Winter Activities Beyond Skiing in Park City with Kids | Park City Moms

Park City Is So Much More Than a Ski Town

Here is something that might surprise you: some of our best winter memories in Park City have nothing to do with skiing. Do not get me wrong, we love our ski days, but this town has an absolutely incredible lineup of winter activities that do not require lift tickets, ski lessons, or the minor financial crisis that comes with outfitting an entire family in ski gear. Whether you have non-skiers in your group, little ones who are not ready for the slopes yet, or you just want a break from the mountain, Park City delivers winter magic in so many other ways.

These alternatives are also a lifesaver for families where not everyone skis at the same level. Maybe mom and the older kids want to hit the black diamonds while dad hangs with the toddler who is not quite ready for ski school. Or maybe grandma and grandpa are joining the trip but are not interested in strapping on boots. Having a full roster of amazing non-skiing activities means everyone has an incredible time, regardless of their relationship with the sport of skiing.

I have spent years exploring every winter activity this area has to offer with my kids, and I am going to share the best of the best. Some are free, some cost money, and all of them create the kind of memories that make a Park City winter trip special even if you never set foot on a ski slope.

Snow Tubing: Maximum Fun, Minimum Skill Required

If there is one non-skiing winter activity that gets my kids more excited than anything else, it is tubing. There is something about flying down a groomed snow lane in an inflatable tube that produces pure, unfiltered joy in kids of every age. Gorgoza Park is the premier tubing destination near Park City, with multiple lanes of varying speeds, a magic carpet lift that takes you back up the hill, and a fun atmosphere that makes it feel like a winter amusement park. They also have a mini snowmobile track for kids and a small terrain park area.

Soldier Hollow in Midway also offers excellent tubing with longer lanes and a more natural mountain setting. Their tubing hill is one of the longest in the state, and the ride down is genuinely thrilling even for adults. The facility is well-run with timed sessions that keep the crowds manageable, and the lift system means no exhausting hikes back up the hill. Both Gorgoza and Soldier Hollow are about 20 minutes from Park City in different directions, so you can choose based on your other plans for the day.

A good classic snow sled is also worth packing or buying if you want free tubing and sledding on your own schedule. There are several informal sledding hills around Park City where locals bring their own sleds for an afternoon of fun without any fees or reservations required. City Park is a popular spot, and the hills around the various neighborhoods offer plenty of slope for casual sledding. Just make sure kids are wearing waterproof snow boots and warm base layers because they will be rolling in the snow and getting thoroughly wet and cold, which they will declare was absolutely worth it.

Snowshoeing: Exploring the Winter Wilderness

Snowshoeing is one of those activities that sounds intimidating but is actually incredibly easy and accessible, even for young kids. If your child can walk, they can snowshoe. Modern snowshoes are lightweight, easy to strap on, and make walking on deep snow feel almost like walking on a packed trail. It opens up a whole world of winter wilderness that is otherwise inaccessible, and there is something magical about being the first tracks in fresh snow with your kids surrounded by quiet, snow-covered trees.

The Round Valley trail system in Park City is perfect for family snowshoeing. The trails are well-marked, relatively flat, and wind through beautiful open meadows and aspen groves. You can do as little or as much as your family is up for, and the terrain is gentle enough for even young snowshoers. Several local outfitters rent snowshoes by the day, including kids sizes, so you do not need to invest in gear for a first try. White Pine Touring on Main Street has great rental options and the staff can point you to the best trails based on your family abilities.

For a more guided experience, several companies offer family-friendly snowshoe tours that include naturalist guides who teach kids about animal tracks, winter ecology, and mountain survival. These tours are educational and fun, and having a guide takes the pressure off parents to navigate trails in winter conditions. The guides know where to find the best viewpoints, the most interesting animal sign, and the gentlest terrain for little legs. It turns a simple walk in the snow into a real adventure that kids remember and talk about for weeks afterward.

Ice Skating: A Classic Winter Activity

Park City has a beautiful outdoor ice skating rink at the Resort Center that is one of the most picturesque places to skate anywhere. Surrounded by snow-covered mountains and twinkling lights, skating here feels like being inside a snow globe. The rink is well-maintained with smooth ice, and skate rentals are available on-site. They have skate aids for beginners, basically walker-like frames that kids can push for stability, which makes it accessible even for kids who have never been on ice before.

The rink is open throughout the winter season and has different sessions throughout the day, so check the schedule for the best time for your family. Late afternoon sessions when the lights come on are particularly magical, especially around the holidays when the surrounding area is decorated. The rink is also right next to shops and restaurants, making it easy to combine skating with a hot chocolate break or dinner. We try to go at least a few times each winter, and it has become one of those traditions that the kids look forward to and associate with the season.

For a more adventurous ice experience, the Utah Olympic Oval in nearby Kearns is a world-class indoor speed skating oval that offers public skating sessions. This is where Olympic athletes train, and skating on the same ice has a certain thrill factor for kids. The facility also offers curling try-it sessions that are hilarious and fun for the whole family. It is about 30 minutes from Park City and makes a great combined trip with other Salt Lake area activities.

