Park City Lifestyle
There are many reasons for you to be in Park City and the lifestyle you enjoy should determine where you select your home or condo. People come to Park City to enjoy the mountains and for different reasons.
Here are my favorites areas for Ski and Snowboard Vacation Properties, Hiking and Mountain bike access, Snowmobile and SXS access or having a cabin in the woods, being close to nightlife and shopping, or raising a family in a mountain town.
Ski and Snowboard Vacation Properties
Most people looking for a skiing vacation property will be looking at condominiums or homes that are nightly rentable and are close to a ski resort.
Park City is a great beginner-friendly mountain that does have some great intermediate and expert terrain. It also has the best terrain park and halfpipe in the area. When you buy a ski property here it is important to make sure a parking spot is included because, despite the name Park City, there isn’t much parking. It is always a fiasco if you are trying to park in this base area.
Canyons Village base area has easier parking and lower-priced ski condos or townhomes. There is a nice village area, but there aren’t as many dining and shopping options as in Old Town Park City. People at Canyons Village enjoy being out of the congestion of Park City and can take one of the free transit options to get to Main Street or drive the ten minutes it takes to get there.
Deer Valley Ski Properties are more luxury-based designs. They have a higher price-point and the beautiful amenities that go with it. Deer Valley is a ski-only resort that is one of the few left in the country. It has the best-groomed runs in the area. Here is a little secret, many of the high-dollar skiers that this place attracts do not like to be out when there is a storm. On snowy days at Deer Valley, you can find some of the best untracked powder in Utah, especially if you go into the trees.
People come to Deer Valley for the polished feel and the High-end ambiance, and world-class groomed runs.
Hiking and Mountain Bike access
The beautiful part of living in Park City is the great proximity to hiking and mountain bike trails. The best hiking is at Guardsman’s Pass, taking the Bloods Lake Trailhead, or you can take chairlifts up any of the ski areas in the summer and explore.
The best mountain biking depends on what kind of biking and how much exercise you like. Deer Valley is unarguably the best downhill mountain biking in the area. It is amazing to watch skilled bikers bomb the bobsled-like runs over and over. If you are a beginner there are easy trails too. They are marked similarly to ski runs with green circles for easy, blue squares for the intermediate, and black diamonds for the experts-only runs. If pedaling for exercise is more your thing. Other great areas are Glenwild, Round Valley, and Trailside. Park City and The Canyons also have great Mountain biking. They require more pedaling than Deer Valley but have great trails if you know where to go.
Snowmobiles, Side-by-Sides, and Cabins in the Woods
There are many great outlying areas where you have more freedom for motorsports and can get a “More Affordable” cabin in the woods. Midway, a small town next to Heber, is about thirty minutes from Park City. There you can snowmobile from your home or just have a short trailer to Wasatch State Park where there is a giant playground for snowmobiles. During the summer, many residents drive side-by-sides or four-wheelers from their homes and enjoy hundreds of miles of trails. Tollgate is another dirt road subdivision and has probably the most affordable cabins and lots at the moment for someone looking to get away. However, it still has close enough access to skiing in Park City or commuting to work in Salt Lake City to make it an attractive home. Kamas, Coleville, and Samak are at the mouth of the Uinta Mountains. If you are ok being a little further away and want ultimate access to the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest this is your spot. This is the biggest trail network in the area for snowmobiling and side by sides. Rural living in Utah is as peaceful as it gets.
Nightlife and Shopping
Old Town is the answer for people who are looking for a ski town vibe that has great nightlife, music, restaurants, and shopping. There are many condos or townhomes close to Main Street or some single-family homes a short walk away. The housing is denser in this area, but there are some big expansive homes overlooking Old Town in The Aerie or up on the hillside above Main Street.
Raising a family and the Schools in Park City
Park City school district serves around 4300 students. There are four elementary schools, one middle school, one junior high school, and one high school. The Park City school district is known for being home to top-performing students, well-equipped facilities, and passionate skilled staff. There are also a number of Winter Sports and Waldorf schools for alternative education. Some of my favorite family neighborhoods are Trailside, Silver Summit, Pinebrook, and Jeremey Ranch. Trailside has its own bike park which is accessible from a few other nearby neighborhoods like Silver Summit. Pinebrook and Jeremy Ranch have hiking trails and are close to a freestyle training facility called Woodward which is every kid's dream. There are trampolines, foam pits, skateboard ramps, and more on this playground. This is a place adults can have more fun than their kids! There are many neighborhoods that are great for raising kids in the Park City area. This is the place to raise an adventurous family.
Outdoor Living
Park City is a location that fits a lifestyle of high-end outdoor living. It feels safe, has a low crime rate, healthy living, and offers something for everyone.