Spring into Summer in Park City, Utah
The mountains are calling!
If you’re looking for an easy family getaway, whether it's for a ski trip or an escape from Florida’s oppressively hot summers, Park City, Utah, is your answer!
I discovered this magical place five years ago, and we’ve been going back every summer and for ski trips ever since. The biggest reason? It’s so easy to get there from Tampa.
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While Park City is renowned for its winter sports and the Winter Olympics (which returns to Salt Lake City in 2034), summers are pretty incredible, too. So, let’s dive in, friends, and explore all that this mountain town has to offer.
6 Reasons Why We Love Park City, Utah, for Families:
- It’s easy to get to. Delta flies directly to SLC from TPA, and Park City is only 25 miles away from the airport, making it one of the most accessible ski resorts.
- Year-Round Fun: No matter the season, there is something to do for everyone in the family, not just skiers.
- Experience the Greatest Snow on Earth®: It’s Utah’s claim to fame! We have our sugar-sand beaches here in Tampa Bay, and Utah has its light, powdery snow!
- Gorgeous summer weather: Crisp mornings and evenings are a welcome diversion from our brutally hot and humid summers at home. Daytime temps are also mild, with average highs around 75-81 degrees and very little humidity.
- Lodging Options Galore: There are so many different types of places to stay; in fact, Park City has the largest concentration of ski-in/ski-out luxury options in North America.
- It’s easy to get around: The transit system is free, with stops everywhere you want to go in Park City. The buses by High Valley Transit and Park City Transit are clean, and you can track them via app. (Find link on parkcity.org)
Want to Ski or Snowboard?
Park City is home to two world-class ski resorts: Deer Valley and Park City Mountain. Deer Valley is ski-only, and you can ski and snowboard at Park City Mountain. Depending on how much snow there is, Park City Mountain usually opens around the end of November, and Deer Valley opens in early December.
Ski School: For safety, we highly recommend booking ski school if you are still learning and even if you are more seasoned. Our kids have attended Ski School at both resorts to brush up on their skills, and it was worth every penny—and also gave us some kid-free time to ski. Kids as young as 3 can attend ski school at both resorts.
Pro Tip: Bring some cash to tip the instructors at the end of the lesson. It’s much appreciated.
Lift Access: If you don’t have an Ikon Pass (Deer Valley) or Epic Pass (Park City Mountain), you can buy single-day and multi-day lift tickets, but you’ll want to purchase these well in advance as they do go up in price and sell out, especially single-day tickets. Summertime lift tickets are much easier to come by for scenic views.
Now, let’s see how you can spring from season to season with these awesome things to do!
Boots on the ground
If you love…
Hiking in the Summer: We love our summertime hikes in Park City, especially the mountain trails in Deer Valley and even over in Park City Mountain Resort. The views are spectacular, and if you’re too tired to hike back down, you can hitch a ride on the chair lift for a beautiful scenic view.
Some families will purchase lift tickets up the mountains and then hike down the trails, which is an option for younger kids.
Some more of our favorite trails:
No chair lift is available at Bloods Lake Trail in the Bonanza Flat Conservation area, but it’s gorgeous.
We also loved the trail at Stewart Falls Lower Trail at Sundance, which was about a 30-minute drive and well worth it for the views and waterfall at the end.
Try this….
Snow Shoeing or Cross Country Skiing (A great activity for non-skiers!)
I’ve been cross-country skiing before, so I decided to give snowshoeing a try when I saw that Westgate was offering a tour for guests.
We met at the activities center for a quick tutorial and then loaded the bus for Round Valley, where we strapped on our snow shoes and went for a scenic walk where we had spectacular views of the ski resorts.
It was a great workout. I recommend dressing warm in layers, depending on the weather. IÂ wore my ski pants as an extra layer, along with snow boots.
Hoofin’ it
In the Summer:
Horseback Rides: If you are looking for a different way to experience the scenic views, saddle up and try horseback riding!
There are several tour companies, and you don’t need to be experienced to ride. Boulder Mountain Ranch offers a variety of different tours in the Deer Valley area for everyone ages 6 and older.
