The Utah Olympic Park in Park City hosted various events for the 2002 Winter Olympics and remains an active training and competition venue. There are plenty of things for tourists to do and it is definitely worth at least a half-day visit.
The Utah Olympic Park is located 7.5 miles from the
Park City Ski Resort, out past Canyons Village.
Zipline
The Xtreme Zipline is the steepest zipline in the world and is designed to mimic the feeling of going off the ski jump which is right next door. The zipline is definitely a thrill without being outrageously scary, whereas one would imagine that only crazy people could go off the big ski jump. Riders get strapped into a harness which is attached to the cable, and the ride starts off behind a solid gate. As the gate is released and you get the first look at the run you’re about to fly down, you can’t breathe and the initial speed makes the eyes water. You then settle into the fun as you fly all the way down the run at 50mph. It’s much more fun to go down in pairs next to each other so that you can listen to each other laugh (or scream).
Bobsled
This is the absolute ultimate in thrills. An experienced driver takes passengers down the windy Olympic bobsled track with speeds of up to 80 miles per hour with 5 Gs of force. Some people try to count how many turns there are in the course, but they lose count after the first turn. The ride itself goes for less than a minute which seems short for the cost, but bobsled riders absolutely rave about the experience and say the money is worth it to get your pants completely scared off. Call in advance to book for the bobsled.
Tubing
Tubing is another whizzing activity but thankfully it is a little less intense. The cost is also substantially less at only a few dollars. Various inflatables are available including tubes and rafts. If parents want to stay warm, they can spectate from the comfort of the cafeteria which overlooks the tubing run.
Museum
The word “museum” might conjure up thoughts of boredom, but if you enjoy skiing then this museum is actually interesting. It’s probably also appealing to those who don’t ski or snowboard. The free museum celebrates the history of skiing in Utah including the XIX Olympic Winter Games. There are various information kiosks, interactive displays, skiing games, and scary exhibits about avalanches. The museum has a theatrette that has continuous video segments about Utah skiing.
Other Things to Do
There are various other things to do such as watch the athletes train as they fly off ramps, or take a guided tour of the park. There are also chair lift rides to the top of the ski jump.
Logistics
The park is open daily from 9am to 6pm. It is possible to catch a public bus reasonably close to Olympic Park, but this then necessitates waiting for a shuttle to drive up the road to the park. The last shuttle back down is at 5pm. It’s probably much easier to get to Olympic Park via taxi or self-drive.
