(geared towards a family mountain bike trip)
Day 1: Smooth loops + a smoothie
Bus, ride or drive to the Park City Ice Rink at Quinns Jct. Ride Hat Trick or Fast Pitch trails (both 1.3 miles) to Matt’s Flat. Ride up Matt’s Flat for half a mile. Both trails are wide smooth-gravel trails. Take a right on Seventy 101 to connect with PorcUclimb PorcUclimb is a wide, .8-mile mellow climb trail that was designed for adaptive riders. At the top, connect with Downward Dog for a fun, 1.6-mile mellow downhill ride (also an adaptive trail) back to Matt’s Flat and then back to your starting point at the ice rink.
For a treat, grab a healthy smoothie at Silver King Café located within Park City Hospital (just down the road).
Head to Main Street to have lunch and browse the shops, the Park City Museum and art galleries. Don’t forget the ice cream cone at Java Cow!
Day 2: Deer Valley Flow
Have breakfast at Cena, located inside Chateaux Deer Valley, then head over to the Silver Lake base area at Deer Valley Resort. Here you can rent a bike, book a tour guide, and purchase bike haul lift tickets. Ride the practice loops to get your legs warmed up then take the lifts up to explore the vast terrain which includes four flow trails. Deer Valley Resort offers a variety of downhill trails tailored to any skill level – from beginner to expert. Afterward, enjoy a fresh-squeezed lemonade from the Silver Lake Snack Shack.
Have lunch on the outdoor patio at Royal Street Café or head down to the Snow Park base area of Deer Valley Resort to lunch or early dinner at Deer Valley Grocery Café. While here, enjoy a relaxing SUP ride around one of the three lakes.
Got a hankering for some pizza? Try Davanza’s on Park Ave., Main St. Pizza & Noodle on Main St., or Versante Hearth + Bar on Park Ave. – all kid-friendly!
Day 3: Kimball Junction ride & play
Get a breakfast wrap or blueberry muffin at Park City Coffee Roasters, located in Kimball Junction. A short distance away is the Utah Olympic Park (host to numerous events during the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games). Bike across the street, using the paved path and tunnel which features “The Future of Now” mural. Connect to the RTS trail and ride 1.2 miles up the mellow singletrack. If you are feeling strong, continue 1.1 more miles up to the park and museum or make a loop of it and ride down 1.3 miles.
Either way, don’t miss checking out the Utah Olympic Park and Alf Engen Ski Museum! Enjoy activities such as zip lines, tubing, and ropes courses. Learn about the history of snow skiing in the west and marvel over the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games memorabilia. While there, grab a snack or lunch at the Silver Bean Café. On Saturdays and Sundays, you can catch the Flying Ace All-Star Freestyle Show. Watch Olympians and National Team athletes soar and flip up to 60 feet in the air before landing in a pool. A great show for the whole family!
For dinner enjoy a craft beer and a burger at one of the local breweries in town – Park City Roadhouse Grill on Park Ave., Red Rock Brewing on Redstone Center Dr. or Wasatch Brew Pub on Main St.– also all kid-friendly!
Day 4: Easy town loop + ice cream
This is a technically easy ride/loop over boardwalks, through fields, and past playgrounds and historic barns. The total mileage is 7.9, but if kids get tired, just jump on one of the free buses (they have bike racks) to head back to Old Town.
The ride starts from the parking lot on Hwy 224, across from the “big, white barn” (McPolin Barn/Farm). Head NW on the paved trail as it turns to gravel and follows a stream, it then crosses Old Ranch Road and there is your first kid detour: a playground with restrooms across the street on your right (next to the dog park). Continue on the gravel trail, crossing Cutter Lane to connect with the path along Swaner Nature Preserve. You will pass another small playground on your right. Continue over a boardwalk bridge, past a white barn, and head to Redstone Center for lunch, shopping, and ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery.
While in Redstone Center, visit the Swaner EcoCenter & Nature Preserve, located next to Maxwell’s Pizza. The Swaner Nature Preserve offers tours and an environmental education facility adjacent to a 1,200-acre wildlife refuge.
To return, head to the paved path near Kimball Junction. You will pass the white barn again, but on a paved trail that will lead you back to the parking lot. Don’t forget to go through the tunnel at the McPolin Barn (constructed in 1921) and check out the historic home and farm.
Day 5: Historic Rail Trail & PCM amusement park
This is a 28-mile out & back ride along the Historic Rail Trail (you can turn around anytime!). The paved trail runs from Park City to Echo Reservoir. It follows the historic route of the Union Pacific line that dates back to the 1880s. During Park City’s silver mining era, coal from the mines was transported via this rail line to fuel the pumps clearing water from the underground mines. In turn, the product from the mines was sent out to Echo where it met the transcontinental Union Pacific line. The trail winds along wetlands, farmlands, and along the Weber River. Keep an eye out for wildlife and the 16 historic plaques that highlight the history of the area.
After your Rail Trail ride, venture over to Park City Mountain Village and enjoy the afternoon at their adventure park – complete with alpine coasters, mini-golf, and a climbing wall. There are also family-friendly dining options at the base.
