From Leafy Trails to Festive Markets: Your Park City Fall Escape

The fiery crimsons, deep yellows, and rusty oranges that dot the Wasatch Mountains, beckon leaf peepers, festival lovers, and outdoor adventurers to Park City this fall. Dipping temps serve up the ideal backdrop to explore nature’s displays as well as the town’s gems. Here’s a roundup to round out your Park City fall getaway.

Leaf Peeping (by foot, car, and air)

Even if you come to Park City just to breathe in the crisp air and bathe in fall’s splendor, that’s time well spent, but how you connect with nature takes multiple shapes. Late September to October offers the most vibrant landscapes by foot, by car, or by air. Maybe all three?

By Foot: Don’t tell the summer fans, but hiking in Park City during the fall means lower temperatures, an ever-changing landscape, and unmatched beauty. Bloods Lake’s mountainside terrain offers hikers a bit of a challenge as well as scenic aspen groves. Iron Canyon Trail rewards trekkers with a panoramic vista of Park City. Deer Valley’s Silver Lake Trail is reserved just for hikers, making it a quieter excursion. These are just some of the Park City hikes that teem with fall splendor. 

By Car: Get that phone ready to snap Instagram-worthy pics of Park City’s fall beauty. Favorite local roads that put fall in the driver’s seat include Guardsman’s Pass, Mirror Lake Scenic Byway, Wolf Creek Highway Pass, Weber Canyon, Provo Canyon and Alpine Loop, Echo Canyon, Big Mountain Pass Highway, and Emigration Canyon. 

By Air: Hot air balloon rides are special no matter the season, but in fall? Even more memorable. Riders float above the Wasatch Mountains’ surrounding valleys and forests to enjoy stunning fall views of the Kamas Valley’s transition from summer green to autumn’s reds, oranges, and golds.  Rise with the sun when you ascend thousands of feet above Park City or book a later time to take in the area’s natural splendor. Many companies offer year-round, private rides with multiple options to customize your experience.

Special Events and Festivals

Farmers’ Markets

Leave it to Park City to have not one but three farmers’ markets where you can stroll the stalls for fresh, local produce, handmade wood crafts (the holidays are just around the corner…), clothing that transcends big box options, and treats like local honey. Stop by the Park City Farmers’ Market at The Canyons if you’re in town on Wednesdays from 12-6 until the end of October and Fridays, head over from 12-6 to the Farmers’ Market at The Yard. If you’re here until the end of September, Sundays host the Park Silly Sunday Market for a street market with a festival vibe. 

Park City Wine Festival

Stay in Park City and take your taste buds on a global trip to France, Chile, Argentina, and Slovenia when you sip your way through the Park City Wine Festival held from October 5-7. Along with international offerings, you can find the best of California, Vermont, and local Utah vintages. Tastings, food pairings, and curated lunches and dinners offer festival goers the chance to plan the ideal fall weekend. Don’t forget to check out the live music at the event. Reserve tickets at the Park City Wine Festival website. 

Fall Live Music Series

Bundle up in your favorite hoodie or sweater and embrace fall at Pendry Plaza‘s Fall Live Music Series. On Saturdays from 5-8, grab a drink and enjoy music from a rotating list of artists and bands. Firepit s’mores, al fresco dining options, drinking patios, and lawn games round out these cool evenings.

Trivia Night

Answer: The best time to sit fireside, order up some of Utah’s best craft brews, and show off your random knowledge and bask in your intellectual glory? 

Question: What are fall Trivia Nights held every Tuesday from 7-9 at Wasatch Brew Pub?

Yes, gather the group, brush off your knowledge of sports, arts, and, of course, potpourri, when your crew claims random knowledge dominance. Games are an over 21 event!

DAOU Wine Dinner at Kaneo – Park City

Inspired by the Mediterranean, hosted in Park City. The weekend of October 6-7 hosts the DAOU Wine Dinner where the food harkens back to the vineyard’s namesake North Macedonian region. Book a reservation to enjoy not only wines but handcrafted cocktails and local beers. Lunch on delicacies include Mediterranean fare like tzatziki and hummus, lamb chops, and wild game. Vegan and vegetarian options are also available. To top off the experience, DAOU Vineyards president Neb Lukic hosts the five-course DAOU Wine Dinner.  

Historic Main Street

7th Annual Park City Shot Ski

Pretty much exactly what the name details, revelers line up on the afternoon of October 21st and imbibe off of end-to-end skis. Last year, more than 528 skis covered more than half a mile and served 1,340 gatherers. The event’s humorous good time might only be surpassed by the more than $40,000 raised for the Park City Sunrise Rotary Club.If you’re in town, come help meet this year’s goal of hosting 1,360 participants and raising $50,000.

Last Friday Gallery Stroll

The last Friday of every month invites Park City locals and guests to connect with special exhibits and artists that infuse Park City with culture and beauty. Stroll through seven art galleries from 6-9 on the last Friday of the month and take in Historic Main Street as a bonus. 

Halloween on Historic Main

The ghosts and goblins take up residency from 3-6 on Historic Main Street where vendors dole out treats (but no tricks). Be advised the traffic is closed on the street at 2 pm. Dress up the dogs, too, but make sure they’re leashed for this event. 

Halloween Haunts and Fall Favorites

McPolin Farm Scarecrow Festival

Kick off fall right on September 30th  when you visit McPolin Farm to build your own scarecrow that will shine on display in Park City! The city provides the straw, and let your imagination run wild with whatever clothes, shoes, and accessories you need to complete your autumnal masterpiece. The day also includes cider and cookies and  pumpkin and face painting. 

Park City Ghost Tour

Spooky season is even spookier with a Park City Ghost Tour. When the sun sets and the moon rises, tours take only the bravest visitors through Park City’s untold past. Wander along Historic Main Street and Park Avenues to hear 15 different stories that will make your hackles stand on end…if you dare.

Getting Outdoors

Golfing

Seven public and eight private courses mean teeing off around Park City has something for every golfer. Best of all? The altitude makes the balls soar further. Stunning mountain views of the Wasatch Mountains frame most courses and cooler fall temps make play that much more enjoyable.

Fly Fishing

Cooler temps mean fly fishing. The nearby Provo and Weber Rivers offer up some of the most abundant catches in Utah. Go off-river and fish at the Echo, Jordanelle, Strawberry, and Rockport Reservoirs, which are all fully stocked. 

Hiking

Crunch those fall leaves in Park City as you stroll, walk, or hike the hundreds of miles of trails. Craft a hike with trails for the whole family or ones catering to a vigorous day outdoors. Certain trails invite dogs along for the day while others are for two-feet only. Take advantage of Park City’s Transit to Trails Program from Thursday to Sunday that helps to ease congestion.

Biking

With one of the stages in the Tour of Utah and the only IMBA (International Mountain Bike Association) Gold-Level Ride Center in North America, Park City has cemented itself as a top-tier mountain biking destination. Not every trail is intense, with miles of country roads to explore, mountain terrain, or rides around downtown Park City. The Summit County Pathway Systems offers riders paved and soft surfaces to explore as well as signs indicating route times between stops.  Bike shops offer rentals and service for any chosen ride.