Located just 35 minutes southeast of Salt Lake International Airport, Park City UT is known for its ski resorts. Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley Resort and The Canyons Resort share 3,800 hectares (9,600 acres) of skiing within eight kilometers of each other.
The population of Park City is 8,000, but it swells in winter with skiers heading to the three mountain resorts, as well as five more ski resorts within a one-hour drive (Sundance, Snowbird, Solitude, Brighton and Alta).
Park City ski resorts
This winter, Park City Mountain Resort is investing $10.5 million in Crescent lift, a new high-speed chairlift, building a new ski run, expanding snow-making facilities and renovating Mid-Mountain Lodge. A Save our Snow program will offset 100 per cent of power consumption from renewable energy resources.
The Canyons Resort is adding new intermediate and advanced gladed tree runs and increasing its snow grooming fleet by 20 per cent and snow-making by 30 per cent. The new Iron Mountain connector chairlift will improve access from the Dream peaks to Tombstone lift. A new gondola allows skiers to access Resort Village from the Miner's Club and Dakota Mountain Lodge.
Deer Valley Resort is investing $8 million to renovate Empire Canyon Lodge and replace Cushing's Cabin on top of Flagstaff Mountain for housing Flagstaff Mountain Ski Patrol and more guests.
Park City hotels
The first five-star boutique hotel in Park City, SkyLodge, opened in December 2007 on lower Main Street. New Silver Star accommodations at Park City Mountain Resort incorporate historic mining buildings in luxury condos, townhouses and cottages.
In 2008, Newpark Resort opened a five-star hotel and townhouses in the Redstone area, next to the 451-hectare (1,100-acre) Swaner Nature Preserve.
A St. Regis Resort will open by year-end at Deer Valley Resort. In 2010, an ER3 (Environmental Responsible Redevelopment and Reuse) Montage Resort and Spa will open at Deer Valley Resort.
Dakota Mountain Lodge, the first ski property in the Waldorf-Astoria Collection, will open in Spring 2009, with a Golden Door Spa, meeting space and restaurants at The Canyons Resort.
Park City vacations
Besides winter sports, ranging from snowmobiling to snowboarding, and summer activities, like hiking and golf, Park City offers things to do year-round. At Utah Olympic Park, site of the 2002 Olympic bobsled, luge and ski jumping events, visitors can watch athletes train, tour two museums and ride a bobsled with an experienced driver.
The renovated Park City Museum features new interactive exhibits. (Park City was a busy mining town in the late 1800s and early 1900s.) Visitors can take monthly Art Gallery Strolls and view displays at Kimball Art Center.
By year-end, The Canyons Resort Village will offer classes and a glass-blowing studio at Glory Hole.
Sundance Film Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary from January 15 to 25. Travel packages include hotels, skiing, tickets for film screenings and transportation.
Food and drink
With more than 100 restaurants and bars in Park City, choices range from the casual Squatter's Brew Pub to award-winning fine dining at The Riverhorse and Grappa.
Alcohol is not prohibited in Park City. In fact, High West Distillery, the first “legal” distillery since the end of prohibition, is located on historic Main Street. It produces two Rendezvous rye whiskies and Vodka 7000'. The saloon serves alpine cuisine.
High West Distillery is the first ski-in, ski-out distillery in the world. Park City is located at an altitude of 7,000 feet (2,130 meters).
You don't have to worry about drinking and driving. Free city shuttle buses operate every 20 minutes, daily, to transport you around Park City to stores, restaurants, nightclubs and ski resorts.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
Park City Utah: www.parkcityinfo.com