Summer Fun at Utah Ski Resorts 2018

Ski-town locals know resorts are a great place in both winter and summer. The high elevation and rugged terrain combine to provide not only great skiing but lots of summer activities as well.

We researched summer activities, concerts, and events at Utah’s ski areas and found so much it wouldn’t all fit in this post. However, I’m going to try to share as much as I can! If you’re ready to summer like a ski-town local, keep reading.

From zip-lines to roller coasters, you’ll have various adventure-filled activities to select from. If a romantic getaway or even a destination wedding, is more your style, check out the fine dining and spa packages offered at several properties. Suffice to say, there is something for everyone.

Ski Utah Summer Activities 2022

Alta and Town of Alta

For the first time in Alta's 80-Year history, the Sunnyside Lift will run this summer (June 30th - Sept 3rd) on holidays and weekends. In partnership with the Town of Alta and the Forest Service, the goal is to reduce car traffic into the fragile Albion Basin. Lift rides will cost $10 per adult and $5 per child. Hungry or thirsty? The Albion Grill will be running seven days a week–serving up incredible views, food, music, coffee, craft beer and more.  Alta's Environmental Center will continue to offer environmental stewardship programs all summer long.

Alta includes Albion Basin, a prime wildflower hotspot in the Wasatch Range. Visit during July and August for the best display. For an extra special treat, camp at the Albion Basin Campground, open July 20th to September 2nd. Cecret Lake is tucked into the base of the mountains and makes a perfect picnic destination. After a morning hike, check out the Albion Grill for lunch.

Useful 2018 Dates and Info: 

• June 30 - Albion Day Lodge Opens for Season, Weekends 8 am-7 pm, Weekdays 11 am-7 pm. Summer road opens (tentative).
• July 14 - Discrete Cirque Series Race, 12-8 pm 
• July 28 - Wildflower Festival, 8 am-1 pm (also the 21st Solitude, 22nd Brighton, 29th Snowbird)
• August 18 - Run Elevated Half Marathon, Hwy 210 Road Closed 6:30-8:15 am – plan accordingly!

Alta Lodge

Alta Lodge opens for summer season June 3, 2018. Their popular Sunday Brunch, is a favorite for many locals, is available June 3 – October 14, 2018. Brunch features a buffet of over 40 items including a rich variety of entrées, salads, baked goods, and desserts, as well as made to order Belgian waffles and Eggs Benedict and is served from 9:30 am to 2 pm. Live acoustic jazz adds to the chill vibe. Sunday Brunch Menu

Saturday lunch is served June 16 – September 15, 2018, 11 am to 2 pm. 

Prices: 
$27.95 for adults
$14.95 for kids ages 7-12
$6.95 for those under age 6. 

Beer, wine, and cocktails are served beginning at 10:30 am.

Alta Lodge is open seven days a week during the summer season from June through mid-October, for weddings, conferences, retreats, private parties, and individual lodging. Continental breakfast is included with overnight lodging.

Beaver Mountain

Mark your calendars for the multi-day 2018 Beaver Mountain Music Festival featuring up and coming bands, kids activities, and vendors, August 17th and 18th, 2018. Beaver Mountain also offers tent and RV sites, plus lodge and yurt rentals for larger events.

Brian Head

Summer is here, but warm weather doesn’t mean high altitude excitement stops. Escape the heat at Southern Utah’s, Brian Head Resort. Entertain your inner adrenaline junkie with their zip line or bungee trampoline. 

If you want to raise your game, ride the Giant Steps Express onto improved mountain bike trails, disc golf, scenic hiking and lift rides. Summer lift operations begin June 16, 2018, Fridays: 9:30 am to 5:00 pm | Saturdays: 9:30 am to 6:00 pm | Sundays 9:30 am to 5:00 pm Passes are available HERE.

Brian Head is beginning a significant improvement phase to the existing lift-served downhill mountain bike trail network this spring. The Resort has partnered with the legendary trail building experts at Momentum Trail Concepts to create a modern world-class lift-served trail experience. 

