Curator’s statement
Park City, Utah, is a truly special town. It has small-town charm with big city amenities, like luxury hotels, world-renowned chefs, world-renowned training facilities, healthcare, doctors, the annual Sundance film festival, a movie studio and let’s not forget the Olympics! What’s not to love? And, coming from someone who has lived and raised a family here for the last 17 years (and counting) I can almost call myself a “local”. However, the original locals state that to achieve that label one must be living here for 25 years or more.
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Where to stay in Park City
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Things to do in Park City
Before I begin, it's important to understand that in order to visit Park City like a true local, you will likely need a rental car (and in winter a four-wheel drive rental car), being that it’s not as easy to experience the local experience without one.
If you are just learning to ski or snowboard, you will save a LOT of money by directing your sights to Woodward Park City and their three-hour ski or snowboard group lessons, versus enrolling in the ski school on the mountain. Don’t believe me? Go ahead and do your own price comparison research and thank me later. Though, if we are being really honest here, real locals avoid the PCMR crowds and head over to Snow Basin and Powder Mountain. Did you know that Powder Mountain offers night skiing for just $19?
Where to Stay:
The Montage Deer Valley, Pendry, Stein Erikson, St. Regis, Waldorf Astoria, The Lodge at Blue Sky Auberge Resort and the Goldener Hirsch (also an Auberge Resort) are all hotels in town that are obviously exceptional. But if you are traveling as a family to Park City for a ski vacation and trying to stretch your budget dollar, there are much more affordable options. Check out these more reasonable choices that make it easier to accommodate the entire family. They're all in an ideal location, have heated pools for you to enjoy after a day on the mountain and room options that cater to families of all sizes.
Day Trips:
As the saying around here goes: “people come for the winter, but they stay for the summer”. While winter here is amazing, summers are even more incredible. The warm days and cool nights, the endless mountain trail system, boating on the Jordanelle Reservoir, tubing the Provo River, the plethora of Pickleball courts and fly fishing galore. The weekly offerings of children's camps (they start booking up in April!), our weekly Park Silly Sunday Market, annual Kimball Arts Festival and 4th of July festivities and our local, annual tradition of Savor the Summit in June. These are the things that truly make Park City the incredibly special place that it is, and why I love calling it my home.
All of that to say, I look forward to welcoming you to my town!
Places to eat & drink in Park City
If you want to really experience authentic Park City restaurants, do as the locals do: adventure beyond Main Street. Don’t get me wrong, Main Street is a beautiful street, full of history, charm, excellent shopping and some of the state’s most incredible bars and restaurants. Though, it’s a rare sight to find a local there, especially during the height of the heavy seasons of tourism.
Instead, here are the restaurants around town that you should check out.
Blind Dog: surf and turf at its finest!
Hearth and Hill: contemporary American cuisine
Bartolo’s: an Italian-inspired kitchen
Aubergine: Park City’s newest cafeteria-style health-food eatery
El Chubasco or Alberto’s: two amazingly authentic Mexican restaurants right across the street from one another
Este Pizza: the best New York City-style pizza that you can find away from the big apple
Travel Advisor
Jennifer Castelli
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For more travel tips, check out Fora Advisor Jill Hirsberg's guide, The Ultimate Winter Getaway to Park City & Deer Valley.
This is part of our ongoing series on travel in Park City.