Park City – Local’s Guide

Not all of Utah's biking goods are in Moab—Park City is proof of this. Photo by Ross Downard.

When you think of mountain biking in Utah, no doubt the epic
rock formations and legendary terrain of Moab springs to mind. Park City is the
lush oasis to that desert landscape. Boasting the only IMBA gold-level Ride
Center ranking ever awarded, and over 450 miles of networked singletrack, Park
City offers something for riders of all levels and disciplines. And you can access
all of it for no charge. This is a town that’s completely preoccupied with
mountain biking, and it’s down to share the goods.

Start your day with an energy-packed breakfast at Squatters,
where you can get the eggs-and-bacon works of your choice (including plenty of
gluten-free options) or keep it on the lighter side at the Wasatch Bagel Café.
Just add coffee and you’re set for a full morning of sick singletrack.

A solid breakfast, a grove of Aspens, and some solid singletrack—what more could you ask for? Photo by Ross Downard.

Getting around Park City is easy, so there’s no need to rent
a car. Grab one of the many shuttles from Salt Lake City and then plan to use
your bike or the town’s free public transit system for your stay. Ride to
breakfast, fuel up, and then roll straight out to the trails. We recommend taking
your pick from something in the Old Town area. For example, try climbing Armstrong
to the IMBA Epic Mid Mountain Trail, so that you can get your fill in peace before
the afternoon traffic builds up. Spend some time on Park City Resort’s
hand-cut, old school singletrack and then drop into the Main Street area of
town for lunch.

Main Street has got something for everyone across a wide
range of options—try some of Park City’s old west flavor at the High West
Distillery or rub elbows with the Sundance crowd at Robert Redford’s
restaurant, Zoom. No matter where you go, you’ll feel right at home in your
bike shorts and there’s always somewhere to lock up your rig.

Don't loiter over lunch—there are miles of trails to tackle. Photo courtesy of the Park City Chamber of Commerce.

Once replenished, spend your afternoon checking out the
Glenwild Trail System, with the flowy crowd pleaser the Flying Dog topping the
list of must-rides. The trail drops you into
Bob’s Basin, home to some whoop-worthy jump lines and bermed turns, and it’s just
a few pedal strokes away from the free, public Trailside Bike Park, where you
can spin away the rest of the afternoon practicing your skills—or
learning new ones—on dirt jumps, table tops, skinnies and wall rides. New this
year, the Trailside Bike Park now features an advanced all-mountain line as
well as a slopestyle trail.

This 2011 video gives you a rough idea of some of the downhill offerings on tap in the area, which have only been stepped up in years past.

If you’ve got a rowdier afternoon in mind, Canyons Resort
has been on a steady growth spurt for the last three years, adding evermore
lines, flow and trails to its lift-served bike park. Lift access riding is a
great option to maximize your enjoyment of the terrain at all three resorts:
Canyons, Park City, and Deer Valley, but it’s not the only way. The lifts start
running at Canyons Resort in mid-June, and possibly earlier considering how dry
this winter was. For the cost of your ticket you’ll also get a little discount
on lunch at the Red Pine Lodge. But if a lift ticket isn’t in the budget, you
can just take the bus. Really.

There's a reason these scenic vistas populate promotional literature for the area—they look damn inviting. Photo courtesy of Deer Valley.

Starting Memorial Day Weekend, the Empire Pass Bus runs from
Main Street Transit Center up the Guardsman Pass Road to the Montage Hotel,
right below Empire Pass. For those counting, that’s about 1,200 vertical feet
for free on public transit. Every bus comes equipped with two bike racks on the
front, but it is not uncommon to share your “shuttle” with ten or more other
riders and bikes on board—the drivers are cool about leaving space at
the front for the surplus. From Empire Pass, take your pick of some of
Park City’s oldest, most stunning, soulful singletrack and wind up on the Mid
Mountain Trail. Go left to Deer Valley resort, or head right to Park City Mountain
Resort. Door number three? Climb the rest of the way to access some of the
upper trails. For zero dollars, you’re welcome to use the bus all day long and
just keep choosing your own adventure.

This Park City wall ride has more wood than your local lumberyard. Photo by Ross Downard.