A full line-up of events are planned throughout summer, from the two-day Main Event in June, to the Festival of Flavors in August. Full details can be found on the Brian Head Summer Events page.

Brian Head Resort and the surrounding areas have some of the best mountain biking in the country! Whether it be the exciting trails of the lift serviced Brian Head Mountain Bike Park or the hundreds of miles of world-class trails twisting and diving through the forests and red rocks of the surrounding area or along the edge of Cedar Breaks National Monument—there is enough riding to fill the whole summer.

Brian Head is also a great access point to some of Utah's famed redrock sites like Cedar Breaks, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Parks. Read more. 

Brighton Resort

Brighton Resort may not spin its lifts during the summer, but it’s still a worthy destination! The hikes are spectacular, including two lakes. The Brighton Lakes and Silver Lake Trailheads lead to over a dozen destinations, and there is a TON of parking so no need to arrive early. For more hikes in Big or Little Cottonwood Canyon, read Salt Lake’s Top Hiking Trails.

June 30 - Cirque Series Brighton

The Cirque Series is a new take on mountain running events. Power up ridges and glacial-carved cirques to imposing peaks, followed by a quad-burning descent to the finish line. With moderate mileage, the challenge is in the elevation change. Visit the Cirque Series website for more info and registration.  

July 21 - Wasatch Wildflower Festival

Brighton is also one of four resorts hosting the 2018 Wasatch Wildflower Festival this year. On July 21st, guests can enjoy guided walks and activities designed to be fun, family-friendly, non-commercial, free of charge, and open to all interests and ability levels.

Cherry Peak

Cherry Peak has announced the 2022 Cherry Peak Summer Concert Series! This year’s artists include Restless Heart, Clint Black, Smash Mouth and more. Check out their events calendar for the full lineup. 

Deer Valley Resort

Deer Valley Resort is filled with nonstop activity such as lift-served mountain biking, hiking and scenic chairlift rides, Summer Adventure Camp for children, and music-filled evenings at the Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater. 

The last few summers, Deer Valley Resort embarked on its largest-ever summer investment to modernize and update its existing mountain biking and hiking trail inventory. To take full advantage of this investment, the resort features a Mountain Bike School that includes several bike clinics and programs with passionate, knowledgeable mountain bike coaches teaching the ins and outs of navigating Deer Valley’s thrilling trails.

The inaugural Deer Valley Concert Series, presented by Deer Valley Resort in conjunction with The State Room Presents, will begin on August 2 with a performance by The Decemberists and conclude on Labor Day, September 3 with Jason Mraz. The series will feature five shows this summer at the resort’s renowned Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater.

The resort offers award-winning cuisine served on the outdoor decks of Royal Street Café and Deer Valley Grocery Café, or enjoy Deer Valley-inspired brick oven cuisine at their newest restaurant, The Brass Tag. Grab a custom Gourmet Picnic Baskets or Bags for one of the many evening concerts and don’t miss the Silver Lake Snack Shack for a quick bite on the hill.

Eagle Point

Eagle Point is an authentic mountain getaway especially for guests living in the surrounding desert heat of Las Vegas, Arizona, southern Utah and southern California. Plan your next summertime event at Eagle Point Resort. Weddings, reunions, team-building events, or even a romantic getaway are some of the many occasions to spend at this beautiful location.

This summer, Eagle Point Resort will host Crusher in the Tushar on Saturday, July 14, 2018. This uniquely-formatted cycling race begins in historic downtown Beaver and finishes at Eagle Point Resort. Featuring a near even split of tarmac and dirt/gravel sectors, it affords riders the opportunity to explore the stunning backcountry of Utah’s Tushar Mountains and Fishlake National Forest. The race is capped at 600 riders. Visit www.tusharcrusher.com to learn more, and register. 

Lodging information can be found at www.EaglePointResort.com.

