The Scoop: Park City, Utah, has a reputation as a bustling ski destination, but it has so much more to offer visitors. Couples flock to Park City during every season for a scenic experience and a variety of activities — both indoors and outdoors. Because of Park City’s proximity to Salt Lake City and its international airport, many couples take advantage of long weekends in the easily accessible mountain town. These are just a few of the reasons why Park City, Utah, earns our Editors’ Choice Award as a romantic mountain getaway any time of the year.
Just 30 miles away from the bustling state capital of Salt Lake City, Park City, Utah, has an entirely different feel. Nestled in the Wasatch Range of mountains, the town is home to both great skiing and the famous Sundance Film Festival.
“Whether you’re here with your partner or friends, we’re always going to be a charming, intimate environment,” said Rachel Buhler, Park City Chamber of Commerce’s Communications Manager. “There’s something spectacular about the mountain setting.”
Park City started making a name for itself as a popular tourist destination in the 1980s. Through the subsequent decades, the city developed more year-round opportunities. Though many visitors choose a winter vacation, Park City’s moderate spring, summer, and fall temperatures make it a wonderful place for couples to reconnect during any season.
“In summer, we keep a lot of activities going. We have something going on every day of the week to keep both locals and visitors entertained,” Rachel told us.
Even though Park City, Utah, is famous for its winter weather, couples can enjoy the town and its activities during the spring, summer, and fall, too.
Its proximity to Salt Lake City, with its international airport, is a significant benefit for couples traveling to Park City. The town is also compact and offers enough public transportation that many visitors choose not to rent a car during their stay. Rachel said that long weekend trips are becoming more popular, especially with millennials who want to travel regularly, not for just a week or two during the summer.
“It’s about fitting in more experiences throughout the year,” she told us. “For people looking for a quick trip, we’re only a half an hour from the Salt Lake City airport.”
Of course, couples can find plenty to do for an entire week, as well.
“Couples can enjoy themselves on a deeper level,” Rachel said. “It’s an intimate environment, so there’s no way you don’t feel the extra love and enjoyment for where you are and the person you’re with.”
Offering Fantastic Skiing As Well As So Much More
Park City is known for its movie-quality snow. Unlike in Hollywood, though, this mountain town’s snow is authentic.
“Park City is often referred to as ‘Winter’s Favorite Town,’” Rachel said. “We have soft snow because of the lack of humidity in our air. That means we get fat, dry flakes.”
This snow has long drawn avid skiers to Park City’s legendary slopes. So, it’s not surprising that couples would head to the hills to spend some quality time complete with ski lifts and hot chocolate. In addition, Park City offers sleigh rides, dog sledding, and snow tubing.
However, couples don’t have to limit their vacations to the wintertime. Over the years, the town of about 8,000 people has added many year-round events for both residents and tourists.
Couples can visit Park City for a long weekend during ski season to test out the slopes.
Rachel recommends the Autumn Aloft Festival, which will celebrate its sixth anniversary in September 2019. At the festival, visitors can watch dozens of hot air balloons lifting off into the Utah sky.
During the off-season, there’s no shortage of outdoor activities. The mountains offer plenty of hiking trails that couples can explore to see awe-inspiring views. Or they can take a chair lift to see a different perspective than they could reach on foot. Adventurous couples can even try out the world’s longest zip line over water, the Screaming Falcon Big Line over Deer Creek Reservoir.
During the warmer months, couples can go golfing, rafting, mountain biking, horseback riding, and water skiing.
“Park City is definitely a bucket-list location couples want to share,” Rachel said.
Couples Can Experience Food and Culture After Spending the Day Outdoors
The Chamber of Commerce and other business owners in Park City aim to provide many activities for singles, couples, and families. That way, they can have plenty of things to enjoy and remember for a long time.
“We want to make sure we offer a variety of experiences that are doable in a day, or a couple of hours, that leave long-lasting memories,” Rachel said.
Couples should consider checking out the city’s expanding food scene. To get a sense for the options, Rachel recommends attending the Park Silly Sunday Market, where arts and crafts vendors and food trucks sell their wares.
After spending a day in nature, Park City visitors return to plenty of delicious dining options.
Many tourists choose Park City for its varied casual and fine-dining options. “A lot of people like to treat themselves to fine dining at some point in their experience, but we have a lot of casual options, too,” Rachel said.
If you’re looking for the latter, she recommends Hearth and Hill, a casual restaurant with a tasting menu that includes everything from burgers to Asian fusion. For a warm, flavorful treat, Rachel recommends the restaurant’s truffle mac and cheese.
For something out of the ordinary, couples can take a trip to Alpine Distilling, where they can make their own special bottles of gin using botanicals recommended by the owner. At night, they can drink the gin they’ve created at a restaurant downtown.
“In between each course, the owner teaches you about gin, and you have different tasting gins to see what the difference is and what makes them unique,” Rachel said.
Park City, Utah: A Place to Reconnect With Nature and Your Special Someone
Just a short drive from Utah’s capital of Salt Lake City, Park City has become a dynamic tourist location because of its sense of community. The city’s residents and business owners have come together to ensure that the town appeals to modern tourists without sacrificing its beauty or charm.
Park City’s natural setting lends itself to scenic outdoor activities in every season.
“It’s special that we have a community of year-round residents who are forward-thinking,” Rachel said. “They want to do the right things for the guests and the environment, so we have a viable destination in the long term.”
Park City has, as Rachel said, “that sense of remoteness without being remote.” Visitors have everything they could want: restaurants, public transportation, and luxury hotels, along with easy access to unique outdoor adventures and scenery.
