Park City
Park City is a vibrant cosmopolitan town that attracts well heeled holiday makers. Even though it has a ski resort rising above the main street, many people wouldn’t think of it as a ski town. Park City is a shopping mecca, has plenty of activities to entertain non-skiers, and has restaurants to delight any eager epicurean. Also, despite misconceived rumours that Utah is a dry state, the nightlife in PC is reasonably lively. Plenty of people seem to visit Park City in winter and not go skiing. Fair enough during the Sundance Festival but otherwise these people must be Crazy (with a capital C)!
The town of Park City has three ski resorts in close proximity: Park City Mountain Resort;
Deer Valley ski resort; and
The Canyons. Skiing at all three resorts is great, but Park City Mountain Resort has the major bonus that it is incredibly conveniently located right in town, and it doesn’t ban snowboarders.
Park City Mountain Resort Ski and Snowboard Terrain
As a host to the 2002 Winter Olympics, Park City Mountain Resort is well planned and has good lift infrastructure. Conveniently, the mountain has a chairlift from the heart of Park City’s Main Street, and a new high speed quad lift has improved access from the base area up to the main skiing areas.
It has a large ski area of 1,335 hectares (3,300 acres), with
terrain for all ability levels although much of it is steep and challenging. The terrain includes highway-wide groomed runs and a claim to fame for the resort is that it is the official training site of the US Ski and Snowboard teams. Park City has four award winning terrain parks and the mountain boasts the largest superpipe in the country. Best of all is the quality of the dry Utah snow.
History of Park City Mountain Resort
The history of PCMR is evident with various mining structures dotted around the ski area. Skiing was pioneered by the miners who took mining cars along Spiro tunnel deep into the Thaynes shaft and took the elevator to the top of the hill at Silver King mine where they skied down. Much slower than a chair lift, but the miners obviously thought the snow and skiing was worth the slow trip. They discovered that silver ore wasn’t the real treasure of the mountain when there was ‘white gold’ in the form of legendary snow.
The ski area was initially called Treasure Mountain, and then later became Park City Ski Resort. In PC you have to be PC, and in 1996-97 snowboarders were allowed on the mountain and the resort name changed to Park City Mountain Resort. The new name also reflected the year-round activities of the resort.
Where is Park City Mountain Resort?
Park City, Utah, is 45 minutes from the Salt Lake City international airport which is serviced by many daily scheduled flights. Ground transportation companies operate regular transfers from the airport to Park City. Park City Mountain Resort is within Park City, and the primary base is about a kilometre from downtown Main St. There is a free bus system that aids transportation around the town and across the three resorts.
Park City also makes a great base to visit other
Utah ski resorts, and private operators can provide transportation to these resorts.
Accommodation and Facilities
The town of Park City is somewhat glitzy, and the upmarket Main Street is lined with
shops, galleries,
bars and bistros. There is a wide range of
Park City accommodation varying from luxury hotels to condos and B&Bs. Budget accommodation options are very rare. And if you don’t have a money tree, avoid Park City like the plague during the Sundance Film Festival (unless of course you specifically want to go to Sundance), as accommodation prices will be at an absolute premium.
Culture and Vibe of Park City
Don’t believe the rumours that accommodation operators will ask couples for proof of marriage before allowing them to stay in the same room. Park City is in Utah, but it is somewhat atypical of Utah, with tourism having a major influence on the culture. As an example, it would be considered very strange indeed to have more than one wife in Park City!
Park City Mountain Resort itself is incredibly relaxed and laid back, but the town can have an air of snootiness about it. Even though PC is a ski town, it’s sort of not. If skiers dare to walk down Main St with ski gear on, they might receive strange stares (or the occasional filthy look). There must be a rule that you have to change into your swanky clothes before strutting down the street? Don’t be concerned with the snobbish ladies that parade the street in their fur, as they just make the town an even better tourist attraction.
In regards to cost, the resort is inexpensive in comparison to Deer Valley, but not when you compare it to other Utah resorts. The non-skiing costs are generally high in Park City particularly if you are drawn to the glitz of Main St. If you stay and dine on the outskirts of town, a ski holiday will be more affordable.
Why Ski or Snowboard at Park City?
Park City has it all. Park City Mountain resort has great quality snow and varied terrain, but the town of Park City also has so much to offer. The resort is well renowned as being great for families, but others will enjoy it equally. Many choose to ski at PCMR because of the convenience factor. All three resorts are good, so you might as well ski at the one that is easiest to get to.