Park City Mountain Resort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Park City Mountain Resort |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
The Resort's Eagle Race Arena in January 2007
|
|
 Park City Mountain Resort
Location in Utah
Park City Mountain Resort
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Park City, Utah, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°39′3″N 111°30′27″W / 40.65083°N 111.50750°W |
| Vertical | 3,200 ft (980 m) |
| Top elevation | 10,026 ft (3,056 m) |
| Base elevation | 6,900 ft (2,100 m) |
| Skiable area | 7,300 acres (11.4 sq mi; 29.5 km2) |
| Runs | 324 7% easiest 49% more difficult 44% most difficult |
| Longest run | Homerun, 3.5 mi (5.6 km) |
| Lift system | 41 Gondolas: 4 Chairs: 32 - 6 high speed six packs - 9 high speed quads - 5 quads - 8 triples - 4 doubles Surface: 2 - 3 magic carpet |
| Lift capacity | 31,000 skiers/hr |
| Terrain parks | 7 1 superpipe 1 minipipe 6 natural half pipes |
| Snowfall | 355 inches (29.6 ft; 9.0 m) |
| Snowmaking | 500 acres (2.0 km2) |
| Night skiing | No |
| Website | parkcitymountain.com |
Park City Mountain Resort is a super popular ski resort located in Park City, Utah, in the western U.S.. It's about 32 miles (51 km) east of Salt Lake City. This resort is often called just Park City.
It has special training courses for the U.S. Ski Team. These include runs for slalom and giant slalom races. Park City was a big host during the 2002 Winter Olympics. It held the snowboarding events. It also hosted the men's and women's alpine giant slalom events.
The resort first opened in 1963. Since then, it has become a major spot for skiers from all over the United States. It also provides many jobs for people living in Park City. In 2014, Vail Resorts bought the resort. They connected it with the nearby Canyons Resort using a special gondola. This made Park City Mountain Resort the largest ski resort in the United States!
During the ski season, most slopes and lifts are open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Contents
The Story of Park City Mountain Resort
Park City Mountain Resort first opened its doors on December 21, 1963. Back then, it was called Treasure Mountain. It was started by United Park City Mines, which was the last mining company left in Park City. The resort got money from a government program. This program aimed to help the town, which was having money problems.
When it first opened, Treasure Mountain had some amazing features. It had the longest gondola in the United States. There was also a double chairlift, a J-bar lift, and lodges at the bottom and top of the mountain. It even had a nine-hole golf course! The gondola was a special four-person lift made by a German company called PHB.
When the ski slopes first opened, skiers could take a unique Skier's Subway. This subway took them almost 2.5 miles (4.0 km) deep into the mountain. They rode a mine train through the dark Spiro Tunnel. Then, skiers got on a mining elevator, called a "hoist." This lift took them 1,750 feet (530 m) up to the surface. From there, they could reach the whole mountain. Old trams used for carrying ore were even turned into chairlifts! Even today, more than one thousand miles (1,600 km) of old silver mine tunnels are still under the slopes of Park City.
The name Treasure Mountain changed to the Park City Ski Area in 1966. Then, in 1996, it was renamed Park City Mountain Resort. The resort grew a lot over the years. It now includes eight peaks and nine bowls. It offers 3,300 acres (5.2 sq mi; 13.4 km2) of skiing and has sixteen chairlifts.
Other ski areas also opened nearby. Park City West, later known as Canyons Resort, opened in 1968. Deer Valley Resort opened in 1981.
Park City at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Park City Mountain Resort played a big part in the 2002 Winter Olympics. It hosted several exciting events. These included the men's and women's giant slalom in alpine skiing. It also hosted the men's and women's parallel giant slalom in snowboarding. Plus, both the men's and women's halfpipe snowboarding events took place here.
The resort used its Eagle Race Arena and Eagle Superpipe for the Olympic runs. Special temporary stadiums were built at the end of each run. There were also standing areas for fans on both sides. This allowed 16,500 people to watch the events. Almost all tickets for events at the resort were sold, with 95,991 spectators attending. During the games, 96 percent of the resort stayed open for regular skiing. This made it the only Olympic venue where fans could leave and come back.
Joining Forces with Canyons Resort
In 2014, Vail Resorts bought Park City Mountain Resort for $182.5 million. This was a big deal! Vail Resorts decided to combine Park City with its neighbor, Canyons Resort. This merger happened in the summer of 2015.
To connect the two resorts, a new gondola was built. It's called Quicksilver. This gondola links the bottom of Silverlode at Park City with a spot near the top of Iron Mountain at Canyons. The King Con lift was also upgraded to a faster six-person chairlift. The old King Con high-speed quad was moved to replace the Motherlode triple chairlift. These changes helped handle more skiers. The former Canyons Resort base area was renamed the Canyons Village at Park City. Now, the entire combined resort is known as Park City Mountain Resort.
Park City Mountain Resort has its own ski schools. It also hosts private ski schools. In 2017, different ski clubs joined together. They formed one big group called the Park City Ski & Snowboard Club.
New lifts have been added to make skiing even better. In 2018, a new high-speed quad replaced the High Meadow lift. In 2019, a new fixed-grip quad called "Over and Out" was built. This lift makes it easier to get from the Tombstone and Iron Mountain areas back to the Canyons Village.
Resort Facts and Figures
Here are some interesting facts about Park City Mountain Resort. These numbers are from the 2015-16 season, after it joined with Canyons Resort.
Mountain Details
- Lowest point: 6,900 feet (2,103 m)
- Highest point: 10,000 feet (3,048 m)
- Total height difference: 3,100 feet (945 m)
- Number of mountain peaks: 8
- Total skiable area: 7,300 acres (29.5 km2) (that's huge!)
