Utah’s Park City is one of the state’s foremost holiday spots, drawing over 1.4 million summer vacationers. From epic outdoor activities to enthralling indoor attractions, this Beehive State city promises the summer escape of a lifetime. Here’s what you can look forward to on your summer in Park City getaway.
Mountain Biking
Explore Park City’s expansive backcountry on an epic mountain biking escapade. Willow Creek Trail is one of Park City’s shorter routes, covering 1.9 miles with an elevation gain of 78 feet. Glenwild Loop Trail stretches 8.2 miles, offering a moderate biking challenge and an elevation gain of nearly 1,100 feet. Mid Mountain Trail covers 23 miles, providing an arduous ride with a massive elevation gain of roughly 2,700 feet that will put your biking skills to the ultimate test. For Park City’s best mountain bike rentals, stop by White Pine Touring and enjoy an extensive selection of high-end bikes to maximize your performance. White Pine Touring offers three rental durations, including four-hour, one-day, and seven-day periods to suit your biking needs.
Hiking Adventures
If you prefer hiking to biking, Park City features tens of picturesque trails ready for exploration. If you’re looking for a simple trek, the 1.6-mile McPolin Nature Trail delivers a brief 38-minute excursion, perfect for hiking with your little ones. Quarry Mountain Loop covers 2.8 miles, offering a moderate hike with lovely views of the surroundings at the peak. The 11-mile Mid-Mountain & Spiro Trail is one of Park City’s most arduous hiking trails, providing a challenging but rewarding trek with incredible sights of local scenery. Since Park City’s summer temperatures average 79 degrees, pack sufficient water and high-energy bars for adequate hydration and sustenance, especially for longer hikes. If you’re planning a multi-hour trek, carry a physical map as a backup in case your phone’s GPS fails or your battery dies.
Horseback Riding
Horseback riding offers a relaxing way to explore Park City’s vast backcountry as you relish the picturesque landscape. For the best horseback riding tours in Park City, check out Red Pine Tours and traverse over 1,000 acres of private land on Park City’s lovely mountainside. Red Pine Tours offers three tour times, including a 9 AM, an 11 AM, and a 1 PM excursion, each tour lasting 90 minutes. Riders aged eight and above can ride, making it an excellent way to spend a relaxing summer’s day touring Park City’s outback with your kids. Experienced guides lead each trip through gorgeous private forests on well-trained horses, offering an unforgettable journey with excellent panoramic views. For a secluded experience with your loved ones, book a private tour and enjoy an exclusive ride with those nearest and dearest.
Hot-Air Balloon Rides
A hot-air balloon ride offers a unique vantage point of Park City as you and your loved ones soar 1,500 feet above the ground. Bigfoot Balloons is Park City’s go-to for the best hot-air balloon tours, offering hour-long flights in Summit County and its environs. Every tour starts at sunrise when the air temperature and wind are most stable, allowing for a seamless flight experience. Relish the breathtaking views of the sun as it rises over the majestic Utah mountains, creating a beautiful backdrop for the perfect picture. Book the shared flight and head up on a group tour with other passengers or secure a private flight and enjoy an exclusive aerial excursion with loved ones, ideal for birthdays, anniversaries, or engagements. Each private flight ends with a champagne toast and accommodates up to 12 people, allowing for a personalized adventure with close family and friends.
River Rafting
River rafting is an excellent way to cool down while enjoying the magnificent sights of Park City’s landscape. Park City Rafting is the city’s go-to for the most riveting rating excursions down the mighty Weber River. Each trip lasts roughly one and a half hours, offering scintillating trips down mild rapids with fascinating views of local geological formations. An experienced guide leads the excursion, delivering epic rafting tips to help you maneuver your craft down the swift rapids. Once you’ve reserved your spot, check in at least half an hour before the trip to prepare and fit your life jacket. Choose between the 10 AM or 2 PM trip and relish the exciting six-mile adventure downstream. Rafting tours accommodate kids aged three and up, allowing your little ones to enjoy the fun.
Stand-Up Paddleboarding
Stand-up paddleboarding has been a longtime Park City summertime favorite, delivering fun-filled outdoor experiences to beat the heat. Park City SUP behind Deer Valley Plaza offers thrilling two-hour SUP tours at the Jordanelle Reservoir. Each trip includes rental equipment, personal pictures, snacks, and refreshments afterward. Paddle through Deer Valley as you enjoy the beautiful mountains surrounding the reservoir. If you’re new to paddleboarding, take a private or group lesson to get yourself up to speed, then head out for an exciting tour. If you’re a seasoned paddleboarder, take the half-day trip down Weber or Provo River and put your skills to the test. If you’re in Park City with your kids, sign them up for the summer camp, running from 11 AM to 1 PM every weekday, where they’ll learn more about the art of paddleboarding.
