This summer, our family headed to Park City, Utah—a place you might first think of for its world-class skiing or the Sundance Film Festival. But here’s the secret: in the summer, Park City transforms into an adventure playground that offers excitement for everyone.
Our trip began with a stay at a Marriott right at the edge of downtown, perfect for catching the gondola up the mountain and soaking in the incredible views. From there, our first big adventure took us to the Olympic Park just outside town. Typically reserved for top athletes, this place morphs into an outdoor thrill park every summer. One ticket granted us access to some pretty epic rides—a massive zip line, a mountain roller coaster, a challenging ropes course, and two extreme downhill tube slides that were definitely not for the faint-hearted! We had a blast and spent a solid 2.5 hours exploring everything.
On day two, we tackled a family-friendly hike up to Blood Lake. The trail is a manageable mile to the lake, but a heads-up for anyone planning to go: it’s a popular spot, so skip the parking hassle and catch a ride-share to the trailhead. At the top, we were rewarded with stunning lake views, which made the journey totally worthwhile.
A must-see in downtown Park City is its food scene! There’s a variety of delicious options, and as a bonus, you’ll also find a few authentic Banksy murals spray-painted on walls as you explore the area.
Day three took us to Deer Valley, where we hopped on another gondola to the mountain’s peak. The views were incredible, and we got lucky with perfect weather. What really surprised us was just how big of a mountain biking hub Deer Valley is—people of all skill levels were riding the gondolas up and hitting the trails down.
To wrap up our trip, we rented bikes and set out on the scenic paths around downtown and into the hills. It was a fantastic way to see the city and get a feel for life in a ski town, surrounded by such breathtaking scenery.
Overall, I highly recommend a summer escape to Park City. Whether you’re going solo or with family, there’s no shortage of things to do, and everything is conveniently close by, making it easy to explore without tons of driving.