- Average snowfall each year: 365 inches (930 cm) (about 30 feet!)
Ski Trails
- Total Trails: 348
- Easy trails (Beginner): 15%
- Medium trails (Intermediate): 54%
- Hard trails (Expert): 31%
- Terrain Parks: 4
- Superpipe: 1
- Minipipe: 1
Ski Lifts
Park City Mountain Resort has many lifts to get you up the mountain. Here's a look at some of them:
| Lift Name | Length | Vertical | Type | Make | Year Installed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Kings | 2,176 ft | 439 ft | Fixed Triple | Doppelmayr | 2011 |
| Bonanza Express | 5,318 ft | 1,122 ft | High Speed Six | Garaventa CTEC | 1997 |
| Cabriolet | 2,705 ft | 193 ft | Cabriolet | Garaventa CTEC | 2000 |
| Crescent Express | 7,200 ft | 1,743 ft | High Speed Quad | Doppelmayr CTEC | 2008 |
| Day Break | Fixed Triple | Yan | 2001 | ||
| Dreamcatcher | 4,619 ft | 1,533 ft | Fixed Quad | Doppelmayr CTEC | 2006 |
| Dreamscape | Fixed Quad | Garaventa CTEC | 2000 | ||
| Eagle | 2,515 ft | 1,155 ft | Fixed Triple | Garaventa CTEC | 1993 |
| Eaglet | 1,355 ft | 255 ft | Fixed Triple | Garaventa CTEC | 1995 |
| First Time Express | 1,823 ft | 276 ft | High Speed Quad | Doppelmayr CTEC | 2004 |
| Flat Iron | 1,641 ft | 4 ft | Fixed Double | Thiokol | 2009 |
| Frostwood Gondola | 1,963 ft | 166 ft | Pulse Gondola | Doppelmayr CTEC | 2008 |
| High Meadow Express | 1,965 ft | 278 ft | High Speed Quad | Doppelmayr | 2018 |
| Iron Mountain Express | 5,181 ft | 1,484 ft | High Speed Quad | Doppelmayr CTEC | 2010 |
| Jupiter | 3,315 ft | 1,000 ft | Fixed Double | Yan | 1976 |
| King Con Express | 4,438 ft | 1,216 ft | High Speed Six | Doppelmayr | 2015 |
| McConkey's Express | 5,260 ft | 1,172 ft | High Speed Six | Garaventa CTEC | 1998 |
| Motherlode Express | High Speed Quad | Garaventa CTEC | 2015 | ||
| Ninety Nine 90 Express | 6,680 ft | 1,563 ft | High Speed Quad | Garaventa CTEC | 1998 |
| Orange Bubble Express | 8,709 ft | 1,523 ft | High Speed Quad | Doppelmayr CTEC | 2010 |
| Over and Out | 2,412 ft | 278 ft | Fixed Quad | Skytrac | 2019 |
| Payday Express | 5,726 ft | 1,278 ft | High Speed Six | Garaventa CTEC | 1997 |
| Peak 5 | 2,815 ft | 1,038 ft | Fixed Quad | Garaventa CTEC | 1999 |
| Pioneer | 3,720 ft | 968 ft | Fixed Triple | CTEC | 1984 |
| Quicksilver Gondola | 7,767 ft | 1,686 ft | Gondola | Doppelmayr | 2015 |
| Red Pine Gondola | 6,679 ft | 1,119 ft | Gondola | Poma | 1997 |
| Saddleback Express | 4,269 ft | 1,121 ft | High Speed Quad | Garaventa CTEC | 1997 |
| Short Cut | Fixed Triple | Yan | 1997 | ||
| Silverlode Express | 5,370 ft | 1,322 ft | High Speed Six | Garaventa CTEC | 1996 |
| Silverstar | Fixed Triple | Garaventa CTEC | 2006 | ||
| Sun Peak Express | 3,729 ft | 1,087 ft | High Speed Quad | Doppelmayr | 1997 |
| Sunrise | Fixed Double | Garaventa CTEC | 2003 | ||
| Super Condor Express | 6,910 ft | 1,798 ft | High Speed Quad | Garaventa CTEC | 1998 |
| Thaynes | 2,800 ft | 850 ft | Fixed Double | Yan | 1975 |
| Timberline | 2,229 ft | 360 ft | Fixed Quad | Doppelmayr CTEC | 2008 |
| Tombstone Express | 6,566 ft | 1,734 ft | High Speed Six | Doppelmayr CTEC | 2006 |
| Town | 6,665 ft | 1,232 ft | Fixed Triple | CTEC | 1985 |
Slope Directions
The slopes face different directions, which affects how the snow stays.
- North-facing: 43%
- East-facing: 29%
- West-facing: 24%
- South-facing: 4%
Summer Fun at Park City
Park City Mountain Resort isn't just for winter! It offers lots of fun activities during the summer too. The Payday lift takes you up the mountain. From there, you can enjoy an alpine slide and an alpine coaster.
Restaurants are open in the summer. They often have live bands and other fun events. The resort also creates and takes care of its own trails. These trails connect to the wider Park City area trail system.
Other activities at the resort include miniature golf and a climbing wall. There are also trampolines with a harness for safe jumping.
You can use the Crescent, Payday, and Town lifts for hiking and mountain biking. These lifts start from the Park City Mountain Village base. At Canyons Village, you can access hiking and biking trails using the Red Pine Gondola and Short Cut. Most trails in the area are good for families. They are not too difficult. Most mountain bike trails are for intermediate riders. A small number are for expert riders.
Images for kids
-
Alpine Slide at Mountain side Resort in Park City, Utah
