With the ideal combo of soaring peaks and wending rivers, Utah is a summer outdoor paradise. What’s more, its mountain resorts are incredibly accessible, making them the perfect adventure to embark on before autumn comes around. The resorts transform into mountain playgrounds with coasters, zip lines, mountain biking, lift-served hiking and more, and are great family destinations for easy adventures and turnkey vacations. These five resorts offer it all, and a little bit more.

Park City Weekly concerts at the Canyons base are free and great for the whole family. Photo: Courtesy of Vail Resorts

Off-season at the second-largest ski resort in the U.S. is far from slow. Park City Mountain offers entertainment for the whole family, all accessible from both the PCMR and Canyons bases of the immense resort. Bonus: Downtown Park City is arguably even more fun in the milder summer months.

Hot Ticket: The Park City Wine Festival, Sept. 30-Oct. 1, elevates over 100 artisans, food purveyors, breweries, vineyards, and distilleries for a weekend of tastings, how-tos, and luncheons, and more.

Park City Summer Checklist
• Board the Red Pine Gondola for scenic views of the Wasatch Mountains and a lift up to hiking and biking trails. Over 20 miles of cross-country mountain biking is open for riders of all levels.
• Check out getting an Adventure Pass that’ll give you access to the outdoor obstacle course, alpine slides and more.
• Settle in for weekly live music at the Canyons base.
• Putt-putt away at the resort’s 18-hole mini-golf course.
• Utah’s longest mountain coaster is open for those who dare—riders can travel up to 30 mph through loops and chutes on the mountainside.
• Park City’s alpine slides are among the largest in the world, with four different 3,000-foot tracks to experience something new each time.
• Higher up, the mountain’s zip lines allow for a thrilling birds-eye view of the resort at 110 feet off the ground.

Snowbird The lift-served hiking from Snowbird’s Aerial Tram lets you take in all the views. Courtesy of Snowbird

Only a half-hour drive from Salt Lake City, Snowbird has just the summer mountain respite city-dwellers crave. Its valleys come alive with wildflowers and green mountain trails during the summertime, and there are all manner of activities on tap here.

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