Park City is famous for the obvious - three renowned snow sports resorts in one town. Still, the most appealing aspect of Park City living is our incredible community and all of its diverse offerings. We are fortunate that philanthropy plays such a huge part in our daily life thanks to enormously generous residents and benefactors who help to create a culture that is unmatched. Whether you reside here full time, some of the time, or aspire to call Park City home, we think you'll appreciate some of these favorites.
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FAVORITE OLD TOWN FEATURE The Town Lift & Skiers Bridge
There’s something so fun about driving up Park Ave on the way to Main Street, with the ski lift turning overhead and skiers gliding across the bridge. Although we're usually jealous that they’re skiing and we’re driving, it is an incredibly unique aspect of our town. The ability to ski right into Old Town for lunch or an Après Ski cocktail or to catch the lift right from Main Street is something we all cherish.
FAVORITE WHISKY STORE High West on Park Avenue
While the High West Saloon in Old Town is a popular spot, we love that their shop is open daily from 11:00 am – 9:00 pm. You can get limited editions of great whiskeys in addition to branded apparel and swag. And yes, you can buy whiskey on Sundays! Additionally, you can now place online orders for their award-winning whiskeys to be delivered to your non-Utah residence, so you don’t have to schlep bottles home.
Limitations may apply if your home state’s liquor laws prohibit delivery of alcohol like Utah does!
FAVORITE TRAILS All 400 Miles of Them!
Many of you know Park City has been recognized by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) as the first Gold Level Ride Center in the world, with “Epic” ride status designated for the Mid Mountain Trail, Armstrong and Pinecone trail connection, and the Wasatch Crest Trail. But what we love as locals is the non-motorized paved trail that runs from Old Town all the way to Kimball and into the Basin’s neighborhoods. We can hop on a bike or walk just about anywhere we like.
FAVORITE MUSEUM Park City Historic Museum
Located at 528 Main Street, the Park City Museum offers interactive exhibits, artifacts, and the city’s original basement jail. It’s fascinating to learn how we went from the boom of the silver mining era, to bust, to the introduction of skiing as a way to breathe life into Park City. It is hard to believe that Park City almost became a ghost town in the 1960s! Spend an hour or half a day at this wonderful museum.
FAVORITE STROLLS Main Street Galleries,
Shops, & Restaurants
We love that our historic architectural character from the silver mining days has been so carefully protected in the boutiques, galleries, and fine dining options that are offered on Main Street, all flanked by ski trails and views of the surrounding mountains.
FAVORITE DOG PARK Library Field Dog Park
We sure love our dogs in this town. There’s no doubt about that. No trip down Park Ave is complete without a slight detour to drive around the Library Dog Field, on the north side of the Park City Library. This off-leash park is a popular Old Town gathering spot where dogs can sniff and chase each other, or catch frisbees and balls while their owners socialize.
Humans are often seen sipping coffee or cocoa from the Lucky Ones Coffee shop located right inside the Library along the park’s edge. Thoughtful locals have added chairs and dog bowls, and there’s just something so satisfying about witnessing the dogs happily at play, with not a care in the world. Added bonus: it’s a great sledding spot for kids in the winter!
FAVORITE THEATRE Eccles Center Theater
This intimate theater is connected to Park City High School and was made possible by the philanthropic Eccles family, who have done so much to help further the arts in Park City and throughout Utah. Thanks to the Park City Institute (PCI), we get to enjoy world-class entertainment in this venue, including award-winning theater, Ballet West, a compelling speaker series, modern dance, and popular concerts.
Best of all, the Institute does so much outreach with our students. As stated in their Mission, “PCI champions education by creating experiential classroom learning opportunities through which Park City School District students directly engage, collaborate, and create with the speakers, musicians, and performers we host.”
FAVORITE NATURE CENTER Swaner Nature Preserve
& EcoCenter
You may have noticed the lack of rooftops between Redstone at Kimball Junction and Ranch Place. Thanks to the generosity of the Swaner family, who donated all the land for the preserve and ongoing stewardship by Utah State University, the Swaner Preserve encompasses a 1,200 acre wildlife refuge, a state-of-the-art environmental education facility, a 100 acre farm, and 10 miles of trails.
Their webcams showing wildlife and sandhill cranes are a nice diversion when you need a little break from the office routine. You can turn up the volume to enjoy the unique trumpeting call of these magnificent birds or elks bugling. They’ll be back any day now! Click here to see and hear for yourself.
