Summer Guide '10 -- Hikes and Bites
Photography: Courtesy of Park City Chamber/Bureau
With its precipitous slopes, rolling meadows and creekside vales, the Park City area has terrain to suit all sorts of outdoor excursions on foot. Make the most of this mountain playground from dawn until dusk—or simply for a leisurely afternoon—with a scenic hike at a level of difficulty suited to your fitness and ambition. And since good food with friends and family afterward helps make for a perfect summer day, we’ve paired these five great hikes with tasty bites around town.
Park City’s Farm Trail This easy paved trail behind Park City’s famous McPolin/Osguthorpe Barn along Highway 224 is well suited for the whole family. Meander as far as you like on this several-mile stretch. Then take the crew to the Blue Iguana in Old Town (628 Park Ave) for truly authentic Mexican dishes including chimichangas, burritos, moles and sizzling fajitas.
Spring Creek’s Stealth and Blackhawk Trails This moderate loop (approximately six miles) swims in sunshine along the switchbacks on the Glenwild hillside. It showcases expansive views of Kimball Junction and the I-80 valley. Afterward, keep walking over to Maxwell’s East Coast Eatery in Newpark via the paved underpass a stone’s throw from the trailhead. You’ve exercised, so it’s OK to order the storied Fat Kids pizza!
Deer Valley’s Silver Lake Trail This moderate to strenuous two-mile hike climbs up Bald Mountain behind Silver Lake Village. En route, the trail winds through pine and aspen trees to incredible vistas of Park City and the Heber valley. Reward yourself with lunch at Royal Street Café: the Alaskan King Crab Tower and a blueberry mojito are great ways to get started.
The Canyons’ Tombstone Trail A more difficult hike. You start with a scenic gondola ride ($15) up to Red Pine Lodge, where the 1.6-mile trail to the Tombstone lift begins. Once you reach the top, the view of the DreamScape basin is breathtaking—if you’ve got any breath left after the ascent. You’ve earned a gourmet lunch at the Red Pine Café next to the gondola, with options that include an award-winning ahi tuna roll or Kobe beef burger.
Park City Mountain’s Spiro Trail A challenging three-mile uphill hike that puts a Stairmaster to shame. It starts with a rocky incline heading to the Mid Mountain bike trail, where the views of the basin and surrounding peaks make the trek well worth the effort. Take a load off at the Silver Star Market & Café next to the Silver Star lift at the old Spiro mine; sit outside with a cold drink and enjoy the artisan pizza and sandwiches.
Trail maps to all of these tracks are available at shops throughout town and online via the Mountain Trails Foundation (mountaintrails.org). You can also get the information you need at each trailhead, so there’s no reason not to head out and get hoofing.
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