IWNA

With endless outdoor pursuits and a vibrant city center,

Park City might just be the perfect place to spend a week.

Recently, my now 12-year-old son, Dade, and I returned to the area

for his annual lacrosse tournament. Yeah, I know, chaperoning 20

preteen boys for a weekend of round-robin competition doesn’t

sound like the makings of a blissful, escape-the-rat-race vacation.

But when I heard it was in Park City, all those recollections of fun

came rushing to mind and I immediately volunteered for duty.

Just as quickly, I began making plans to extend the trip beyond

the tournament’s closing ceremonies. Because from outdoor recre-

ation to seasonal festivals to shopping and dining galore, Park City

has more than enough summertime fun to fill a weeklong itinerary.

Here’s a sampling of some of the region’s best options. Focus your

travel plans on a single category, or mix and match to create your

own well-rounded sojourn.

The Great Outdoors

ExploringMother Nature’s spoils is quite convenient here. There are plenty

of miles of hiking and biking adjacent to town in the hills that form

the local ski resorts of Canyons, Deer Valley, and Park City Mountain.

You can even ride the lifts to get a head start on many of the trails.

Dade and I, however, wanted to escape a little more — and I wanted

to find my favorite of Earth’s scenic features: a high alpine lake.

So, after lacrosse wrapped up, we sat at the Park City Pizza

Company sprinkling red pepper flakes on our pepperoni pie and

poring over a couple of topographic maps. “This looks like a good

spot, Dad,” Dade said. His finger had landed in the middle of a

green section of map that was peppered with countless amoeba-

shaped blue specks. He’s famous for picking walk-to destinations

that are all but impossible to reach, but this one proved a winner.

About 50 miles east of Park City, in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache

National Forest, the Crystal Lake Trailhead provided everything we

wanted on our hike. There were a handful of cars in the parking

lot, but we only saw one other group of trekkers, and instead of

WHETHER YOU WANT TO WANDER ABOUT IN THE

HILLS OR HANG OUT ONMAIN STREET, KICK BACK AT

A CONCERT OR POWER SHOP,

CATERS

TO MOST EVERY VACATION TASTE.

BY J.B. BISSELL

Park City Chamber/Bureau