Hours of Operation
9:00am-6:00pm (Open Daily)
Admission: Free
2026 Will & Jean Pickett Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame on August 20th, 2026: Click here for Ticket Information
Originally called Treasure Mountain, Park City Mountain is now one of the largest resorts in the United States. It is located in the heart of Park City, just steps away from historic Main Street. With 7,300 acres and ski-in-ski-out access to historic Main Street, Park City Mountain offers endless adventures for every level of skier or snowboarder to enjoy.
In 1985, Park City Ski Area defied doubters by hosting the first of several “America’s Opening” World Cup ski races. These events are widely considered to be integral predecessors to Salt Lake City’s successful bid for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
The first notable discovery occurred in October 1868 when federal soldiers from Fort Douglas crossed over from Big Cottonwood Canyon and found a rich vein of silver. They famously marked the outcropping with a bandanna in a snowstorm, returning the following spring to claim what became the Flagstaff mine—the area’s first mine to ship ore. The rugged mountains surrounding what would become Park City began a massive economic transformation with the discovery of rich silver veins. This frantic underground exploration resulted in the mining of over $400 million in silver and created 23 instant millionaires across the territory. Among those who secured a massive fortune from these mountains was George Hearst, the wealthy father of legendary newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst.
Local newspapers and diaries began recording reports of rugged Park City miners commuting down the steep canyon slopes on primitive wooden skis called “flop-flops.” These oversized, heavy wooden slats were likely introduced to the mining camps by Swedish and Norwegian immigrants who arrived to work the underground claims. These functional winter commutes represented the earliest informal roots of downhill winter sports culture in the Wasatch Range.
Driven by the explosive growth of the silver mining industry and a rapidly expanding population of laborers, Park City was officially incorporated as a city. The establishment of a formalized municipal government allowed the booming mountain town to build structured roads, schools, and essential public utilities. This official civic foundation ensured the town’s survival long after the volatile mining economy eventually collapsed.
The locally published Park Record newspaper triumphantly touted Park City as a “rising mecca” for winter sports following the massive success of a regional ski tournament. The highly publicized competition drew talented winter athletes and thousands of spectators up the canyon to witness daring ski jumping feats. This event marked a crucial psychological shift as the community began viewing its deep winter snow as a valuable recreational asset rather than a seasonal burden.
Global silver prices suffered a catastrophic drop from the 1930s to the 1950s, rendering the deep, water-logged mining operations across the canyon completely unprofitable. As mine after mine shuttered their doors, the town fell into a severe economic depression that halted local commerce. Crashing silver prices following World War I, combined with the Great Depression, crippled the town’s economy. By 1949, a massive drop in mineral prices forced a near-total shutdown that put 1,100 miners out of work overnight. By 1951, Park City was widely classified as a depressed “ghost town” with its population plummeting by over 70%.
