Not only is Park City a mountain-biking mecca with over 450 miles of incredible riding trails, it also offers access to amazing hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, and camping areas. In addition, Park City is a culturally charming mountain town that offers hundreds of casual- and fine-dining options. Whether you’re traveling from near or far, the following guide should help you plan enough adventures for an amazing vacation.
Park City Accommodations
There are lots of great Airbnb options just outside of Park City in this neighborhood in Kamas. This will put you just nine minutes from downtown Park City. The Heber/Midway area also has some Airbnb accommodations and is only 20–30 minutes from Park City. Hotels and accommodations directly in Park City are more expensive than in surrounding areas. Accommodations in Salt Lake City are typically less expensive, but your drive will be 25–45 minutes, depending on where you find a place.
Here is a list of some popular hotel accommodations directly in Park City:
Park City Camping Recommendations
Camping directly in Park City is limited, but there are many great places to camp just outside of Park City within a 15–40 minute drive. If you plan to camp, we highly recommend booking sooner than later!
Park City RV Resort is the only in-town camping option. Even though it’s an RV park, tent camping is available in some sites. As a bonus, there are biking trails right outside the RV Resort that you can hop on and enjoy for miles! (Find out more about the trails nearby below.)
Jordanelle State Park is only 15 minutes from Trailside Bike Park, and has great campsites along the Jordanelle Reservoir. We love paddle boarding on this lake in the summertime. You will have your choice of the McHenry (a personal favorite), Keetley, or Hailstone campgrounds within Jordanelle State Park.
Wasatch Mountain State Park is a 30-minute drive from Trailside Bike Park, and has lots of options for camping. There are also several local bike trails in the area. The WOW trail would be a great addition to your stay!
The High Uintas Wilderness is 40–60 minutes from Trailside Bike Park. This area has some of Utah's most scenic alpine camping and is home to over 1,000 high-alpine lakes. There are lots of camping options in this area off of Mirror Lake Highway (Highway 150). You have the option to camp in designated campsites or in dispersed-camping areas. Yellow Pine, Shingle Creek (both first come, first serve) are about 40 minutes from Park City, while Washington Lake, Trial Lake, and Lily Lake campgrounds are about an hour away and accept reservations. The views won't disappoint, especially the higher up you go! Note that the upper campgrounds may not be open until late June or early July, depending on snowpack. Check specific campgrounds for more details.
Food and Dining Recommendations
Fine dining:
Tupelo (local chefs, Matt and Maggie, who also mountain bike!)
Sushi:
Best in Park City: Shoyu or Yuki Yama on Main
Sushi for beginners: Sushi Blue (they have cream cheese and deep-fried everything!)
Other Dining:
Casual breakfast and lunch spot: Salt Box PC (sit on the patio behind the store!)
Healthy and tasty, but not a lot of ambiance due to location: Vessel Kitchen
Quick and easy: Protein Foundry
Great ambiance and food, limited afternoon hours: Cafe Terigo
Small plates, well thought out, expensive, great ambiance: Handle
Popular, hip, good food: High West Distillery
Easy Mexican, good, very casual but clean: El Chubasco and Albertos
Best lobster sandwiches ever, casual, clean, expensive: Freshies
Off the beaten path, popular local eatery, has something for everyone: Back 40 Ranch House Grill (avoid dinner rush times, try and go early afternoon)
There are probably many other great restaurants, but these have been personally vetted! In general, you'll pay more for food on Main Street; however, it has great ambiance and energy.
Mountain Bike Trail Recommendations
Armstrong, Mid-Mountain, Spiro (10.1 miles; 1,584’ elevation gain) For this classic Park City route, start at the base of the Park City Resort at the First Time lift. You will start to climb on Silver Spur to Armstrong (uphill only) and climb through scrub oak, quaking aspens, and evergreen forests to the Mid-Mountain Trail at about 8,000 feet. Traverse across the Mid-Mountain trail until you connect with Spiro. Spiro is a beautiful descent with plenty of berms to practice cornering skills. For less climbing and a shorter ride, take Spiro via Dawns or Ham. (Dawns, Ham, and Mid-Mountain are all connectors between Armstrong and Spiro). More info here.
