4 Best Sights in Park City and the Southern Wasatch, Utah

Beyond Timpanogos Cave, Highway 92 continues up American Fork Canyon before branching off to climb behind Mount Timpanogos itself. Designated the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway, this winding road offers stunning mountain views and fall foliage in the latter months before dropping into Provo Canyon to the south. The 14-mile round-trip Timpooneke Trail and the 14-mile round-trip Aspen Grove Trail, both off the byway, reach the summit of Mount Timpanogos. Also along this highway is the famed Sundance Resort. Closed, depending on snowfall, from late October to late May, the Alpine Loop is free to drive, but you need to purchase a National Forest pass ($6, good for three days) to park at any of the trailheads and recreation areas along the route. This is the roundabout way to get to scenic Provo Canyon and Deer Creek Reservoir from I–15 (if heading south from Salt Lake City); the more direct route is U.S. 189 east from near Orem and Provo (stop by Bridal Veil Falls on your way in).

In the warmer months, the resort transforms itself into a mountain amusement park, with attractions such as the Alpine Slide and the Alpine Coaster, ziplines, and a climbing wall. Visitors take a chairlift up the mountain to the Alpine Slide, then hop aboard special sleds that carry them down 3,000 feet of winding concrete and fiberglass track at speeds controlled by each rider. The gravity-propelled Alpine Coaster (which operates year-round) zooms through aspen-lined twists and turns at speeds up to 35 mph. Two ziplines offer a high-flying adrenaline rush as riders strap into a harness suspended from a cable. In addition to the climbing wall, there's a miniature golf course, trampolines, an adventure zone for younger children, and some of the West's best lift-served mountain biking and hiking.

Set on the eastern slopes of the breathtaking 11,750-foot Mount Timpanogos, the resort came into being when Robert Redford purchased the land in 1969. Though he sold the property in 2020, the 5,000-acre mountain resort continues to reflect Redford's legacy and commitment to the natural environment, outdoor exploration, and artistic expression. All resort facilities—constructed from materials such as indigenous cedar, fir, and pine and locally quarried stone—compliment the natural landscape. No matter the season, you'll find plenty of recreational opportunities, including hiking, biking, fly-fishing, horseback riding, alpine and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and ziplining. If you're looking for a more indulgent experience, relax with a body treatment in the Spa at Sundance or take one of many creative classes in the Art Studio. Dine in one of the on-site restaurants, like the cozy Tree Room or the hip western Owl Bar on a night when they play live music. The Sundance Film Festival, based in nearby Park City each January, is an internationally recognized showcase for independent films. Festival screenings and summer workshops are held at the resort.

An exciting legacy of the 2002 Winter Olympics, this is a mecca of bobsled, skeleton, luge, and ski jumping. As it is one of the only places in America where you can try these sports, you might have to wait your turn behind U.S. Olympians and aspirants who train here year-round. In summer or winter, screaming down the track in a bobsled at nearly 80 mph with a professional driver is a ride you will never forget. In summer, check out the freestyle ski jumpers doing flips and spins into a splash pool and Nordic jumpers soaring to soft landings on a synthetic outrun. Ride the ziplines or the Alpine Slide, or explore the adventure course. There's also an interactive ski museum and an exhibit on the Olympics; guided tours are offered year-round, or you can take a self-guided tour.