Set in the beautiful & majestic Wasatch Mountains, this resort is a summer paradise for active families.
Located 25 miles east of Salt Lake City, Park City is known as a skier’s paradise. In fact, many of the 2002 Winter Olympic skiing events took place here. But what you may not realize? Park City is a summertime paradise for families, as well. And you’ll find Deer Valley Resort and all its amenities far less expensive in the summer than its snow-packed peak season.
Accommodations at Deer Valley Resort
Deer Valley Resort offers several different accommodations. First, decide if you’d like to stay at the base of the mountain, mid-mountain or upper mountain. From there, the choices range from hotel rooms to condos. Park City isn’t cheap, but it’s more affordable during the summer. For example, in August, rates for a hotel room at the Deer Valley Resort begin at $145/night all the way up to renting a home for $700/night. Winter room rates begin at $425/night.
Our family of four stayed in a two-bedroom condo at the resort’s Silver Baron Lodge, perfectly located in Snow Park at the base of the mountain. After a day of chasing a 4- and 8-year-old, it was nice to come back to some peace and quiet. The condo had two huge bedrooms with a king bed in one room and two queen beds in the other. Each bedroom had its own ensuite bathroom along with another full bathroom for guests. The kitchen was better equipped than my kitchen at home! The kids basically had the lodge’s pool to themselves each evening, which was a real treat.
KidTripster Tip: My kids favorite part of the condo? The private hot tub on its deck. It’s worth the splurge!
Activities at Deer Valley Resort
Of course, the mountain is the star of this resort. However, we found a hidden jewel, Deer Valley Lake just around the corner from our condo. Here you can try paddleboarding with Park City Stand Up Paddleboard. My 8-year-old was a bit nervous to try something new, so we both took lessons. Lessons cost $50/hour/person, which includes all the equipment and a life vest. To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t too happy with the start of the lesson. Trent, the owner, grabbed a paddle, stood in front of my son, and showed him very quickly the strokes that he needed to know. Then he walked him down to the lake, put him on a board, and shoved him off to figure it out on his own. As you might imagine, this trial-by-fire approach wasn’t what I was expecting. I got on a double board with my 4-year-old and off we went. For an adult, the lesson was enough to be able to figure out the basics. My son was another story. He got stuck on the lake and told me, “I’m so mad at you for making me do this!” I paddled in to get some help, and guess what? Trent was right, and I was wrong. He said kids just need to get on the board and figure it out. By the time I made it back to shore, not only had my son figured it out, he was standing up and paddling! He spent a good hour on the water, and at the end of the trip, he asked me when we could paddleboard, again!
My kids loved taking the chairlift up to the top of Bald Mountain. We started at Snow Park, which we could walk to from our condo. It took two chairlift rides to get to the top of the mountain, but it’s well worth it. Once you’re at the top, you can either ride the lift back down, hike down or mountain bike to mid-mountain. We decided to give hiking a try. My 4-year-old made it about a quarter mile down the mountain, but it was too narrow, and a 3-mile hike was a bit much for him. However, my 70-year-old mother-in-law and 8-year-old son had no problem hiking down.
KidTripster Tip: All the hiking trails are narrow, so each person should be sure-footed and school-aged. The Ontario Path is the most kid-friendly hike down to mid-mountain.
Mountain biking is huge here with trails for all skill levels. Your kids have never tried mountain biking? No problem! Deer Valley has a Mountain Bike School with clinics and private lessons for kids (ages 9 and up). Rather saddle up? Take a family horseback ride, ranging from one hour to full day. For younger guests, try a chuckwagon hayride. Finally, if you really want to experience the great outdoors, sign up for fly fishing lessons on the nearby Provo and Weber Rivers.
During the summer, the resort offers an outdoor concert series at the Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater. While the concerts were too late at night for my little ones, we enjoyed the music from the deck of our condo.
Dining at Deer Valley Resort
While Park City offers plenty of dining options, we decided to try some of the restaurants at the resort. On our first night, we headed to The Brass Tag for dinner. We easily could walk there from our condo, which was lovely since the weather was beautiful. This was the best meal that we experienced during our stay. The staff was very attentive, and even though there was a very grown-up feel to the restaurant, it offered a wonderful kids’ menu. My 8-year-old, who’s one picky eater, said the homemade pretzel appetizer was the “best pretzel” that he’d ever eaten. The kids’ menu is typical fare with a twist; the restaurant uses top-of-the-line ingredients, including homemade bread on the hamburgers and sliced chicken breast for the baked chicken fingers. My kids got to watch all their food being made in the pizza oven, which takes center stage in the open kitchen of the restaurant.
The Royal Street Cafe is a decent lunch destination mid-mountain, once you’ve hiked down from the top of Bald Mountain. All seating is outside in the summer, and there’s good people watching.
KidTripster Tip: Deer Valley Grocery-Cafe offers take-and-bake items including pizza and pasta for those families that may want to head back to their condos and cook. We did this one evening, and my kids were happy campers. Skip this spot for breakfast, though, as the menu isn’t very kid-friendly. If you’re hiking down Bald Mountain, grab a packed gourmet picnic here.
Getting to Deer Valley Resort
Deer Valley Resort is located about a hour’s drive from Salt Lake City International Airport. If you’re not renting a car, you’ll need to book a private shuttle, as the resort does not offer free shuttle service to and from the airport. The resort concierge can help arrange your transportation prior to your arrival.
KidTripster Tip: The resort offers a free shuttle in a Cadillac Escalade within a three-mile radius of the resort. The shuttle is available every day from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.
Gemma Gaudette is a former television journalist, wife, and mom to two boys who tend to give her gray hair. She uses a lot of hair color!
This writer received a complimentary stay and some activities for the purpose of this review. However, all opinions expressed are solely her own.
