Park City Travel Guide

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© Park City Mountain Resort

Overview: Park City, Utah, is famous for its three world-class ski resorts: Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley and The Canyons. Together they form one of the USA's largest ski areas. The outstanding facilities for winter sports offered at Park City earned the resort town several of the 2002 Winter Olympic events. Park City was a former silver mining town in the 19th century. Its Main Street is a restored historic district that adds a different dimension to the character of the town, which now boasts stylish condos and the state's most sophisticated resort community. Home to the Utah Olympic Park, Park City affords an abundance of skiing for all levels, and is also a wonderful summer destination offering plenty of outdoor activities in the superb setting of the Wasatch Mountain Range, such as hiking, fishing and biking. Despite the conservative drinking laws that govern most of the country, Park City has a buzzing nightlife that rivals the ski resorts of neighbouring Colorado.
Skiing: The Canyons resort features 8 mountains, 146 trails and 3,500 acres of diverse terrain, suited to every style and ability. Deer Valley Resort boasts thrilling chutes and bowls and caters for everyone, from families to individual ski and boarding champs. Lessons and child care are available. From deep powder bowls to long groomed runs, gentle beginner slopes to steep chutes, four world-class terrain parks and the 2002 Olympic Superpipe, Park City Mountain Resort has something for everyone.
Shopping: Park City's historic Main Street is lined with quaint shops and galleries that make for very satisfying browsing. The town has a wide variety of shopping opportunities, everything from handmade furniture, books and art collectibles to brand-name bargains in a factory outlet mall. Sportswear, particularly ski-gear, abounds. Each of the three resorts in the town have their own shops for visitors too.
Restaurants: Park City boasts a plethora of restaurants, at least 100 of them, catering for everything from fast food to haute cuisine, budget to bank-breaking, steak to sushi. Recommendations with such an abundant and excellent selection seem unfair, so we quote merely some examples, like the Grub Steak Restaurant in Prospector Square, specialising in steak and seafood and featuring a famed 45-item salad bar; then there is fine dining along with a cosy fire and beautiful view at the Sleigh Restaurant in the Park City Hotel; and the elegant Grappa Italian Cafe in Main Street, where Italian specialities and the wine selection have won awards.
Nightlife: Despite Utah's rather stringent liquor laws, there is no problem having a well-oiled night out in Park City, which boasts more than 20 nightclubs and bars. Most operate as private clubs and visitors may purchase temporary membership for a nominal fee. Apres ski is just as lively a party here as anywhere else in the world.
Activities: Skiing and snowboarding may be the major drawcards for visitors to Park City, but even without these activities there would still never be a dull moment in the town. Try catching a movie, or enjoying a performance at the Egyptian Theatre; go hot-air ballooning, on an historic tour, or unwind at one of the day spas or health clubs. Even in summer-time Park City is a great holiday destination with its opportunities for hiking, biking and other nature pursuits, not to mention a full year-round programme of athletic, arts and cultural events.