FAVORITE BARNS Our Two Historic White Barns
We love that we have two historic barns along our entry corridor, harkening back to the days when agriculture and dairy farming were widespread. The Wallin Farm Barn and acreage just north of the Ranch Place neighborhood was acquired by the Swaner Nature Preserve in 2003 and is surrounded by 107 acres of open space.
The McPolin Barn is iconic and flanks the entryway to Park City proper. It stands as a monument to our community’s commitment to acquiring, protecting, and preserving open spaces, as it was the first parcel acquired via a taxpayer open space bond back in 1990.
FAVORITE OLYMPIC VESTIGE One-of-a-Kind Olympic Park
The visual of the Nordic ski jumps as you enter Park City sends a clear message to visitors - this is a serious snow sports town. Built as part of the infrastructure for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, the Olympic Park is a vibrant amenity within our community. It includes the ski jumps, bobsled and luge track, freestyle jumping facilities, and ski team racing runs.
The Olympic Park is also home to the wonderful Alf Engen Museum, where you can learn more about the Olympic legacy that is embraced by our whole community. In the summer the Park doesn't lose a step, offering zip line and ropes courses, as well as the opportunity to watch freestyle skiers practice flips and twists before landing in a special aerated pool. We also love that during the COVID shut down, the Park City Film series hosted drive-in movies there, a tradition we hope continues this summer.
FAVORITE PEOPLE/DOG PARK Willow Creek Park
Located off Old Ranch Road on Split Rail Lane in the Basin, this 17.5-acre park includes three playing fields, four pickleball/tennis courts, volleyball, an exercise par course, and two playgrounds. For our furry friends, there’s a fabulous off-leash dog park with a pond and diving dock. Added bonus: winter ice skating!
It’s a wonderful neighborhood gathering spot, which also provides access to the Willow Creek trailhead. This trailhead offers a connection to many of the Basin’s spectacular trails, including the East Highway 224 Connector Trail and the new Osguthorpe Nordic skiing area. Please remember to keep Fido leashed until you enter the dog park!
Photo courtesy of Park Record
FAVORITE OPEN SPACE The New Osguthorpe Farm
We applaud Summit Land Conservancy and Mountain Trails Foundation for their recent collaborative effort to bring groomed Nordic skiing to the Osguthorpe Farm, which is accessed through the gate in Willow Creek Park. This 160-acre property, nicknamed “the Green Heart of the Basin,” was acquired by the conservancy in 2019. The Osguthorpe family, which will still farm the land during summer, agreed to partner with the two non-profits and Basin Recreation to provide winter access. The Farm provides public access to 5 kilometers of groomed Nordic track, perfect for a quick skate or ski during your lunch hour or between errands. Yes, it’s flat!
FAVORITE FITNESS CENTERS MARC & Field House
We’re a fitness-focused community and we are so lucky to have two terrific facilities operated by our recreation districts. In town, we love the Park City Municipal Athletic and Recreation Center (MARC) located in the heart of the Park Meadows community. Open to Park City residents and visitors, the facility offers a seasonal lap pool, leisure pools, eleven tennis courts, four pickleball courts, basketball, a bouldering wall, an indoor track, cardio equipment, childcare, pro shop, and three group fitness studios. There’s literally something for everyone, and they’re open seven days a week. More details here.
In the Basin, the Fieldhouse is headquarters to everything recreation related, including kids’ competitive sports programs, special events, trails, and of course, fitness. The Fieldhouse is tucked into the east side of Kimball Junction and offers a huge indoor turf field, a multi-purpose gymnasium, a 4-lane outdoor lap pool and hot tub, a splash pad, batting cages, and a golf simulator, in addition to cardio machines and a large weight room. They offer a dizzying array of fitness classes and are open every day of the week. Click here for a current class schedule.
OTHER CURRENT FAVORITES!
We have so many favorites, and we love supporting all our local businesses and community amenities. Here are a few more of our faves:
Unique Culinary Experience: Going to Mindful Cuisine for a cooking class and dinner
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We hope you enjoyed this overview of some of our favorite aspects of Park City living, and if you don’t agree with any of our choices, let us know YOUR favorite. In our next edition, we’ll cover everything we love about Heber and Kamas Valleys. We hope to see you out and about indulging in your favorite activity or patronizing your favorite business soon!
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