Guide to Park City in the Winter

Park City is a shining star in the winter! I was blessed to spend several weeks in Utah this year working from home and exploring the mountainous winter wonderland. Over the past year, I’ve dedicated myself to learning how to ski and advancing my skills on the mountain. I’ve evolved into a blue-run skier and will share my favorite runs for newbies and intermediate skiers around the Park City.

Here’s an overview of where we hiked, skied and ate in the Park City area!

PS definitely check out my Guide to Park City in the Summer for more hiking and warm weather activities!

About Park City

Park City is less than an hour’s drive from Salt Lake City in Northern Utah. It was founded in 1869 during the silver mining boom in the Wasatch Range. It’s evolved into a major skiing destination that even hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics. Park City is the largest ski resort in the US with 348 runs. Deer Valley is a popular ski-only mountain that tops the lists for best ski resorts, is known for its pristine terrain, limited foot traffic and après culture. You can also easily access other ski towns like Sundance, Brighton, and Snowmass.

Where to Ski in Park City

I’m a fairly new skier. The first time I skied as an adult was less than a year ago at Copper Mountain. I’ve since skied just over 10 days and progressed to doing moderate blue runs! I still get tripped up on steeper slopes and avoid picking up too much speed. Yet, I’ve definitely improved my confidence on the mountain and look forward to growing my ski skills.

While I was there this year, the mountain had record low levels of snow. In one report, I saw it was the driest January in Park City on record since the 1800s. Consequently, much of the more advanced terrain like blacks and bowls on the mountain was closed down. Most of the greens and blues were open — but some weren’t groomed. If you’re a newbie like me, definitely talk to the ski instructors or information teams to find out what runs are the best groomed and least icy!

Here are some of my favorite runs around various resorts in Park City.

Park City

Park City is on the Epic Pass and is connected to Canyons. I’ve spent most of my time here and did accomplished most of the moderate blue runs. Our routine was go to the top of the mountain and warm up on a few greens like Claim Jumper and easy blues like Assessment and then go to the King Con lift to avoid the long lines at Silverload. We found the Payday lift to be a good one to use in the afternoon. Check out the ski run map here.

Georgianna – catwalk blue with the BEST views in the park at the top of the mountain imo
Assessment – my favorite blue to warm up on
Temptation – nice long blue with moderate steepness + the King Kong lift line usually isn’t too bad
Sitka — steep but manageable blue
Payday & Kings Crown – moderate steel blues
Treasure Hollow -nice blue to end the day on

Deer Valley

Deer Valley is the bougie resort located in Park City. It’s on the Ikon Pass and doesn’t let snowboarders on its trails. Celebs like Will Ferrell have been spotted here. Check out the interactive ski run map here.

Lost Boulder, Hawkeye, Side Winder —moderate steepness blues with the option to do moguls (for your more adventurous friends)
Blue Bell – a mix of blue and green
Homeward Bound- catwalky green with stunning views
Last Chance – blue with hilariously decorated houses with life size wooden bears and moose

Canyons

You can take the 10-min gondola across the valley from Park City to Canyons. When I arrived there wasn’t much open when I went and the few runs that we did do were packed with people. Also it’s mostly blue territory and I didn’t want to risk getting on a run that was too steep! (I hate when you can’t see the bottom of the hill – need to get over that fear.) Check out the full trail map here.

Mercury – long, moderately steep blue. I felt so accomplished (and tired) after completing

What to Pack for Skiing

Between lift tickets, renting gear, and travel expenses, skiing can be a pretty expensive hobby. Here are a few things that I’ve purchased over the years for winter and skiing activities that have stood the test of time. Some items are budget gear (I realize I’m not a professional skier) and others are pricier but have literally lasted me decades and are well worth the investment.

Ski helmet and goggles — If you plan to ski more then 3 days in your life, buying your own will save you in rental skis. Mine are both under $40. Pro tip wear bright colors so you’re easy to find on the mountain!
Arc tix snow pants — This budget brand has ski pants and overalls in 20+ fun colors under $40. I have the snow pant in Bluebird and snow bib in Blue Night in size small.
Arctix Daybreak jacket— It can handle temperatures up to -20F, comes in 11 colors, and is less than $85. I wear size small.
North Face Coat — I’ve had mine since college and is incredible warm. You can’t skimp on cost here because the quality is incredible.
Ugg Boots — they’re warm, waterproof and comfy enough to go on 5 mile hikes through the snow
Heated Gloves — SUCH a game changer on the slopes when the wind is blowing and it’s sub freezing temperatures. Mine are from Volt, but you can find budget pairs on Amazon.
North Face Vest — Again, I’ve had mine for over a decade and it’s so warm and perfect for layering.
Snow chains — We drove up from Texas and didn’t want to get caught in a winter storm without them. We found a solid pair on Amazon, that we *thankfully* didn’t have to use! Good peace of mind just in case though.
Ski Socks: Tall socks should be the only thing that goes into your boot. Pack thick socks that don’t have any ribbing or elastic on them to ensure you’re the most comfortable on the mountain. Roll up your leggings or pants before you put your ski boots on. These ski socks are a mountain favorite

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Where to Eat in Park City

Due to COVID, we cooked 90% of our meals at home (pro tip: rent a place that has a kitchen and a grill!), we did pick up a few meals to-go and ate out a few times. Here are some of the noteworthy spots to eat in Park City in the winter. Whether it’s COVID or ski season, it’s always good to call ahead and make a reservation ahead of time.