Sleigh Rides: Pure Mountain Romance

A horse-drawn sleigh ride through the snowy Park City mountains is one of those experiences that transcends typical tourist activities and becomes a genuine core memory for your family. Several outfitters offer sleigh rides in the area, ranging from short scenic loops to multi-hour dinner rides that include a meal at a remote mountain lodge. The jingling of sleigh bells, the quiet of the snow-covered landscape, and the warmth of being bundled together under blankets creates an atmosphere that is truly magical and timeless.

Rocky Mountain Sleigh Company and several Deer Valley and Park City Mountain outfitters offer family-friendly rides during the winter months. The dinner sleigh rides are a special splurge where you ride out to a warm lodge for a multi-course meal before sleighing back under the stars. These tend to book up quickly, especially during holiday weeks, so plan ahead if this is on your bucket list. Daytime rides are typically shorter and less expensive, and they give you beautiful mountain views that you miss on evening rides.

For younger kids, the daytime rides are usually a better fit since they are shorter and the scenery is more visible. Evening rides are more romantic and atmospheric, making them better for older kids or a special parents-only outing if you can arrange childcare. Dress very warmly regardless of when you go because you are sitting still in an open sleigh for an extended period. Blankets are provided but bring your own extra layers and hand warmers. The cold is worth it for the experience, but being underdressed can turn magical into miserable quickly.

The Utah Olympic Park: Olympic-Level Thrills

The Utah Olympic Park, built for the 2002 Winter Olympics, offers some of the most unique and thrilling winter activities you will find anywhere. The public can ride the actual bobsled track with a professional driver, which is an absolutely unforgettable experience for older kids and adults. The acceleration and G-forces are real, and hearing your kids scream with excitement and terror simultaneously is priceless. There is a minimum age and height requirement, so check before you promise this to a younger child.

Beyond the bobsled, the Olympic Park has a freestyle aerial ski show, a museum about the 2002 Olympics, and various seasonal activities. The museum is genuinely interesting even for kids who were not alive for the games, with interactive exhibits and actual Olympic artifacts on display. Watching the freestyle ski athletes practice and perform is jaw-dropping, and the shows are family-friendly with commentary that explains what the athletes are doing and how insane it actually is.

The Alf Engen Ski Museum located at the Olympic Park is free and worth a visit, especially on a day when you need an indoor activity. It covers the history of skiing in Utah and the story of the 2002 Olympics with engaging exhibits and films. Combined with the outdoor activities, you can easily spend a half-day here. The Olympic Park is just a few minutes from Park City proper, making it one of the easiest and most rewarding non-skiing winter outings for families of all ages and interest levels.

Building Forts, Making Angels, and Free Snow Fun

Sometimes the best winter activities are the simplest and most free ones. Park City gets an average of 350 inches of snow per year, which means there is no shortage of the white stuff for building snow forts, making snow angels, having epic snowball fights, and constructing snowmen that would make Frosty jealous. If you are staying somewhere with a yard or near an open area, simply turning kids loose in fresh snow provides hours of entertainment that costs absolutely nothing.

City Park in Park City has a great open area for snow play, and the sledding hill there is popular with local families. The fields around the McLeod Creek Trail are another good option for fort building and snowball battles. Some of our most treasured winter photos are not from the ski slopes or organized activities but from spontaneous backyard snow adventures where everyone ended up soaked, freezing, and laughing hysterically. Those are the moments that make winter in the mountains genuinely magical for kids.

For a structured snow play experience, consider building a quinzhee, which is basically a snow cave. Pile up a huge mound of snow, let it set for a few hours, then hollow it out from the side. Kids are absolutely fascinated by having their own snow shelter, and building one together is a great family project on a mellow winter afternoon. Just make sure an adult supervises the whole time and the walls are thick enough to be stable. Add some battery-operated LED lights inside and your kids will think you are the most creative parent in all of Park City, which honestly you might be.

Planning Your Non-Ski Days: Putting It All Together

The key to great non-ski days in Park City is mixing indoor and outdoor activities based on the weather, your kids energy levels, and how cold everyone is willing to get. A morning of snowshoeing followed by an afternoon of ice skating and a hot chocolate break on Main Street is a perfect winter day. Tubing in the morning and the Olympic Park museum in the afternoon is another great combo. Or just dedicate a day to free snow play and cozy indoor time with board games and movies if everyone needs a rest day.

Weather matters more for non-skiing activities than for actual skiing, oddly enough. A bluebird day with sunshine and cold temperatures is perfect for snowshoeing, tubing, and skating. A stormy day with heavy snow is better spent at museums, the Olympic Park, or doing indoor activities. Very cold days below zero are best for indoor options and short outdoor bursts. Check the forecast each morning and have a flexible plan with options for different conditions.

Do not underestimate the value of downtime in a winter vacation itinerary. Kids who are going hard every day will eventually crash, and a meltdown in a public place when everyone is wearing seventeen layers of clothing is not fun for anyone. Build in a morning or afternoon where the schedule is simply hanging out at your lodging, reading books, playing games, and maybe venturing out for hot chocolate. These quiet moments often become the memories that everyone treasures most, and they make the active days more enjoyable because everyone is rested and genuinely excited to get out there. Do not skip quality ski goggles - good visibility on the mountain is a safety must. Bring a reusable water bottle for everyone - staying hydrated makes a huge difference with kids. Always pack a compact first aid kit - with kids, you never know when you will need it.

What to Pack for Ski Season

Here are our tried-and-tested picks for this trip: