Park City, Utah:
more than a powder paradise
by Janice Rosenberg | Photography by Lee Cohen/Ski Utah
 For skiers there’s no place like Park City, Utah. And for non-skiers, too. Exciting, kid-friendly and loaded with all kinds of winter activities, Park City is a great fly-in resort.
Located in the Wasatch Mountains just 36 miles from Salt Lake City, the three Park City ski resorts—Park City Mountain Resort, the Canyons Resort, and Deer Valley Resort —receive about 350 inches of snow each winter. From November through April, skiers ply powdery downhill slopes that, according to the top line on state license plates, are covered with “The Greatest Snow on Earth.”
Park City Mountain Resort, host site of the 2002 Olympic giant slalom and snowboard events, offers 750 acres of open bowl skiing plus 100 downhill runs. The Canyons Resort, a snowboarding mecca, boasts a brand-new eight-passenger gondola. Deer Valley Resort, voted the No. 1 ski resort in North America in 2001 by Ski magazine’s readers, has upscale everything, including gourmet lunches, lift ticket sales, and seriously groomed trails.
Overall, the resorts comprise 8,550 acres of ski-able terrain with a total of 48 lifts, 332 runs, and thrills for skiers of all ability levels. All three areas house ski schools for adults and kids. The Canyons and Deer Valley also feature day-care centers. Lift tickets vary in price from $27 to $67 a day, depending on time of year; multi-day packages are available. Average winter temperatures range from 24 to 33 degrees.
 Unlike many newer ski resorts that were created expressly to support the sport, Park City—now home to 7,000 people—began life as a mining town. The first miners, a group of soldiers stationed at Salt Lake City’s Fort Douglas, arrived in the late 1860s. Encouraged to try their hand at prospecting by Col. Patrick E. Connor the soldiers were delighted to discover precious metals in the Wasatch Range mountains. In 1872, a trio prospecting in nearby Ontario Canyon hit a rich silver vein that soon won renown as the greatest silver mine on earth.
The tiny mining camp quickly became a boomtown as adventurers arrived from Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Cornwall, China, Scotland, and Yugoslavia. George Snyder showed up with his family in May 1872. Awed by the parklike mountain valley’s lush grasses and blazing wildflowers, he christened the growing collection of mills, boarding houses, saloons, prostitute “cribs,” theaters, and mine buildings Park City. The town was incorporated in 1884. Between 1870 and 1900, the population increased 40 percent to 10,000 citizens.
For nearly half a century, Park City residents enjoyed great prosperity as the mountains supplied more than $400 million in silver. But in the 1930s, falling mineral prices ended the boom.
As mining waned, skiing took off. In 1930, international ski jumpers competed at Ecker Hill, close to the site where the Olympic games would be held in 2002. In 1946, Snow Park opened as the town’s first ski area, followed in 1963 by Treasure Mountains Resort (now Park City Mountain Resort), the Canyons Resort in 1968, and Deer Valley Resort (incorporating the Snow Park runs) in 1981.
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Photo courtesy of: Park City Chamber of Commerce
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Today, the history of silver mining, bordellos, and millionaires adds charm and authenticity to Park City. Street names such as Swede Alley and China Bridge reflect the early settlers’ ethnic mix. Main Street sidewalks front renovated Victorian “painted ladies” that are now home to galleries, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and boutiques offering sportswear, art collectibles, handmade furniture, Western antiques, books, and home furnishings.
Besides great downhill skiing, Park City offers a wide variety of entertainment for adults and children. Inside the Silver Mountain Sports Club and Spa, tourists can join locals in one of two domed swimming pools, drop off toddlers at Danville Daycare, or sign up for full body salt scrubs at the day spa.
Fishing enthusiasts will want to check out Troutbum 2, a local company that provides fly-fishing guides and rental equipment year round. Other businesses offer opportunities for hot-air ballooning, ice-skating, dogsledding, tubing, sleigh riding, and snowmobiling. At nearby Utah Olympic Park, visitors can experience 5g-force bobsled rides. An in-town movie theater with four screens is a safe environment for older kids.
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Photo courtesy of: Park City Chamber of Commerce |
More than 100 restaurants, featuring a mind-boggling range of cuisine and atmosphere, feed Park City visitors. Utah has unusual but straightforward liquor laws: All liquor sales are made through state-licensed stores. Drinks can be purchased in most restaurants if food is ordered, and in all private clubs (easy to join for $5) without food.
Each January, the Sundance Film Festival adds glamour to Park City. Filmmakers, artists, industry professionals, and Hollywood celebrities arrive for a 10-day movie glut. More than 120 feature films attract 15,000 out-of-state visitors. Tickets are available in advance or daily at the local box office. For those who can’t make it to the festival, every weekend the Park City Film Series screens prior years’ favorites.
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Want to know more about this memorable getaway, visit our AG Concierge for more information.
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The Sundance Film Festival draws spectators, but also provides excellent people-watching opportunities that more than balance the challenge of making restaurant reservations. Although festival people ski, the slopes tend to be less crowded than usual. For those who plan ahead, accommodations are available. Families and couples staying in condos can save time and frustration by cooking at home.
And here’s another local treat: Pilots ready for a day off from the slopes can sign up for aerobatics lessons at Heber City Municipal, or take an unforgettable ride in an Extra 300 with former U.S. Navy F-18 pilot Greg Petersen, president of Wasatch Aero Services. The unlimited acrobatics plane houses a digital video system that records its passengers’ views of mountains and ski runs far below. Total for flight and video: $250, for a great souvenir from a fabulous vacation in Park City, Utah. 
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Plan your route to Park City with FlightPrep.com
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The Best of Park City
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| Photo: Park City Chamber of Commerce |
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Best Season: For skiers it’s winter, but summer also is an excellent time to visit. The town serves as a base for hiking and mountain-biking. Reduced foot traffic on Main Street allows for less-hectic shopping and dining experiences.
Best Landing: Heber City Municipal-Russ McDonald Field (36U), 15 minutes from Park City, provides a 6,898-foot paved runway with GPS approach and no tower, plus fuel, maintenance, a pilot lounge, catering, hangars, and tie-downs. Alternatives: Salt Lake City International (SLC), with all the usual amenities of a big-city airport in Class B airspace; and the quieter, nontowered Salt Lake Municipal Airport 2 (U42) in suburban West Jordan, with a 5,860-foot runway and GPS approach. All three offer rental cars, shuttle buses, and taxis for the trip to Park City.
Best Places To Stay: Park City provides “pillows” for 20,000 overnight guests in a variety of lodgings, including hotels in every price range, luxurious on-slope rental properties, family-style condos near Main Street, and B&Bs. The Homestead and the Daniels Summit Lodge—family-oriented resorts within 20 minutes of the slopes—offer cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, horseback riding, snowshoeing, hiking, and fishing. Motels in nearby Heber suit economy-minded vacationers.
Photo: Courtesy of The Viking Yurt
Best Romantic Adventure: Park City Yurts package deals combine cozy evening sleigh rides, snowshoeing, and five-course dinners served in a traditional domed, tentlike, Mongolian-style yurt. Diners revel in candlelight, fireside meals, and melodies played by a concert musician on a baby grand piano.
Best Way To Get Around: Free shuttle buses, running from 7 a.m. until 1 a.m., serve Park City and ski resort areas.
Best Planning Resources: Park City Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, www.parkcityinfo.com;
Park City Ski Information, www.skiparkcityut.com and www.go-utah/park_city;
Heber City Municipal, airnav.com/airport/36U
or www.wasatchaero.com. |
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