Park City Is the Ideal Summer Mountain Town Getaway

You read that right: summer.

peradventure you know Park City as a hub for hobnobbing with celebrities at Sundance Film Festival , headquarter in Utah every January since 1981 . Or perhaps you regard the place as one of the macrocosm ’s premier destinations for skiing ( nursing home to downhill event during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games ) . But you ’re least likely to know this idyllic plenty town as a sensational summer destination . That ’s a big mistake .

I was once mislead myself . In fact , it was n’t until last July that I finally made my way to Park City during the warm parts of the year . Even then , it was just conjecture to be a stopover between two more enticing points of seasonal interest .

But as before long as I stepped outside the car , I felt the midday mountain air osculate my skin : a utter 80 degree day , middling typical for this time of year . The street of Main Street , overrun with tourer throughout wintertime , was markedly more manageable . I even admired the endearing peaks minus snow .

Unsplash/Olivia Hutcherson

presently that stopover extended into a wondrous weekend , and one of my most memorable stays in this part of Utah . Here ’s a look at the good thing to do there this summertime — oranysummer .

Hike and bike

There are literally thousands of miles of launch tramp trails to explore in the forests forthwith above and around Park City . Get high enough beyond the tree diagram business and you could marvel at the peaks of the Wasatch at your back and the Uinta range face you in the distance . From the family - friendly paved pathway ofFarm Trail , to the six - mile trek up toFantasy Ridge , there ’s a walk trail for every horizontal surface . And there ’s a stunning vista around every turn .

For those that desire to pedal their style through the landscape , Park City mountains consider more than 450 miles of public mountain - biking trails . Or you’re able to opt to corrupt a face lift tag fromDeer Valley Resortand explore their meticulously maintained terrain . The Holy Roller is a highlight therein : five miles of meandering through aspens and pine on a 1,300 - foot downslope . If you ’re in want of wheels , hire them from one of threeWhite Pine Touringoutposts across townsfolk . The outfitter always offers guided excursions with local expert .

Elevate your arts and culture

When it come to nontextual matter and amusement around here , the Sundance Film Festivalis merely the most high - visibility confab . Throughout the summertime month , you’re able to select from a treasure trove of outdoor happenings in Park City . TheLatino Arts Festivalis a perfect place to begin , returning this June as a ethnical showcase of live carrying into action , ocular arts , and film screenings . The Utah Symphony move on stage twice a week below the prime as part of a summer - longDeer Valley Music Festival . Depending on when you ’re here , you’re able to enjoy orchestral adaptations of Abba ’s pop catalogue , or lie back under the star and get serenaded by R&B legend Boyz II Men . Or just get a live show at the century - oldEgyptian Theatredowntown .

Fly down mountains without any snow

Utah Olympic Parkwas initially build for the 2002 Winter Games , but in the years since , it has been retrofitted to hold all sorts of summer sports . Here you ’ll find one of the steepest ziplines on the planet , which prompt adrenaline junkies at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour , simulating what it ’s like to launch off a K120 nordic ski saltation . And if you ’ve ever wanted to know what it ’s like to race a bobsled ( whohasn’t ? ) , you ’ve come to the right place . A professional pilot can take up to two passengers down the actual olympic track . You ’re on wheels rather than skates , riding over concrete rather of deoxyephedrine , but the thrill — and velocity — is very nearly the same .

Savor a balmy pub and grub crawl

A town of just 8,500 twelvemonth - round occupant , Park City punch well above its weight year when it comes to fab intellectual nourishment and drink . At the foot of its eponymous resort you ’ll find theHigh West Saloon — the world ’s first ski - in gastro - still . The now - famous whisky brand that bears its name was born here in 2006 . The cocktails and bar transportation remain as relevant as ever . It ’s still a hard reservation during primetime dinner party hour , but you at least have a fortune of bellying up to the streak in summertime . Good luck scram past the door during ski time of year .

One block west , Main Street is so obtuse with delicious dining options that you need n’t adventure off the thoroughfare once during an entire weekend stay . Savor an heroic array of saki and sushi atYuki Yama , explore American “ western culinary art ” atPurple Sage — signature knockout include refined sugar and chili cured duck , and fresh Utah trout — and enjoy elegantly arrange game atRiverhorse On Main , Park City ’s most - extol upmarket eating house . That oughta fill you up .

Now wash it all down with a world - course of instruction pub crawl along the very same street . For a local ’s vibe , head toNo Name SaloonorThe Spur . For high - minded mixology , make itAlpine Pie Bar . Then end up atOP Rockwell Cocktail Lounge & Music Hall , where a Victorian frontier vibe create the perfect setting for nightly guitar jams . You never cognize who might hit the stage on any given evening . After all , this is Park City in summer . It ’s full of surprises .