Park City Utah, located in the Wasatch Mountains, approximately 30 miles east of Salt Lake City, has long been known for its winter skiing. If you vacation here during the winter months, you’ll have your selection of runs, though condos may be at a premium due to the zealous popularity of this vicinity.
However, travelling to Park City in the summer months has as much to offer, specifically when it comes to off road mountain biking. Types who look forward to extreme mountain biking at an elevation of over 8000 feet, as well as novices who are just searching for a casual stroll through some of the most picturesque country in the Intermountain West, will discover over 150 miles of mountain biking trails and hiking trails in the Park City area with rental facilities close by. Mountain biking trails are rated in the same way as ski runs, with green circles indicating easier rides and black diamonds and red octogons indicating the most difficult.
Park City is one of Utah’s two chief resort towns. Moab is the other major destination, situated to the south, where the Moab Annual Race is a major tourist draw. In addition to world class outdoor activities year round, Park City offers a fascinating history. Founded in the 1870s, after gold and silver was discovered in the area, the community was recognized for its wealth until the bottom fell out of the silver market after the Second World War, transforming Park City into a ghost town. The community got a new lease on life when the initial ski resort, Treasure Mountain, opened in 1963. Since that time, quite a few more resorts have opened in the area with names that evoke Park City’s enchanted past with names such as Silver King.
Summer mountain biking and winter sports are merely part of what Park City has to offer. The town is also home to the Sundance Film Festival in January. The downtown Main Street is lined with historic Victorian architecture and bistros. Utah opened one of the first beer breweries in the first decade of the 20th Century as the makers of Wasatch Ale. A number of celebrations of the arts during the year take place, particularly for music lovers. These include the Park City and Salt Lake Music Festival in July, Artstravaganza during the month of August, and the Autumn Classics Music Festival throughout September and October. Vacation rentals during these months are a good deal easier to acquire and often at reduced rates.
History buffs will enjoy the Park City Historical Society Museum, located in the town’s original city hall, built in 1885. There, you can tour the original form of mass transit in the Old West, a restored stagecoach, as well as spend some time in the old city jail with ghosts of the past. Individuals whose interests lie in natural history should visit the Swaner Nature Preserve, a 1200 acre facility where you can hear more about the area’s flora and fauna.