Things to do in Park City in winter: Ski Areas, Olympic Sites and Old Main Street
Park City, Utah has big ski areas, a real Olympic park, quiet cross-country tracks and a Victorian main street.
8 Oct 2026
Park City sits high in the Wasatch Range, at about 6,936 feet, and lies 32 miles southeast of downtown Salt Lake City. The weather is cold and snowy in winter. The town began as a silver mining camp in the 1860s and later turned to skiing. Today winter is the main season here, and there is plenty to do whether or not you ski.
On the mountain
Park City Mountain is one of the two big ski areas in town. It opened in December 1963 under the name Treasure Mountain. It was built with federal money to help a mining town that had lost its main industry. In 2015 it joined with the neighboring Canyons resort, and the Quicksilver Gondola links the two sides. The result is one of the largest lift-served ski areas in the United States. It hosted snowboarding and alpine skiing events at the 2002 Winter Olympics. It also lists a mountain coaster among its daily options.
Deer Valley Resort is the other major ski area. Skiing in the area goes back to the Park City Winter Carnivals of the 1930s, but the resort itself opened at the end of 1981. It hosted moguls, aerials and slalom races at the 2002 Games. It is also one of only three ski resorts in the United States that do not allow snowboarders, so it is a skiers-only mountain. It has grown by taking in the neighboring Mayflower area.
Olympic history
The Utah Olympic Park was built for the 2002 Winter Olympics and sits northwest of town. It hosted bobsled, skeleton, luge, ski jumping and Nordic combined. Its sliding track is one of only four in North America. It also has six Nordic ski jumps, and it still works as a training site for athletes.
Two museums live in the Joe Quinney Winter Sports Center at the park. One is the Alf Engen Ski Museum, which holds more than 300 trophies, medals, uniforms, skis, boots and photos across 70 years of skiing history. The other is a museum about the 2002 Winter Games. If the weather is poor, this is a good indoor stop.
Quiet snow
If crowds are not your thing, try the cross-country tracks. White Pine Nordic Ski Center has 20 kilometers of groomed tracks. Snowshoeing, ice skating, snowmobiling, sleigh rides and tubing are also among the winter activities in the area.
Jordanelle State Park sits at a reservoir fed by the Provo River. The park is open year round for day use, and snowshoeing is one of the things people do there. Some facilities close for winter, though, so check the park's page before you go. The park is also an International Dark Sky Park, which makes it a nice place to look at the stars on a clear night.
Places to see downtown
Main Street Historic District is the heart of the old town. Sixty-four Victorian buildings along the street are on the National Register of Historic Places. They are a reminder of the mining boom. Walking the street is easy and free of any plan, which makes it a good break after a day on the slopes.
The Park City Museum is on Main Street. It has been renovated and also offers visitor information. It is a sensible first stop if you want to learn the story of the town.
The Egyptian Theatre was built in 1926. It hosts professional theatre and the Sundance Film Festival. McPolin Farm is a historic farmstead and one of the area's notable sites.
For families
Families can mix and match. Tubing, sleigh rides and ice skating are all options. Utah Olympic Park offers a view of the sliding track and a chance to see where athletes train. The museums there make a good rainy-day option, or a good "warm up" stop.
When the weather turns
A storm day does not have to be a lost day. Head for the Alf Engen Ski Museum, the Olympic games museum, or the Park City Museum on Main Street. The Egyptian Theatre is also an indoor choice.
Getting around
Park City has a city-wide bus system that connects the ski areas, downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods, and it runs all year. That makes it easier to leave the car parked. Main Street is also pleasant on foot.
Good to know
Park City is at about 6,936 feet above sea level, so take it easy on your first day.
It is 32 miles southeast of downtown Salt Lake City.
Deer Valley does not allow snowboarders. Park City Mountain does.
Some state park facilities close in winter, so check the page first.
Check each ski area's own website for conditions, rather than relying on a blog.
Find local help
When you plan a winter trip, or if you live in Summit County and need a hand with something, browse the local businesses in our Park City and Summit County guide. You will find them grouped by what they do.
Useful links
Businesses in Park City in the Park City & Summit County guide
About Park City: the town at a glance
Own a business in Park City? Claim or add your listing, free
By Thomas Hassett and Eric Andrews, Local Business America
Photo: InSapphoWeTrust from Los Angeles, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources: Wikipedia, Park City, Utah (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_City,_Utah); Wikivoyage, Park City (Utah) (https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Park_City_(Utah)); Wikipedia, Park City Mountain Resort (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_City_Mountain_Resort); Wikipedia, Deer Valley Resort (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer_Valley_Resort); Wikipedia, Utah Olympic Park (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_Olympic_Park); Utah Olympic Park (https://www.utaholympiclegacy.org/); Deer Valley Resort (https://www.deervalley.com/); Park City Mountain (https://www.parkcitymountain.com/); Utah State Parks, Jordanelle (https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/jordanelle/). Wikivoyage and Wikipedia text is licensed CC BY-SA.