Wasatch Crest Trail (11.5 miles; 665’ elevation gain) This is a classic, must-ride trail. A shuttle service will drop you off at Guardsman Pass. You will traverse across the crest of the Wasatch Mountains on Scotty's Connector. The views for the first 10 minutes are some of the very best in the Wasatch Mountains. You can see Solitude, Brighton, and (on clear days) all the way out to the Great Salt Lake! Once you drop into the Park City side, you’ll pass Shadow Lake and then get to ride through beautiful, huge pine trees. As you make your way down the mountain, you’ll encounter tall-grass fields, stands of aspens, and tight pine trees. This is an epic ride you’ll remember forever. Sometimes this ride is not cleared of snow until early July, depending on snowpack. BigRack Shuttle will keep you updated.
Jenni's to CMG (2.4 miles; 584’ elevation gain) This ride begins at the base of the Park City resort. It climbs up Jenni's—an uphill-only trail—and connects to Crescent Mine Grade (CMG), a short descent with beautiful turns through aspen trees. This ride can be extended to upper Jenni's with a descent on Loose Moose that will connect you with lower CMG. Additional options for this trail system can be found here.
WOW Ride (9 miles, 427’ elevation gain) Although you can ride this as an out-and-back, we recommend it as a shuttle. This is a great ride if you plan on staying in the Heber/Midway area. While not quite as stunning as the iconic Wasatch Crest Ride, this ride will still give you incredible views of the mountains and valley. More information can be found here.
Stealth, Glenwild, Flying Dog (4 miles; 735’ elevation gain) If you stay at the Park City RV Resort, the Stealth trail will be rideable from your camp! Take Stealth and connect into the Glenwild Loop. If you want to extend your ride, take Flying Dog. It is recommended that you ride the Glenwild Loop and Flying Dog counterclockwise. On the way down, you will ride through gorgeous aspens and pines. This trail has a lot of sun exposure, and is particularly popular during the autumn and spring seasons or early mornings in the summertime.
9K trail is one of Park City’s newest trails. It traverses our mountains at 9,000’. Gorgeous views the entire time. You can catch a shuttle or park at Bonanza Flats and ride it as an out and back.
Hiking Trail Recommendations
Bloods Lake or Lake Lackawaxen Trail (4.6 miles; 1,158’ elevation gain) These are some beautiful high alpine lakes located near Guardsman Pass in Park City. Bloods Lake is relatively easy and can be crowded. We recommend hiking one mile past Bloods Lake to Lake Lackawaxen for solitude, and an equally beautiful high alpine lake. These are hiking-only trails that can be enjoyed without fellow mountain bikers passing.
Bald Mountain via Silver Lake Trail (4 miles; 1,266’ elevation gain) This is another hiking-specifc trail. Start at Deer Valley hike to the top of Bald Mountain where you’ll enjoy picturesque cliffs and a bird's-eye view of Heber Valley and Jordanelle Reservoir.
High Uintas Trails
Whether you decide to camp in the High Uintas Wilderness, or make a day trip for some hiking, you will not be disappointed. Below are some don’t-miss hikes for this area. Note that these trails may still have traces of snow until early July, depending on the snowpack. Complete summer access on Mirror Lake Highway usually opens late June. There is a day-use fee for accessing the Mirror Lake Highway.
Notch, Clegg, Dean, and Bench Lakes (4.7 miles; 524’ elevation gain) You can make this multi-lake trail as long or as short as you’d like. Notch Lake is a breathtaking high-alpine lake at the base of scenic mountain cliffs. You’ll pass Clegg Lake and Dean Lake (off the path a bit) along the way, and be treated to views of both Reids Peak and Bald Mountain Peak.
Bald Mountain Pass (2.7 miles; 1,174’ elevation gain) Bald Mountain Trail leads you to the top of Bald Mountain, nearly 12,000 feet above sea level (and not to be confused with Bald Mountain at Deer Valley). This trail is short and steep, but you will be met with incredible views and an overlook of the High Uintas. It will not disappoint! You get the benefit of bagging a major peak in only 2.7 round-trip miles.
Wall Lake (2.5 miles; 147’ elevation gain) Wall Lake is another popular mountainscape lake. It is also known for its lakeside cliffs. This easy and relatively short hike is great for kids and is accessible earlier in the summer than other High Uinta destinations. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can extend this hike to a spectacular loop where you’ll pass twenty lakes (7.6 miles; 954’ elevation gain)
Provo Falls (0.2 miles; 36’ elevation gain) The Provo River creates a series of scenic waterfalls as it flows along Mirror Lake Highway. A short trail from the parking-lot overlook leads down to the river. During the heat of summer (late July–August) it is fun to wade in the cold, mountain water. The current is high during early summer, so use caution and skip the wading when unsafe.