Getting to Park City
Please reread this periodically as we will continue to update the information
THIS IS A WINTER WEDDING:
The wedding is March 8, 2025, which usually means a full blown winter wedding for Park City as it is in the mountains. That is the goal. The Stein Eriksen Lodge reception venue is at 8200 feet. Kindly prepare accordingly. (It could also be spring skiing / snowboarding conditions. Who knows?). The ceremony will be outside in winter (weather permitting - i.e., if it's a blizzard, we'll move indoors) and the cocktail reception, dinner and dancing will be indoors. Dress accordingly."
Deer Valley Resort as of 23/24 allows you to ski there if you get one of the upgraded Ikon passes. As of the 2023/24 ski season, you need to reserve a couple of days in advance skiing at Deer Valley and you can ski six times on Ikon. Check the current 24/25 Ikon rules as the rules change each year to confirm what will work. I would research the updated rules for Ikon to be sure the pass you are purchasing will actually work at Deer Valley. The Stein Eriksen, where the reception is, is ski-in and ski-out to Deer Valley ski resort. Park City Mountain & Canyons are not connected to Deer Valley Resort. Deer Valley only allows skiing, not snowboarding. You can buy day passes but they do sell out so plan ahead.
Park City Mountain, which includes Canyons, is nearby and does allow skiing and snowboarding. Park City Mountain is on the Epic pass. If you plan on skiing or snowboarding a lot at Park City Mountain, you may want to consider purchasing a 24/25 Epic Pass.
Epic / Ikon Pass - If you’re planning on getting an Ikon or Epic Pass, we strongly encourage you to buy them ASAP. They are cheaper earlier in the season. And they do stop selling them long before ski season. Day passes at both Deer Valley and Park City Mountain are (laughably, but not so funny) around $300 per day for an adult (kids 13 or over) as of the 23/24 season so trust us when we say if you’re planning on skiing a couple days, a pass tends to be worth it.
If you are staying in Park City, it generally is much easier to get around by Uber or Lyft than a rental car. Parking is very difficult in Park City as it gets a lot of visitors in the winter. Park City downtown is also an excellent walking town. When we visited Park City before we had a car there, we never rented cars and it worked a lot better. Trust us. As described below, the weather can change on a dime, which means you can find yourself in extremely difficult mountain winter weather conditions for driving. SUVs with four wheel drive or all wheel drive are recommended for Ubers / Lyfts (or rental cars if you so choose) if there is even a hint of bad weather in the winter. Keep in mind when you fly into Salt Lake City, the airport is only at 4,200 feet (unlike the venue, which is at 8,200 feet) so it can be raining or doing nothing in Salt Lake while it is dumping snow in Park City at the exact same time.
Should you desire or need childcare during your time in Park City for the wedding, here is a great option to reach out to:
Salt Lake City airport is a lovely airport as it was updated for the 2002 Olympics. If you fly in skis or snowboards, there are two separate carousals for large bags close to the baggage claim area. If you want a reliable flight, in general Delta Airlines is the best airline to fly as Salt Lake City is a hub for Delta. It is a big airport.
We have repeatedly found that other airlines, especially United, often have delays because they use regional jets (SkyWest) that are smaller planes and triaged first for priority. There is also a great Delta lounge at the airport.
Weather forecasting is notoriously VERY wrong. Forecasts of 1 to 2 inches for “Park City” often mean 1-2 feet in Park City. You never know until you’re in it. We have laughably found that the apps all have wildly different forecasts. It is not uncommon for it to snow an inch or two per hour in bigger storms.
Aside from the wedding events, Park City is a mountain town that trends more casual. You’ll find you cannot walk down the street in boots unless they are winter boots because it gets too slippery. There are a lot of stairs in Park City if you want to explore so we recommend comfy boots. Some of the restaurants can be nicer and so there are plenty of opportunities to dress a little nicer if that is your jam too.
The wedding reception venue (Stein Eriksen Lodge) is at 8,200 feet. Park City downtown is at 7,000 feet. We have found when people visit, they almost all feel the altitude, which can give you headaches, fatigue, etc. The antidote? Stay hydrated, stay hydrated, stay hydrated. Utah is one of the driest states in the country so you won’t get thirsty but you need to stay hydrated, stay hydrated, stay hydrated. Electrolyte drinks or Liquid IV are your friend. Ibuprofen can be nice. Pro tips here.
If you find yourself in need of a little oxygen boost, here are the links to some great oxygen bars:
Activities (Including for those that don’t downhill ski or snowboard)
In Park City
Biking - fat bike touring can coordinate through White Pine Touring
Cocktails:
High West Saloon - nifty whiskey bar in downtown Park City next to the Town Lift that directly accesses Park City Mountain
Alpine Distillery - lounge with stellar gin drinks & other cocktails
Clubbing (or as close as you could get in Park City): The Cabin
Cross Country Skiing or Skate Skiing: go to White Pine Touring where you can rent skis and go skiing
Gym - Park City MARC & Recreation (excellent and cheap local gym)
Music Venue: Marquis Park City
Olympics - note Park City and Salt Lake are expected to host the 2034 Winter Olympic Games
Guided tour of Utah Olympic Park - The nearly 400-acre venue houses one of only four sliding tracks in North America, six Nordic ski jumps, a 2002 Winter Games museum, and a multitude of adventure activities.
Rollercoaster
Park City Mountain alpine rollercoaster - operates in winter when they can keep up clearing the snow
Skiing in Park City
Deer Valley Resort
Park City Mountain
Snowboarding in Park City: Park City Mountain
Stroll / shop in historic downtown Park City
Theater: Egyptian Theater - ground zero for the Sundance Film Festival but cool theater to visit outside the festival
Snowshoeing
Spa Day:
Stein Eriksen Lodge spa - Jeanne’s favorite (this is the wedding venue)
Montage spa
St. Regis spa
Beyond Park City you'll find even more great activities and things to do:
Skiing:
Alta Ski Resort
Brighton Resort
Powder Mountain
Snowbasin Resort
Snowbird Resort
Solitude Resort
Snowboarding:
Brighton Resort
Powder Mountain
Snowbasin Resort
Snowbird Resort
Solitude Resort
Snowmobiling:
Sundance Resort (45 min away from downtown Park City) - gorgeous resort with family skiing, snowshoeing, and art activities
Owl Bar - epic bar at Sundance built in the 1890s and frequented by Butch Cassidy
Whiskey tasting at High West Distillery