Park City Mountain Summer Bike Park: Lift-Served Family Trails and Beginner Lessons

Park City Mountain Goes Full Summer in June

Park City Mountain transitions to its summer season on June 6, 2026, with Payday scenic chair, the zipline, the Mountain Coaster, and the Alpine Slide opening first. The Crescent chair bike haul, Town Lift, and the Red Pine Gondola open June 13. Woodward Park City's Hot Laps lift opens June 21, kicking off the dedicated bike park up there.

For a family with kids who already ride bikes, the Park City Mountain summer bike park is one of the best things this town does. You ride a lift up. You point your bike downhill. You roll back into the village and hand the bikes back. Repeat for an entire afternoon. Lessons are easy to book; trails range from "my five-year-old just rode this" to "experts only."

The Lifts You Will Use

Park City Mountain has several summer lifts running, but for biking the two that matter are:

Crescent Chair (Park City Mountain Village)

This is the workhorse bike lift. Loads bikes on a side rack, runs from the village base up to the mid-mountain area. Beginner and intermediate trails roll out from the top, including a green-rated descent that family groups use as their main lap.

Red Pine Gondola (Canyons Village)

The gondola from Canyons Village goes up to Red Pine Lodge, where you can pick up a slightly different mix of bike trails. The gondola is more comfortable than a chairlift if you have nervous riders or really small kids.

Both lifts take you above the Mid Mountain trail at about 8,000 feet, which gives you instant access to high alpine cross-country routes and lift-served downhill trails.

Beginner-Friendly Trails for Families

Mid Mountain Trail

The flat single-track that traverses the resort at 8,000 feet. Perfect for families - the elevation profile is gentle, the views are huge, and you can bail out at almost any major trail intersection back down to a lift. Probably the best beginner mountain bike trail in the entire Wasatch.

Spiro Trail

A flowy, mostly green-rated trail off the Mid Mountain network. Berms but no big drops; perfect for kids learning to corner. The lower section gets a bit more technical with rocks and roots.

Skills Park (Near Silver Lake Lodge)

A dedicated practice area with progression features - small berms, mini-jumps, ladder bridges, rollers. Kids can practice technique without committing to a full descent. Great place to take a 30-minute confidence break in the middle of a riding day.

The Secrets of My Success Trail

For more confident kids, this is a fun blue-rated trail with bigger berms and small jumps you can roll over instead of jumping if you want.

For experts and aggressive intermediate riders, the dedicated downhill trails off Crescent and the gondola are real bike park terrain - drops, jumps, technical features. Helmet, pads, and dropper post all required gear.

Lessons - The Easiest Way to Get Kids Started

Park City Mountain runs a full mountain bike school in summer with lessons for all ages and levels.

Group Lessons

Half-day group lessons for kids and adults run mornings or afternoons. Kids ages 4 and up; equipment included if needed. The half-day group lesson typically includes lift access and bike rental in the package price.

Private Lessons

For families with mixed levels (an experienced parent and a beginner kid, or two siblings at different stages), a private lesson is the move. Pricier per hour but more focused. You can request the same instructor for repeat days.

Woodward Park City

If your kid is more interested in tricks, jumps, and bike park progression than scenic trail riding, Woodward Park City is the destination. They run summer camps for ages 7 and up with all-day instruction in their Hot Laps bike park, plus indoor and outdoor skate parks, foam pits, and trampolines for cross-training. The Hot Laps lift opens June 21.

Pricing

Adult bike haul passes start around $53 online for a full day. Discounts for kids; children 4 and under often free with a paying adult. The new Wasatch Gravity Pass ($450 for the season) covers lift access at both Deer Valley and Solitude Mountain Resort - a great value if you ride more than 8 days a summer.

Bike rentals run roughly $75 to $150 per day depending on the bike (basic hardtail, full suspension trail bike, or downhill bike). Full helmet and pads sometimes included; sometimes extra.

Lessons start around $200 for a half-day group lesson, $400 to $600 for a half-day private lesson.

What to Bring (Beyond the Bike)

The Right Helmet for Your Kid

If you are going to ride lift-served descents at all, your kid needs a real helmet that fits. The rental shops include helmets but the fit varies wildly. We use a MOUNTALK Kids Bike Helmet for our older two; for the toddler we use a Retrospec Scout Toddler Bike Helmet. Bringing your own is the move if you have one - the fit will be better than a rental and your kid will be more comfortable.

For real downhill riding (the dedicated bike park trails, not Mid Mountain), you need a full-face helmet. Rentals available at the shop; for occasional riders, renting is fine.

Sun Protection at 8,000 Feet

Sun is intense above the tree line. Sun Bum mineral SPF 50 applied before you leave the village and reapplied at lunch. Wallaroo wide-brim sun hat for the mid-day lunch break (the helmet covers your head while riding).

Hydration - Critical at Altitude

Altitude dehydration is sneaky and brutal. A hydration pack is the right gear for kids old enough to wear one (Camelbak Mini for kids ages 6 and up). For shorter kids and the bike-rack-attached water bottle approach, a Hydro Flask 32 oz in the basket at the lodge between rides.

Gloves

Even on green trails, a fall on rocky single-track will tear up bare hands. Real bike gloves for every rider in the family, kids included.

A Real Snack and Lunch Plan

The mid-mountain lodges (Silver Lake, Mid Mountain Lodge, Red Pine Lodge) all have lunch service in summer. Pricey but convenient. Pack a backpack with energy bars and trail mix for between-lap snacks.

The Day Plan for a Family Bike Day

9:00 AM - Arrive and Get Set Up

Park at Park City Mountain Village or Canyons Village (lots fill up by 11 in summer; arrive before 10). Pick up rentals, check fit on helmets and bikes, buy your bike haul tickets.

10:00 AM - First Lap

Take Crescent chair (or the gondola if you are at Canyons) and ride a beginner descent or Mid Mountain Trail. This is a scouting lap to see what your family is comfortable with.

11:30 AM - Lessons or Rest

If you booked lessons, this is when they typically start. If not, take a snack break at the village or at Mid Mountain Lodge.

1:00 PM - Lunch

Sit-down lunch at Mid Mountain Lodge or back at the village. Real food, hydration, and a chance to rest tired legs.

2:00 to 4:00 PM - Afternoon Riding

Two to three more laps. By the third afternoon lap, kids will be tired and the chance of a fall increases. Know when to call it.

4:30 PM - Return Bikes, Kids in the Pool

Most lodging in Park City has a pool. After a bike day, the pool is medicine.

Other Park City Bike Park Options

Deer Valley Bike Park

The longest-running lift-served bike park in Utah, with a mix of beginner to expert trails. Worth a separate day if you have a multi-day trip.

Round Valley

For the no-lift, no-fee, low-pressure family bike day, Round Valley Open Space (off Bonanza Drive) has miles of mellow single-track with no significant climbing. Bring your own bikes; pack snacks; ride for two hours and call it a win.

Why Park City Mountain Bike Park Is Worth a Family Summer Day

The combination of high alpine terrain, lift access, professional instruction, and family-friendly pricing makes Park City Mountain one of the best places in the West to take a family on a bike day. The Mid Mountain Trail alone is worth the lift ticket. The view from the top of Crescent on a clear July day is unmatched. And the moment your kid rolls down a real mountain bike trail under their own power for the first time is one of those big summer milestones.

Book lift tickets and lessons online a few days ahead. Pack the helmets, the sun hats, the water. Show up at 9:30. Have the best mountain day of your summer.