What To Do In Park City, Utah
Chris and I visited Park City, Utah for the first time last weekend, and it definitely won’t be our last time visiting! We loved the beautiful hikes, adorable Historic Downtown, and perfect weather! The temperature ranged from 75 degrees in the afternoon to low 40s overnight, making for chilly mornings and evenings. Even though we visited at the end of August, the crisp weather made me so excited for fall!
How we traveled
We flew into Salt Lake City International Airport, which is the closest airport to Park City. Because Park City is 35 miles from the airport, we chose to rent a car. We booked a rental car through National about a week before we left for our trip, and picked the car up at the airport once we landed, which was a really easy process! Having a rental car made transportation to and from the airport a breeze. Park City was easy to navigate, so it was nice to have the car to get us everywhere we wanted to go. If you choose not to rent a vehicle, I’ve listed some alternative transportation options below -
Uber and Lyft – typically readily available at SLC airport and in Park City.
Free buses – Once in Park City, you can take the bus around town free of cost. You can visit the city transit site for maps and times.
Shuttles– There are many private shuttles available for purchase that can get you from the SLC Airport to Park City.
Historic Main Street Trolley – offers free rides that span the link of this popular area.
Where we stayed
We stayed in this Airbnb over the weekend. Since we were only in Park City for one full day (we arrived late Friday night and left Sunday afternoon), we spent very little time at our Airbnb. We were really only there to sleep! Our condo was located a short 5 minute drive from Historic Main Street, where many shops and restaurants can be found. We thought our Airbnb was great, but because we spent so little time there, we will likely stay in a skiing lodge (if visiting in the winter months) or a hotel near Main Street when we visit again.
Food and Drink – What We Tried
Breakfast:
Atticus – an adorable coffee and tea shop on Historic Main Street. We liked this coffee shop so much we visited twice over the weekend! We tried the coffee, smoothies, and breakfast sandwiches and everything was delicious. They also sell books and gift items which you can browse while waiting in line. This seemed to be a really popular spot, as there were always several people waiting in line.
Lunch:
Café Terigo – We grabbed a quick lunch on the outdoor patio at this cafe. The weather was perfect for outdoor dining and our seat made for perfect people watching! Our food here was good, but there are many food options along Main Street including cafés, coffee shops, pubs, and fine dining, so you’re certain to stumble across something that interests you.
Dinner:
Grappa – We had dinner at this Italian restaurant located at the top of Main Street. It’s a pretty popular choice, so I recommend making a reservation at least a week prior if you plan on eating here. It is a pricier option in Park City but nice for a special occasion, and we really loved the atmosphere!
Dessert:
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Company - We stopped here for ice cream before leaving for the airport on Sunday. Rocky Mountain Chocolate company offers ice cream as well as candy, caramel apples, and other sweet desserts.
Drinks:
Alpine Pie Bar - Located in the downstairs portion of the restaurant called 350 Main Brasserie, this bar is known for their craft cocktails and pie (such a fun combination!) As tempting as it was, we opted out of trying the pie since we stopped here right before dinner, but it smelled heavenly! I chose the espresso martini and Chris had the Old Fashion.
Other Food/Drink Recommendations with good reviews (Didn’t get a chance to try these!)
Breakfast/Lunch
Five 5eeds – a popular and healthy breakfast/brunch option. We planned to eat here Sunday morning before leaving town, but the wait time was over an hour. I suggest checkin the wait time online or getting there early, if possible!
Harvest – Another option for brunch or lunch that I wish we would have had time to try – the menu looks delicious!
The Eating Establishment – a popular restaurant on Main Street that offers breakfast all day long.
Silver Star Café – Located away from Main Street. This café is described as a hidden gem that offers ski up access in the winter and live music in the summertime.
Dinner
Riverhorse on Main – A top rated restaurant on Main Street known for their seasonal menu and Sunday Brunch. After some research I found that this restaurant has won many awards! We did not make a reservation soon enough, but it is on my list of places to try when we visit again.
Dessert
Java Cow - another ice cream spot that offers a huge variety of flavors as well as coffee and bakery items.
Coffee
Pink Elephant – a portion of sales helps preserve and protect lands throughout the west!
Bars
High West Distillery – a whiskey distillery, bar, and restaurant that has great reviews
Things To Do
1.HIking
Hike #1
Lakes Mary, Margaret, and Catherine via Brighton Trail.
Level: Moderate intensity (portions of the hike are pretty steep, especially at the beginning)
Distance: ~6 miles round trip
I really loved this hike and highly recommend to anyone visiting Park City! The drive from Main Street in Park City to the trail head in Brighton took 25-30 minutes, but it was a beautiful drive! This hike takes you past three lakes, the first one being Lake Mary, which was the prettiest in my opinion. Lake Mary is a great place to stop for a short break or snack. The trail from Lake Mary to Lake Margaret and then Lake Catherine is a little quieter, as some people hike to Lake Mary and turn around.
** The road that takes you from Park City to Brighton is closed in the winter months, so the only way to access this trail head during that time is by driving from Salt Lake City. **
Hike #2
Bald Mountain via Ontario Trail
Level: Moderate intensity
Distance: 2.5 miles one way (5 miles round trip)
This hike is about a 5 minute drive from Main Street in Park City. We parked in the parking garage at The Chateaux Deer Valley (avoid “reserved” spots) and entered this hike near the bottom of the ski lift. The first half of the trail is a narrow, single track in the woods and is mostly shaded, and the end is more of an open field. Once you reach the top, you can choose to hike back down or ride the ski lift to the bottom, which is a really great option if you’re feeling tired from your trek up the mountain!
**TIP** Make sure you note what time the ski lift closes so you aren’t stranded at the top of the mountain! In August, it opened at 10am and closed at 5pm
Here are some other Park City Hikes I’ve added to my list for our next visit!
2.Deer Valley Lodge Ski Lift - you can ride the ski lifts in Park City during the summer months just for breathtaking views! I would highly recommend this to anyone visiting. We purchased our tickets here in advance. You can also buy your tickets same day at the base of the mountain!
3.Ride the Mountain Coaster at Park City Mountain Village - We wanted to ride a second time! This is Utah’s longest coaster that winds through curves at speeds up to 25 mph! I’m a huge rollercoaster fan and this was surprisingly thrilling! You can purchase tickets and passes for the coaster and other rides here. Or at the park.
4.Walk down Historic Main Street – the Historic Main Street is Park City is nestled in the mountains among cute, colorful homes! With many restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques and museums, we entertained ourselves here for several hours!
5.Sunday Market – Every Sunday from 6/6 through 9/26, Main Street is blocked off from 10am to 5pm. Chris and I enjoyed wandering through the market before leaving town to check out the local vendors, food tents, and live music.
Things To Do Next Time We Visit
1. Visit the 2002 Olympic grounds – we saw these from the road as we were leaving town, but you can buy a pass to enter the grounds and even partake in some activities!
2. Visit during the winter months, stay in a lodge, and enjoy all of the skiing park city has to offer!
3. Check out some more hikes! (We only had time for two)
4. Chris would love to spend an afternoon golfing at one of Park City’s beautiful courses.
I found lots of useful information here when planning our weekend in Park City!
Thanks so much for stopping by and reading! I hope you found this travel guide useful and you’ve added Park City to your list of places to visit. It is such a gem and truly one of my new favorite places! Let me know if you visit and leave any recommendations/favorite places in the comments below!
Xo,
Marie Suzanne