In the Winter/Spring:
Sleigh Rides: This is an experience you will want to book in advance, but sleigh rides are available by Park City Sleigh Rides in the Canyons Resort area, Snowed In Sleigh Rides at Park City Mountain Resort, or Broken Arrow Sleigh Rides in the Deer Valley Resort area.
Some tours also offer a dinner experience package! The rides are about 20-30 minutes, and most can accommodate up to eight people, or even 12 if you are with extended family and friends.
Peddling it…
In the Summer:
Mountain Bikes: Mountain biking is huge in the summer in Park City, and there are plenty of places where you can rent. If you’ve never been mountain biking before, definitely book a class. There are different levels of trails, but one area to try with kids as you are learning is Round Valley.
In the Winter/Spring:
Fat Bikes: Fat bikes are basically bicycles with oversized tires that can ride on snow. You may have spotted them on the beaches here in Florida, but it’s a whole new experience when you get to ride on snow!
We rented our Fat Bikes from White Pine Touring, which had access to the Rail Trail right behind their store. While they offer guided tours, we opted to rent on our own since the trail was so close. Once our kids got comfortable on the bikes, they were able to get moving. It was a great workout and a cool experience as a family.
Heading to Park City for Spring Break? Try these other fun activities:
- Snow Tubing at Woodward
- Outdoor Ice-Skating at Park City Mountain
- Riding down the Mountain Coaster at Park City Mountain
- A curling class with the Park City Curling Club
- A dog sledding or snowmobile tour
- Racing in a winter bobsled experience at Utah Olympic Park (ages 13+)
- Exploring ice caves and tunnels at Utah Ice Castles in nearby Midway
Child Care
While you are probably booking a family trip, there may be times throughout your stay when you need a caregiver for a younger child. Here are some options:
- Deer Valley offers a daycare program for kids ages through 12. Deer Valley’s Children’s Center offers programs for non-skiing kids ages 2 -12.
- The Little Adventures Children’s Center in Canyons Village caters to kids from 6 weeks to 6 years old during the winter ski season.
- Wildlings Mountain Camp at Park City Mountain takes kids ages 18 months to 8 years.
There are also some amazing summer camps! Our kids have attended summer camp at Deer Valley for the last several years and loved it. They get to go on awesome field trips to attractions throughout the area and go on daily hikes in the mountains.
Where to Stay
There are 100+ lodging options in Park City, from studios to condos and houses. We usually book a condo in the Deer Valley area through VRBO, but Visit Park City hosted us this winter break at Westgate in Canyons Village, which is one of the many ski-in/ski-out hotels.
We’re already big fans of Westgate River Ranch & Rodeo here in Florida, and we’d been wanting to explore the Canyons area of Park City, which is part of Park City Mountain.
It’s crazy how quickly you can go from the airport to the mountains to ski! It was easy to rent the ski gear and hit the slopes within a few steps of the resort. We also loved the indoor pool, spa, game room and daily kids’ activities.
Where to Eat
Park City offers numerous locally owned restaurants. You won’t find many chain restaurants, and that’s intentional. During the busy seasons like spring break and winter break, you will want to call ahead to book dinner reservations since many places will book up. It’s easier to find reservations during the summer (other than July 4th week).
Here are some of our favorite spots:
Breakfast and Lunch:
Harvest near Main Street
Deer Valley Cafe for lunch
Pizza Picks:
Este Pizza on Sidewinder Drive for dine-in or to-go
Disco Pizza in the Pendry in Canyons Village
Dinner:
Courchevel offers a great kids menu.
Wasatch Brew Pub is super casual.
Hearth & Hill offers a great kids menu and is wonderful for to-go orders on holidays through Hills Kitchen.
Yuki Yama is fun for children with bottled drinks and cooking the Wagyu Beef Tataki on the salt block.
For Ice Cream and Treats:
Java Cow on Main Street for ice cream
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory on Main Street for ice cream and chocolate treats (which is next door to our favorite store, Dolly’s Bookstore!)
Learn more to plan your next adventure: VisitParkCity.com
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Originally published in the February 2025 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.