Park City: the back story

About Park City: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Ski Resorts Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Park City was a fading silver-mining town when its mining company decided, in the early 1960s, to turn its mountain into a ski resort. Six decades later, two villages joined by one gondola make up what the resort calls the largest ski resort in the United States.

From silver to snow

Park City grew rich on silver in the 1800s, and the remains of its mines are still scattered across the mountain. In 1961 the officials of United Park City Mines hatched a plan to revive the town as a year-round recreation resort, and applied for a federal loan to build it.

Treasure Mountains, 1963

The resort opened on 21 December 1963 as Treasure Mountains. It had the country’s longest gondola, whose four-seat cabins climbed two and a half miles from today’s Mountain Village to the summit, where Summit House now stands; it ran until 1997.

Ski right into historic downtown Park City via the Town Runs.

The skier subway

After the first season, the old Spiro Tunnel mine workings were fitted with subway-style cars that carried skiers nearly three miles underground, before a hoist lifted them 1,800 feet to the surface and the Thaynes chairlift. The ‘skier subway’ ran only until 1969, but one of its cars and a hoist are on show at the Park City Museum on Main Street.

Two mountains, one resort

In 1966 Treasure Mountains became Park City Ski Area, and in 1971 the mining company sold it to Edgar Stern, who would later found Deer Valley next door; he brought in his friend Stein Eriksen to promote skiing here. On 20 December 1968 another ski area, Ski Park City West, had opened nearby with a Wild West theme; it later became The Canyons, today’s Canyons Village. The two are now one resort, joined by the Quicksilver Gondola.

Competition town

Park City has hosted the 2002 Winter Games, two decades of World Cup races, the Huntsman Cup adaptive races and FIS World Championships. It will host snowboard and freeski halfpipe and slopestyle at the Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 Winter Games, and The Snow League’s halfpipe competition comes here from 21 to 23 January 2027.

Our advice

Stay on Main Street for the evenings and ski the Town Runs home; stay at Canyons Village for a quieter, ski-in/ski-out base. Either way, buy lift tickets online at least seven days ahead.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Park City: the back story before you go.