Park City

Silver was mined here from the 1860s and the mines produced enormous quantities before closing; the town nearly emptied in the 1950s before the mining company itself opened a ski area to use the land. Park City Mountain, after merging with Canyons in 2015, became the largest lift-served ski resort in the United States. Deer Valley next door does not allow snowboarding, one of a handful of resorts left with that rule. The Sundance Film Festival has been based here since 1981 and fills the town every January - it is an independent film market as much as a festival. Main Street keeps its nineteenth-century buildings, and old mine structures stand on the slopes above, visible from the lifts.

What you actually see

• The largest lift-served US ski resort - after the 2015 merger.
• Deer Valley - still not allowing snowboarding.
• Sundance in January - filling the town for ten days.
• Mine structures on the slopes - visible from the lifts.

When to go

December to March for skiing; June to September for hiking and biking. Several days.

Honest expectations

Sundance week makes accommodation nearly impossible and very expensive. Lift tickets bought at the window are among the priciest anywhere. Altitude affects arrivals from sea level. Traffic on I-80 backs up on weekends.

Nearby

Salt Lake City is west; the Uinta mountains are east.