Breakfast

Wasatch Bagel – perfect spot to grab breakfast before a hike or drive
Harvest – at the base of Park City Mountain; the bowls are excellent for mid-ski lunch
Silver King Coffee – the cutest drive through coffee shop

Brunch / Lunch

Riverhorse Provisions—café/deli to grab a quick lunch
Five5eeds—lots of great vegetarian options! I got the mushroom toast and fell in love
Harvest – in love with this spot for weekend brunch
Sammy’s Express & Bistro – America food but surprising vegan brats and shrimp curry
Miners Camp & Midmountain – middle of the mountain snacks at Park City; vegan chili warms the soul
Daly’s Pub– Sports bar at Deer Valley with fabulous hatch Chile Mac & cheese; accessible from the mountain
Empire Canyon Grill – known for the famous green Turkey chili for skiers at Deer Valley

Après Ski

Corner store – après ski at the base of Park City Mountain with live music on weekend afternoons
Après Lounge– Veuve Cliquot tent at Deer Valley for sipping champagne and eating charcuterie on the mountain
No Name Saloon – divey bar housed in an iconic old building on Main Street
High West Distillery – do the tasting flight and try the charcuterie board. I never thought I’d be one to drink whiskey straight, but it was so fun!

Dinner

Riverhorse on Main – live music, elegant food great for date night
Twisted Fern – we split a bottle of wine and had a wonderful date night on the patio
Blind Dog Cafe – sushi, bowls, and hearty plates
Chimayo—upscale southwestern fare on Main Street
Squatters—hearty food American food, great after a day of skiing. They also make their own beer!
Boneyard Saloon—half wine bar, half craft beer joint
Yuki Yama Sushi – curbside takeout for sushi!

Where to Hike in Park City

Most days after work, we would pick a trail and head out for a hike. Park City citizens embarce the outdoors no matter what the temperature and we saw plenty of hikers, dog walkers, cross country skiers, and even mountain bikers on the snow laden trails. We didn’t do anything crazy like summiting Timpanagos or Pfeifferhorn last summer (here’s the guide for that), but we did enjoy several moderate incline hikes that were manageable in the snow. Here are some of the fun trails and mileage that we did on hikes in the Park City area:

Round Valley (3-5 miles)– rolling hills close to Park City often used by mountain bikers and cross country skiers
Glenwild (3-5 miles) — moderate hike through a nature preserve by Kimball Junction

Where to Shop

If it’s your first time to town, Main Street Park City has an adorable district with historic buildings full of shops and restaurants nestled into the hillside. The art galleries are fun to walk into a grateful break from the cold. These are some of the cute boutiques and shops I like in Park City:

Day Trips

You have endless possibilities if you want to take a day trip from Park City during the winter. Depending on your comfort level with mountain driving during the winter, the area has plenty of ski resorts within an hour’s drive. We stuck to the resorts around Park City, but below are some of the places we explored during our weeks in town over the summer

Bonneville Salt Flats — supposedly amazing photography experience at full moon in the winter
Mystic Hot Springs — hot all year long 😉

COVID Considerations in Park City

Our main objective during the trip was to ski, and I was pleased to see how easy it was to socially distance on the mountain. In general, we didn’t go out to eat often and minimized our trips to the grocery store. Here is what we did to stay safe during COVID in Park City in January:

You need a face covering everywhere while not actively skiing. The resort teams actively patrol the lift lines and make sure people are covered properly. Most people wear gators, some people have masks.
You don’t have to share a lift unless you want to. There is always 1-2 seats in between unrelated parties. Note: this does contribute to slightly longer lift lines.
You must have reservation to eat inside the mid-mountain restaurants; They’ve also added extra bathrooms outdoors on the mountain. We often packed a backpack with snacks in it on the mountain to minimize the need to eat indoors.
Park City establishments all require you to wear a mask. On Main Street, their statues are wearing masks and hand sanitizer stations have been set up at cross walks.
We wore our masks any time we entered an establishment (shop, restaurant, grocery store, etc.) and brought them on our hikes.
On the trails, we would wear our masks or pull up our sweatshirts over our faces as a courtesy when passing people closely. About half the hikers would do this as well.
I brought hand sanitizer with me everywhere in my ski jacket and would wipe down my phone if I did hand it to someone for a picture.

Here’s a blog post on more things to expect when skiing during COVID.

Always check the latest recommendations from the local and state government before you visit to understand how best to prepare for your trip to Park City.

About Park City