preserved in…
- Egyptian Theatre – A Egyptian Revival theater on Main Street, built in 1926, that has long served as a screening venue for the Sundance Film Festival.
- High West Distillery Saloon – A whiskey bar converted from an old horse stable, billed as the only distillery bar in the world you can ski to directly.
- McPolin Farmstead – A white historic barn at the entrance to Park City, set against the mountains, and the town’s most iconic photo spot.
- Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter – A wetland preserve beside Kimball Junction, with an ecocenter featuring exhibits and an observation tower, where you can see elk and migrat…
- Jordanelle State Park – A large reservoir surrounded by mountains east of Park City, a popular spot in summer for stand-up paddleboarding, boating, swimming and ca…
- Sundance Mountain Resort – A mountain resort founded by Robert Redford, nestled at the foot of Mount Timpanogos, known for its autumn foliage, waterfall trails and ru…
- Homestead Crater – A limestone dome about 17 meters high in the town of Midway, its interior a geothermal pool that stays around 33°C year-round, where you ca…
- Heber Valley Railroad – A historic sightseeing railway departing from Heber City, running steam and diesel trains along Deer Creek Reservoir into Provo Canyon.
- Soldier Hollow – The cross-country skiing and biathlon venue of the 2002 Winter Olympics. In winter you can ride a very long snow tubing run, and in summer…
- Wasatch Mountain State Park – A mountain state park west of Midway with a golf course, hiking trails and the famous Guardsman Pass and Cascade Springs autumn foliage dri…
- Mirror Lake Scenic Byway – A high-mountain scenic route across the Uinta Mountains, climbing over Bald Mountain Pass at about 3,270 meters, with many alpine lakes alo…
Where to eat
- High West Saloon – A Main Street saloon run by High West, Utah's first legal distillery; The Infatuation calls it a must-visit in Park Cit…
- RiverHorse on Main – A fine-dining restaurant on Main Street that opened in 1987 in a former Masonic building, where its macadamia-crusted h…
- Five5eeds – An Australian-run brunch spot beloved by locals, known for its thick pancakes and Turkish eggs.
- Mumbai House – The Park City branch of a well-known Salt Lake City Indian restaurant, on the lower end of Main Street, with near-perfe…
Itineraries
- Salt Lake City & Wasatch Range Skiing – Based in Salt Lake City and Park City, ski Alta, Snowbird, Deer Valley, and Park City Mountain, with evenings spent in…