Swimming
Swimming is a bona fide way to keep cool during summer while providing a complementary workout session. Park City hosts numerous swimming facilities where you and your loved ones can enjoy a cooling dip. Park City Municipal Athletic & Recreation Center is one of the city’s best indoor spots for a soothing swim, offering an outdoor pool with water slides, a lazy river, and a lap pool. Another popular indoor swimming facility is the Basin Recreation Lap Pool, which features a lap pool hosting youth lessons and programs alongside a hot tub for relaxing. If you prefer swimming indoors, check out Ecker Hill Aquatic Center, Wasatch Aquatic Center, or South Summit Aquatic & Fitness Center.
Fly Fishing
Park City hosts umpteen fly fishing locations, including Weber River, Strawberry Reservoir, and Provo River. Park City Fly Fishing is the city’s number-one go-to for the best angling adventures, offering year-round fly fishing experiences. Summer is an excellent time for fly-fishing as small streams form following spring’s run-off, creating favorable conditions for local fish species to thrive. Park City Fly Fishing offers several trips, including a four-hour Half-Day Wade Trip and an eight-hour Full-Day Wade Trip. You can also opt for the four-hour Half-Day Provo Float Trip or the Strawberry Reservoir Motor Boat Trip. Each trip features local fly fishing guides with decades of combined experience, providing professional tips for a successful catch.
Golfing
If you’re a golfing enthusiast, Park City hosts some of the state’s best fairways, promising a premium golfing experience. The Glenwild Golf Club & Spa north of Park City has 18 holes along irrigation lakes and native vegetation, offering a challenging yet friendly experience with a gorgeous backdrop of the Wasatch Mountains. Canyons Golf Course is another beloved Park City fairway featuring 18 holes and an elevation change of 550 feet, delivering an arduous yet enjoyable experience. Jeremy Ranch Golf & Country Club features an 18-hole fairway with considerable elevation changes and multiple downhill tee shots that will put your golfing skills to the test.
Ziplining
Soar across Park City’s picturesque landscape on a thrilling ziplining escapade as you take in the breathtaking views of the local scenery. Zip Rider is one of Park City’s best ziplining companies, offering epic experiences from the Lookout Ridge down to the Red Pine Lodge. Their first package – The Red Pine Ziptour, features a 750-foot line with a vertical drop of nine percent, reaching 35 miles per hour, while the second package – The Epic Ziptour, has a 1950-foot line with a vertical descent of 11 percent, hitting 55 miles per hour. Each zipline experience begins with a chairlift ride to the summit of Lookout Ridge before descending to the ravine below. Kids aged ten and above can participate, provided they’re accompanied by a parent or a legal guardian.
Park City Alpine Slide
The famed Park City Alpine Slide is a summertime favorite, featuring over 3,000 feet of slick track. Renowned for being the state’s longest coaster ride, Park City Alpine Coaster Slide winds through multiple loops and turns along a one-mile descent, achieving speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. The slide accommodates riders as young as four, provided they’re at least 38 inches tall, while drivers must be at least 16. The slide features four layouts, each offering unique twists, dips, and turns. Each cart has a manual brake to control the speed of your descent, although the slides have an automatic speed restrictor to keep the cart from going above a certain speed. The total ride time to the bottom is roughly two minutes, depending on your descent speed.
Concerts
Once summer swings around, concert season kicks off in Park City, with multiple artists lining up for epic performances. Prepare to enjoy numerous genres, including Americana, country, classic rock, pop, and reggae. July will see several names like Blitzen Trapper, Starship, UB40, and Randy Houser take the stage. In August, expect Americana hitmakers Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, country and gospel singer Josh Turner, and multi-genre sensation Leslie Odom Jr. Take a trip down memory lane at the Deer Valley Music Festival as you listen to John William’s famous cinema compositions, including soundtracks to Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
Scenic Lift/Gondola Ride
Experience the sweeping sights of Park City aboard one of the city’s lift or gondola rides. Take the Town Lift from Park City Mountain Resort and ascend as you pass a lovely corridor of green trees and enjoy impressive views of the surrounding mountain range at the summit. The Ride Pine Gondola is another local favorite, offering scenic rides from Canyons Village to Red Pine Lodge, where you can explore numerous hiking trails with your loved ones. Snowbird Resort offers a ten-minute tram ride from Snowbird Center to the summit of Hidden Peak, promising jaw-dropping views from 11,000 feet. The Sunrise Lift at Solitude Resort rises 1,000 feet, providing access to multiple scenic trails to stretch your legs before heading down.
Excellent Culinary Scene
Park City features a robust culinary scene with numerous eateries offering unique cuisine. Riverhorse on Main is renowned for its delicious American menu, featuring entrees of Crispy Tofu, Mountain Trout, Blackened Ahi Tuna, Buffalo Strip Steak, and Alaskan Halibut. For the city’s best Italian, check out Ghidotti’s and treat your taste buds to delicious pasta dishes of Blue Cheese Agnolotti, Fettuccine Alfredo, Cannolicchi & Sausage, or Spaghetti & Meatballs. If you’re a pizza fanatic, Fuego Bistro and Pizzeria serves mouth-watering 12 and 16-inch gourmet pizzas, including Barbecue Chicken, Fuego Blanco, Hula Pie, and Spicy Sicily. Check out Yuki Yama Sushi for delicious sushi servings, sample an impressive selection of fresh seafood dishes at Blind Dog Restaurant & Raw Bar, or enjoy a delightful Mexican menu at Loco Lizard Cantina.
