Park City is known to skiers and snowboarders as a mecca during the winter. But what is there to do in the Summer? This former frontier mining town turned Olympic games host boasts equally fun activities in the warmer months. Here is how we recommend spending a memorable summer day in Park City, Utah.
Quick Breakfast at Windy Ridge Bakery
Start your day with some little sweet and savory baked goods from one of the best bakeries in Park City, Windy Ridge Bakery. Their breakfast croissants are the bomb. It would be best if you also got a slice of quiche for a little morning protein. You don’t want an empty stomach for your next thrilling stop.
Bobsled at Olympic Park
Many individuals flock to the Alpine Coaster in Park City for an adrenaline-packed summer activity, but if you want a once-in-a-lifetime experience, skip the mountain slide and go bobsledding at the Olympic Park. In 2002 Salt Lake hosted the Olympic Winter Games. The track used for the bobsled, skeleton, and luge events is still in operation and allows you to live out an Olympic dream, even during the summer! As someone who believes Cool Runnings was one of Disney’s best movie masterpieces, this was a must-do on my list, and it did not disappoint. You start by being bussed up to the top of the track. Then you are handed a helmet, and they explain how all this will work.
Luckily, you don’t have to pilot the bobsled (which is on wheels during the warm months). But you’ll get in the sled with the pilot and brace yourselves against the walls of the sled. These instructions are SUPER crucial because you are about to pull 3 to 4 G’s into the corners. It’s like straight out of Top Gun minus the weird shirtless volleyball. You can feel the gravity bear-hug your body as you enter the turn at 70 MPH. I had to fight to keep my spine straight up and down. And don’t let the first corner lull you into a false sense of security. Don’t be intimidated, though; it’s perfectly safe. It’s like a rollercoaster, just a little more physically demanding as you try to keep yourself braced during the short ride. You will be sore after, but it’s a memorable experience, and I can’t recommend it enough.
While you are at the Olympic Park, make sure also to check out the Freestyle Pool Ski Jump and watch the jumpers train. It’s remarkable how high they jump and how many flips and spins they can get in before splashing down in the water.
High West Saloon in Downtown Park City
Commemorate your bobsled bravery with celebratory whiskey and cocktails on the patio of High West Saloon. As a whiskey lover, I’d recommend trying their whiskey flight and sampling four of their best sellers. The Campfire is genuinely unique and tastes precisely like roasting marshmallows on the campfire. I’ve never tasted anything like it. High West also has plenty of cocktails to delight the masses, even if you are not into whiskey.
Dinner at The Spur Bar and Grill
During our trip, we discovered that dining on Main Street could be challenging. Every place is either too crowded or too expensive. As we walked towards the south end, we had already tried to get into three other restaurants before just picking the least crowded place we could find. Luckily it turned out to be one of the best park city restaurants. The Spur Bar and Grill offers a local feel with excellent food, great service, and delicious cocktails.
I had a jalapeno, sausage, and pineapple pizza and washed it down with an Irish coffee. And yes, I know that is a weird combo that could give heartburn to a fire-breather, but I regret nothing.
BONUS ACTIVITY
This is hard to fit into just 24 hours in Park City but if you have some time on your way in or out of Park City, stop at the Midway Crater at the Homestead Resort. Sometimes called the Utah Crater, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to swim inside an hour-glass-shaped geothermal hot spring. Neither of us are big swimmers, so this was a tad outside our comfort zone, especially when we found out it’s basically swimming in a 65-foot-deep cave. In fact, it’s so deep they do scuba diving certification here. But persuaded by the mention of the water temperature being a toasty 95 degrees, we just conjured the image of an underground hot tub and went for it.
After checking in for our reserved time, about ten other people and ourselves lined up outside the crater. When the doors opened, the guide walked us inside the big rock to drop our stuff in the free lockers and get our life jackets, which are mandatory while swimming.
Once your life jacket is on, you walk into the hollow dome, which is set up like your average hotel pool. There are a few areas where you can sit, like a hot tub, and then a big swimming area where you can float around. Floating on your back in the warm water, staring up at the cave walls peering into the volcanic opening in the ceiling is both relaxing and somehow anxiety-inducing. Again, underground swimming sounds like a combination of two panic attacks, but I would do this again in a heartbeat.
Other activities
If you’re not tuckered out, you could head up to the mountain and see how the Park City Mountain Coaster compares to the intensity of the bobsled. We headed up to the mountain, only 3 minutes from the High West Distillery, intending to ride the coaster but found an hour and a half wait. We reasoned this trip had already delivered an adrenaline spike and decided to bypass standing in line in the burning heat.
Need more Utah in your life? Check out our one-week road trip to all the National Parks in Utah!
Chad can be summed up by his idea of a perfect day: Waking up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains, warm cup of coffee in hand then grabbing his camera and fly rod, hitting the trail to explore some uncharted territory followed by cold beers and campfire steaks. Chad is often joined on his adventures by his wife, Tori, and their dog, Kona.