Park City, Utah, winter means snow sports, top films, majestic views

If Southern Nevada’s own Spring Mountains supply a sense of subtle serenity, northern Utah’s Wasatch Range punches a resounding “wow,” with the power of those peaks seen nowhere better than in Park City.

Park City, Utah, is about a 6½-hour drive from Las Vegas, or about a 40-minute cruise from Salt Lake City International Airport. The state capital is a hive of activity and recreational opportunities, but its smaller neighbor to the east offers historic charm, a slower pace and plenty of quiet. And scenery. Oh, the scenery.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made plans a little fluid, and availability may change at a moment’s notice, so it’s best to confirm everything in advance when planning a trip.

Park City is known for its skiing, of course, and opportunities abound for partaking in the wintertime sport at Deer Valley Resort and Park City Mountain Resort, which offer a multitude of lifts and slopes for skiing and snowboarding, as well as schools and rentals. The winter season at Deer Valley opens Dec. 5.

Park City Mountain, site of the snowboarding and giant slalom events during the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympics, is the largest lift-served ski resort in the country. It also offers the toboggan-style Mountain Coaster, the Flying Eagle zip line and the Silver to Slopes historic mining tour, an intermediate-level ski tour of mining buildings and relics. Opening day there is Nov. 20, although lift tickets won’t be sold until Dec. 8, after Epic Day Pass holders reserve their priority days.

Utah Olympic Park was built for the 2002 Olympics, and you can take a bobsled ride on the actual track used for bobsled, skeleton and luge events during the games. Riders must be 16 or older, and while you’ll have a professional pilot, this isn’t for the faint of heart, with lots of shaking and rattling and swooping from track edge to edge. It is, however, supremely exhilarating — truly a bucket-trip ride. If you’re a skater, head to the complex’s Utah Olympic Oval, a 400-meter ice rink that reportedly holds more Olympic world records than anywhere else.

Skating — and curling, and sled hockey — are available at two other rinks in town. Another option is to go snow biking on fat-tired mountain bikes; for a map of trails, go to visitparkcity.com. And various companies offer snowshoeing, dog-sledding adventures, sleigh rides, snow tubing, snowmobiling and even winter hot-air ballooning.

The 66,000-square-foot Woodward Park City offers a concrete skate park, pump track, mini ramps, parkour zone, spring floor, Olympic-grade trampoline and foam pits — and even adult skateboard classes. The National Ability Center, which aims “to empower individuals of all abilities,” offers Nordic and Alpine skiing, snowboarding, snow biking, sled hockey and snowshoeing, based on the participant’s adaptive needs.

But not all activities are quite so active. The legendary Sundance Film Festival is scheduled for Jan. 28-Feb. 3, although precisely what format and events it will encompass was uncertain at press time.

Visit sundance.org for up-to-date information.

If you’re looking for something even tamer, consider the Park City Gallery Association’s Last Friday Gallery Stroll. The Alf Engen Ski Museum at Utah Olympic Park provides a good overview of how skiing has changed over the years, and the opportunity for a virtual run on the slopes.

Historic Main Street is a fine place for a stroll (or a drive); it’s lined with shops such as a fur store, cowboy shop, sock store, distillery, private-label winery and tasting room, olive oil company, jewelers, apparel and home decor dealers and a coffee, book and teahouse. And, of course, quite a few restaurants.

For sundry shopping, the Redstone Center, across from the entrance to Utah Olympic Park, has a variety of chain retail businesses and chain and independent restaurants.

Whatever you do, make time for the very best thing about Park City: Find a bench, sit back and just take in the grandeur of those mountains.