Book Your Park City Summer Vacation Rental Early
Park City promises the summer getaway of a lifetime. Enjoy numerous outdoor thrills, including hiking, golfing, ziplining, river rafting, or stand-up paddleboarding. Explore the city’s beautiful backcountry on a riveting bike ride, take to the skies on a scenic hot-air balloon ride, or cool off with a dip at a local swimming facility. Check out the best musical talents at a concert, then savor a delightful meal at one of the city’s impressive restaurants.
As summer fast approaches, book your Park City vacation rental early with Park City Rental Properties and choose from our robust list of high-end vacation homes. We offer a huge selection of properties, ranging from 1-bedroom condos for four guests to 10-bedroom rentals for up to 23 vacationers, giving you ample variety based on your travel group’s size. Our rentals feature numerous amenities, delivering a comfortable and hassle-free lodging experience for you and your loved ones. Contact us today to secure your Park City vacation rental and enjoy a memorable Utah summer escape in the city’s best accommodation.
If you have ever been to Park City before, you know that the city lives for the outdoors. No matter what time of year you visit, you will find some incredible activities to enjoy. Summer in Park City is no different as the winter snow has melted away, providing plenty of outdoor playgrounds for you to explore. We recommend the early part of summer when the temperatures are nice and cool and the late summer crowds have yet to arrive. Take a look at some incredible early summer activities you can find in Park City:
Hit the Fair Way
No vacation getaway is ever complete without a round or two of golf. Park City features a variety of local golf courses that provide beautiful green fairways and full-size courses. Choose from seven different public courses in the area that are designed after championship courses. Other summer destinations across the country may make golfers deal with hotter temperatures, but here in Park City, you will find the weather to be incredibly mild, especially at the start of summer. You will also find that the higher elevation helps your ball soar even higher in the air. Come visit courses such as Park City Golf Club for the best round of golf you have played yet!
Go Ziplining
There is no better way to see the incredible summer terrain of Park City than a highflying adventure on a zipline. This outdoor activity has you zipping down huge stretches of elevated rope courses. You will find yourself sailing by beautiful rivers and mountain peaks for incredible sightseeing. You can enjoy ziplining with a local company such as Flying Eagle Zipline. A variety of courses are available and will have you zipping by at 45 miles per hour. Or head over to the Utah Olympic Park that will have you be 161 feet above the ground for the scenic zipline stretches. Screaming Falcon Adventure Tour has the longest course in the country for ziplining extending to 3,900 feet. Whichever company you choose, you will have an incredible ziplining adventure!
Summer Bobsledding
The Utah Olympic Park also features authentic bobsled courses that were featured in the 2002 Winter Olympics. The courses have now been fitted for outdoor summer bobsledding when you will shoot down at 60 miles per hour. Don’t worry as a professional bobsledder will be your guide so you can safely navigate the twists and turns. Don’t pass up on this unique summer experience.
Hit the Local Rivers
When up in Utah, you need to see the beautiful rivers flowing around the area. Park City has two nearby rivers for you to explore, Weber River and Provo River. The best way to hit the rivers is with a thrilling white water rafting experience. Exclusive Excursions is the perfect local company for guided and unguided tours of the Provo River. Less experienced rafters can take a tour with All Seasons Adventures or Park City Rafting that traverses the Weber River. A variety of experience levels can be chosen along with the length of your tour from 2 hours up to a whole day. If you are looking for something a little more relaxing, try out one of their kayaking tours that will take you down calmer parts of the river!
Explore Historic Main Street
Park City features the expansive historic Main Street through the center part of the city. This historic neighborhood is where you can find many of the city’s incredible restaurants and boutiques. Most restaurants continue to offer both dine-in and take out services, so you have plenty of options from which to choose. Check out the local art studios where exhibits featuring local and international artists are put up on display. Take advantage of the cool early summer weather and walk around this historic area!
Go Fly Fishing
Once the snow has melted from the Wasatch Mountains the start of the fishing season has begun. The Provo River and Weber River both provide incredible fishing opportunities especially for fly fishing. Both rivers connect with reservoirs and fisheries ensuring they are always plentiful with fish and have one of the highest concentration of fish per mile for the state. Anglers can enjoy still waters by the Echo and Rockport reservoirs. Take out a pontoon boat out onto the water. Many locals report that monster catches can be snagged here as long as you are patient. Local gear shops in town will have everything you need for a successful fishing trip!
Plan Your Park City Summer Fun
Plenty of activities will be at your fingertips when you come explore Park City during the early summer season. Make the most of your stay by reserving one of our luxury vacation rentals in the city. You can be just steps away from the trails and other exciting features of Park City. Start planning your trip today to enjoy everything summer in Park City has to offer!