Utah Olympic Park isn’t just a winter wonderland. There is plenty to do at the park year round. Every corner of this sprawling campus is filled with fun and excitement for the warm-weather visitor.
Get a taste of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games during your trip to Park City. The best Park City Utah Olympics activities live on at Utah Olympic Park. Up on the mountainside above Kimball Junction, this reminder of the 2002 Games carries on the Olympic spirit right here in our own backyard.
There’s enough going on at Utah Olympic Park to keep you busy for days. Try our list of the top Utah Olympic Park Activities to get the most out of your stay.
Summer Tubing
The first thing visitors will notice about Utah Olympic Park are the massive ramps stretching down the mountain above Kimball Junction. Those ramps were the battlegrounds for the Nordic ski jump competition and related events. They are still used as a practice venue for top jumpers from around the globe. During the summer, however, they get a new lease on life as an extreme tubing course. When water is passed over the innovative surface of the jump, it functions like the world’s most exciting water slide. Utah Olympic Park tubing is an extreme high-speed sliding experience for true thrill seekers. You won’t want to miss this one.
Freestyle Shows
If you’d prefer to watch, rather than experience, the high-flying thrills of freestyle ski jumping, you should catch one of Utah Olympic Park’s Flying Ace All-Stars Freestyle shows. Top athletes roar down ramps that terminate in a freestyle pool at the base of the park. Watch them flip, twist, and leap in an exciting display of aerial prowess. Observers closest to the splashdown might even get a little wet. Shows run throughout the summer, but only on weekends.
Zip Lines
If you want the same sense of weightless freedom as a Nordic jumper without learning a demanding ski discipline, try the Utah Olympic Park zip lines instead. Fly down the mountainside, feet dangling in the breeze, over the heads of your fellow men. Scoff at gravity-if only for a few hundred yards-and feel what it’s like to be a daring ski jumper. Side-by-side rides are available, in case you need a little emotional support to take the plunge.
Scenic Chairlift Rides
Dialing down the thrills, the scenic chairlift gives visitors a chance to relax and take in the view while going for a pleasant trip up the mountain. Choose from the larger Nordic chairlift, or the shorter Freestyle chairlift. Just because there isn’t a pool at the bottom doesn’t mean there isn’t a good time to be had gliding up and down the slope.
Ropes Courses
Utah Olympic Park also offers some high-altitude thrills that are a little slower than a bobsled. The Utah Olympic Park Discovery Course represents several ropes courses designed to test visitors’ courage, balance, and coordination. Explore these unique physical challenges and get a refreshing workout in the free mountain air above Park City. You’ll walk tightropes, scale nets, grasp at swinging lines, and more as you work your way from one end to the other. Summer and winter variants are available, depending on the timing of your visit.
Not everyone is big enough to experience the Discovery Course. Pint-sized adventurers are more at home in Utah Olympic Park’s Discovery Zone. Think of it like the miniature version of the full-size ropes course. There are still monkey bars, rope bridges, and balance lines, but they’re all a lot closer to the ground. Little tumblers might land in the soft bark below, but they won’t be dangling from a line several dozen feet above the earth. This little obstacle zone is free to enjoy.
Summer Comet Bobsled
This epic, winding concrete tube played host to the bobsled, skeleton, and luge events during the 2002 Winter Olympics. Some of the best athletes in the world competed on this track. Now you can enjoy the same 60-mph thrills as those elite drivers. Winter or summer, the Utah Olympic Park bobsled takes novice riders on a thrilling downhill race. During the winter, you’ll rocket down the ice in the traditional fashion. Warm-weather riders can still give the bobsled a shot thanks to a wheeled retrofit.
Alpine Coaster
If the bobsled is just a tad too extreme, there is always the alpine coaster. Similar to the bobsled, the alpine coaster utilizes gravity to provide a twisting thrill ride down the mountain on a track. Unlike the bobsled, however, you don’t require a professional pilot to enjoy the alpine coaster. Just strap in to your seat and hang on for dear life as you swiftly tear around the turns and switchbacks along the way, enjoying the view of Park City the whole time.
Museums
Guests are invited to explore two museums on site, free of charge. The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games Museum commemorates the Park City Utah Olympic activities that took place both at this complex and elsewhere around town. Uncover the story of the Games with a series of exhibits, activities, and displays that both inform and entertain. For a broader history of Park City’s winter sports, make sure to check out the Alf Engen Ski Museum. It explores the history of skiing in the Intermountain West, including Park City’s transition from mining outpost to resort town.
Hiking and Biking Trails
In addition to all the fun, games, activities, and sports on display, Utah Olympic Park has one last trick up its sleeve-it is connected to Park City’s massive trail system. There are some lovely views to enjoy from the paths surrounding the park. Make sure to take a stroll to finish out your day at Utah Olympic Park. Where else can you get a bird’s eye view of a bobsled course? Trails aren’t just for walking, either. Mountain biking presents a whole new set of challenges-and rewards.
This article was originally posted on May 25, 2017 and has been updated since with current information.
Book the Best Summer Park City Lodging Now!
There is no shortage of ways to explore the mountains in summer! Hike, bike, fish, horseback ride, or even zipline. Enjoy the cool evenings with local festivals, live music, and non-stop community events.
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