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PARK CITY — Park City is an excellent destination for a staycation or a stop on the way for road trippers. Rachel Buhler, spokeswoman for Visit Park City, gave KSL.com her advice for an ideal 24-hour vacation in Park City.
Where to eat
“You could eat your way through Park City in 24 hours and leave very full and very content, and still not have tried all the great food there is up here,” Buhler said. Here are some of her top picks:
Mountain Town Olive Oil Company
“We have the Mountain Town Olive Oil Company, which is on Main Street,” Buhler explained. “They do a food course which essentially shows you how to pair their olive oils and vinegars to dishes. People love this because it’s not so much about the cooking. They have the food prepared and they show you a quick way to match their products to it, which is fun for a lot of folks.”
“Down in the Kimball Junction area, we have a newer restaurant that opened in December called Hearth and Hill,” Buhler said. “It is a great spot for all ages to go for appetizers, lunch or dinner.”
The restaurant serves a wide variety of food items, from Korean wings to shrimp and grits, according to their website. They also have a full kids menu for brunch, lunch and dinner.
“On Main Street, Alpine Distilling has opened a pie bar which is located at the restaurant called 350 Main,” Buhler said. “It’s in the basement, which has been rented for Alpine Distilling to use. They have a pie bar where they serve local bakery Auntie Em’s pie, and you can get spirits as well.”
Auntie Em’s offers both fine pies and cheese in a classy environment, making it a fun night out for adults without children, according to the website. The baker makes 11 different kinds of pies and even takes custom orders.
Live music
“We have the Deer Valley music series which takes place at the Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater at the Deer Valley resort,” Buhler said. “That’s a matchup with the Utah Symphony Orchestra. They have concerts generally on Fridays and Saturdays, and it’s a combination of the orchestra with household names and cartoons.”
Other artists, like the John Butler Trio and Thievery Corporation will also be performing at the venue. Explore the lineup and see if one of the shows corresponds with your stay/vacation.
Big Stars Bright Nights Concert Series
If Deer Valley’s concerts don’t fit into your schedule, this series at the Eccles Theater next to Park City High School is also a fun option with a diverse range of musical performances.
“Those are going to be a lot of the name brand performers you would know, whether it’s country music or today’s hits,” Buhler explained. “Many of the concerts start closer to the beginning of July and run through August.”
Other live music
A number of other live concerts are available throughout the town at all times in the summer. “Any day of the week a concert can be found, whether at a restaurant or at one of the outdoor park venues around town,” Buhler said.
Hiking
“There are 400 miles of trails in Park City,” Buhler said. The small town offers a mecca of great options for short day hikes. Buhler suggested her three favorites:
- The Historic Rail Trail: “One I love that would be very suitable for all ages and abilities would be the Historic Rail Trail, which is actually a state park,” Buhler said. “It’s 28 miles long, spanning from Park City to past Coalville and Echo Reservoir. Whether you’re taking a bike on it or hiking, it is very flat and mellow, so it’s good for all ages.”
- Park City Mountain trails: “There’s a number of hikes at Deer Valley Resort and Park City Mountain,” Buhler said. “If you want to take a chairlift, you will need to pay for a chairlift ticket. But to hike, you won’t have to pay anything from the base area.”
- The Park City Hill Trail: “One trail I think is really fun for visitors is the Park City Hill Trail,” Buhler said. “Park City has a mountainside with ‘PC’ emblemed into the side with big white letters. That one is fun because it is shorter and a moderate hike so a little more challenging. For me, it takes about 30-40 minutes to get up and then less than 30 minutes to get down, so it’s a quick one.”
Where to stay
In summer, like with many other ski towns, Park City’s hotels are often 50% cheaper to stay at than they are in the winter, according to Bugler. “It’s attainable to stay in places that might normally seem out of the price range,” she said.
Newpark Resort - $
One lower cost option, Buhler suggested, is Newpark Resort in the Kimball Junction area. She explained that in the winter it is very busy and can get expensive, but in the summer they do a lot of deals and average $100-120/night.
Another benefit to staying in the Kimball Junction area is that it is an easy location from which to leave one's car behind and take the City Bus system instead, according to Buhler. The public transit is free and many of the buses are electric, making it a healthy choice for the environment.
“If you don’t want to take the bus and it’s a beautiful day during which you want to spend your time outdoors, we have an electric bike system throughout town,” Buhler added. “There are nine stations and we have about 120 bikes. Usually, each station is equipped with plenty for you and a guest or you and your family — they don’t usually run out so that’s a really nice option. [The bikes] are for ages 18 and up.”
Located near Main Street, this moderately priced lodging option is halfway between Kimball Junction and the old town Main Street area, according to Buhler. “You can hop on the bus and get to Main Street in five minutes.”
She added that it runs for around $180/night on average during the summer.
The Stein Collection - $$$
On the high end of the price range, Buhler suggested staying at the Stein Collection. “It is comprised of three properties,” she explained. “There is the Chateaux Deer Valley, which is a four-star resort. There’s the Stein Eriksen Lodge, which is five-star, and then there’s the uber-luxurious Stein Eriksen Residences.”
All three are nestled high in the mountains, overlooking Deer Valley Resort. The Stein Residences, the most expensive of the group, start at $679/night during the summer.
Whether you plan to stay for 24 hours or far longer, Park City has ample opportunities to experience outdoor recreation, fine dining and luxury in a beautiful setting. Learn more about the town on their city website.