New for 2014, the local trail gnomes have been working hard on
a brand new challenge, the W-O-W Connector, which stands for Wasatch Over
Wasatch. It will link Park City with Heber City by a 22-mile singletrack loop allowing
riders to rip from the top of Deer Valley to the Heber Midway Valley, through
the Dutch Hollow State Park trail system and then climb all the way back into
Park City. Expected completion is in the fall of 2014.

From dusk til dawn, Park City's Main Street offers plenty of options for eating, drinking, and buying souvenir t-shirts for everyone back home. Photo courtesy of the Park City Chamber of Commerce.

When you’ve had enough, our favorite spot to carbo load for
another day of alpine adventure is Vinto Pizzeria back on Main Street. There
you’ll find delicious food in hearty portions, reasonable prices, awesome staff,
and wine sold by the ounce. They’ve also got a good beer selection, with
European favorites and local craft brews by the bottle. Pro tip: in Utah, “by
the bottle” means “full strength”—state law prohibits draft beer to
exceed 3.2 percent alcohol content. But many of the local craft breweries’
finest bottles come with up to nine percent alcohol content.

After dinner, Park City shows it’s an
endurance mountain bikers’ town; stuffed with beer and pizza plus a
full day on the legs (at elevation, no less), you may be tempted to call it a
night. But press on and you’ll be rewarded with a fun and friendly bar scene
featuring a variety of musical acts. Starting in June, Wednesdays in particular
are a great night to be in town. Deer Valley hosts live outdoor concerts and
everyone heads over to the Snow Park Amphitheatre to sit on the grass, sip on wine
or beer they brought, enjoy a picnic, and chill with friends and neighbors. 

What's better than free music? Free music in the mountains. Photo courtesy of Deer Valley Resort.

To
keep the evening going, check out the scene at Bistro 412 or Park City Live. The
bars—where liquor is measured strictly by the ounce—stop serving at one a.m. You
can pick up liquor and full-strength beer from state liquor stores, and you can
pick up 3.2 percent beers anytime, including Sundays and late at night, from
grocery stores. Park City also has the
only two retail outlets that offer full strength spirits on Sunday in
Utah. You can purchase High West
Distillery’s whiskey and vodka at the Distillery on Park Avenue and you can
purchase full strength beer at the Wasatch Brew Pub on the top of Main Street.

When you’re ready to hit the hay, you’ll be a happy camper
if you choose Park City Lodging to help you find the right accommodations. They
have rental properties available from the very large to the teeny tiny so there
is sure to be something that works for any sized group or budget. Get some rest, because with hundreds of miles
of singletrack woven throughout Park City’s many trail systems —
Round Valley, Lost Prospector, Glenwild, Deer Valley, Canyons Resort, Park City
Mountain Resort and counting — you’re going to need more than a couple
fully-loaded days. How many days? We’re not sure. Most of the locals we met came
as visitors and now—years later—still can’t get enough.

Rather than staring at a screen, you should be staring at this. Photo courtesy of the Park City Chamber of Commerce.

#1. Get acclimated by
staying hydrated and getting plenty of rest.
Remember—drink more water than beer.

#2. Consider tagging a long with some locals or hiring a guide for
at least one day
—and then milk the poor soul for as much local knowledge as you can.
If you’ve only got limited time, this is the best way to make sure you don’t
blow it.

#3. For all of your
bicycle shop needs—including snagging a guide—head to White Pine Touring
. They’ve got great mechanics, gear, bike rentals and
demos, trail snacks, and more.

Photo by Ross Downard.

#4. Rumor has it the
hospital is a great lunch stop
, thanks to the award-winning chef in its
cafeteria.

#5. The St. Regis
Hotel hosts free sunset champagne sabering demonstrations
—you’ll get a ride
on North America’s first resort funicular and a new party trick.

#6. Red Bicycle
Breadworks “Stick Bread” is the perfect post-ride snack
. Get them at The Market
at Park City (if you can beat the locals to them).

Special thanks to Ross Downard for the sick shots and to Scott House for sharing his insights on snagging the goods.

There's no shortage of good times in Park City. Photo by Ross Downard.