Tour the Area ~ Resorts West - Tour Deer Valley Ski Resort & Park City Ski Resort

About Park City, Utah

Park City was founded in 1870 settled as a mining community following the discovery of lead, gold, and silver in the area. The city grew so quickly that many people thought it would replace nearby Salt Lake City as the primary city in Utah.

Once the site of the largest silver-mining camp in the country, in 1898 a fire almost completely destroyed the town. Tragedy struck the town again in 1902 when 34 miners were killed in a mine explosion. The mining community never fully recovered. A collapse in silver prices and the economic consequences of World War I accelerated the town's decline. Only fifty years ago Park City was listed as one of America’s ghost towns.  Skiing in Park City, however, helped bring it from the brink of extinction. Starting in the 1920s, miners in Park City were using underground trains and shafts to gain access to the mountain for skiing. When the slopes opened to the public in 1963 as Treasure Mountain, skiers were transported nearly three miles into the mountain on the Spiro Tunnel mine train and then lifted 1800 ft (548 m) to the slopes on a mine hoist elevator. Aerial trams once used for hauling ore were converted into chairlifts.

Even today, there are more than 1000 miles (1609 km) of old silver-mine workings and tunnels beneath the slopes at Park City Mountain Resort and neighboring Deer Valley. Some remarkable reminders of those days still remain near the slopes. Old mine buildings, mineshafts, and hoists, including the weathered remains of the Walker Webster Silver Mine.  Tourists began to come to the city in the 1950s, but the city did not recover until the 1970s. The city has grown significantly in the last few decades, and it is now one of the most popular resort towns in the United States. Park City is now known for its colorful Main Street, where 64 Victorian buildings are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1985 the Sundance Film Festival made its home in Park City and continues to bring tens of thousands of independent filmmakers, actors, and fans from around the globe each January. "The intimacy of Park City helps to create just the right atmosphere for the Sundance Film Festival. The juxtaposition of the winter weather, especially the snow, to the warmth of the screening rooms and the storytelling that happens there, greatly contributes to the magic that happens in Park City during the ten days of the Festival each January," says Jill Miller, Sundance Institute's Managing Director. "Park City has achieved such international notoriety as a world class ski destination and site of the 2002 Olympics. The Festival's growth in attendance and visibility over the past 20+ years has also added an international cultural flare to the City. It's the perfect fit for our event and we are thrilled to call Park City the official home of the Sundance Film Festival."

With the opportunity to host the 2002 Winter Olympic Games Park City gained international recognition for its world-class ski resorts. Its proximity to Salt Lake International Airport (less than 40 minutes) makes Park City highly accessible for out of state visitors.

Park City is also known for its delightful culinary options and award-winning restaurants. With a wide variety of cuisines, a thriving nightlife, and shopping in Park City is fun for everyone!

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