Nordic Valley

Summer activities begin June 2, 2018, and run from 10 am to 5 pm. Bring the family to challenge a 400-foot slip-n-slide, or spend the day enjoying lift-served mountain biking/hiking or playing disk golf. More events will likely be added, so visit the Nordic Valley website for more summer beta. Summer season passes are currently on sale for $79.00 which includes lift service for riding, hiking, disk golf, and more. Saturdays after 6 pm, gather the family for live music at Nordic Nights.

Park City Mountain

Park City Mountain will start spinning the lifts again for cross country mountain biking, zip lines, hiking, family activities and more beginning on May 25, 2018, at the Park City Mountain Adventure Park and on June 15, 2018 at Canyons Village. 

Park City Mountain Village summer operations begin May 25th with a variety of outdoor summer activities for families and adventure-seekers:

• One of the world’s longest Alpine Slides
• 4,000 ft Alpine Coaster
• The ZipRider and Flying Eagle Zip Lines
• Scenic Lift Rides
• Mountain Biking
• Miniature golf
• Kids’ Adventure Zone offers attractions for children weighing between 30 – 100lbs and approximately 2 – 11 years old, including a small kids’ zip line, kids’ tubing and a kids’ challenge course.

Canyons Village activities begin June 15th with this exciting lineup:

• Zip Tour Adventures
• Mountain Biking
• Canyons Golf (opens May 25, 2018)
• Scenic Gondola Rides
• Canyons Village Putting Course and Disc Golf
• Miles of lift-serviced hiking and biking trails

A Pass for Adventure

Park City Mountain’s all-in-one Adventure Pass is one of the best ways to experience it all in a day. Summer-long season passes are also available. More information can be found here.

Summer Lodging Deals

This summer, Park City Mountain is offering a Stay Longer, Save More lodging package that is perfect for extended vacations. The package offers guests 20 percent off two to three nights, 25 percent off four to six nights, and 30 percent off seven or more nights lodging, so the longer you stay, the more you save. Enjoy stays at the Sundial Lodge, Silverado Lodge, or the beautiful Grand Summit Hotel, which recently received a $15 million renovation. More information can be found here.

Powder Mountain

Summer is a great time for hiking and biking around and near Powder Mountain! 

Mountain bike, electric bikes, and cruisers will be available for rental at Powder Mountain Provisions (Bower Lodge in Eden) Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sundays. 

Mountain bike and electric bikes rentals, retail, tacos, and beers will be available at Hidden Lake lodge Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Powder Mountain Trail Crew is also opening two new cross-country trail; Picnic and Sunrise, bringing trail mileage to over 24 miles!

• Pizza and Pints: Every Thursday night at Bower Lodge - Reservations Required
• Garden of Eden: A garden to table outdoor dining experience atop Powder Mountain once a month on Sundays 
• Trail Trials: A running 4 part bi-weekly series beginning Thursday, July 12th 
• Paper Airplane MTB Series: A 4 part bi-weekly series beginning Thursday, July 19th 
• Pow Mow Poker MTB Race: An alleycat style bike race with challenges at each checkpoint on August 11th
• Goal Foundation's El Doce: A 12-hour bike race August 18th
• Music in the Mountains: A premier summer chamber music festival at Powder Mountain curated by renowned violinist Michelle Ross over Labor Day weekend. 

Snowbasin Resort

Snowbasin Resort will be open for operations Saturdays and Sundays throughout the summer starting June 9th. Snowbasin Resort has announced plans to add additional summer activities to their current summer operations. A mountain mini golf course and kid’s adventure course will open mid-summer, and construction will begin on an adventure trekking tower and an aerial adventure course to open summer 2019. 

Additionally, John Paul Chairlift will be running select Saturdays this summer offering open-air scenic chairlift rides and lunch at John Paul Lodge. They will also be expanding their Monday family movie night operations, running the kid’s activities from 4:30 pm until the movie starts at dusk.

Attention foodies! Watch Snowbasin's site for their "Dining Discovery" events beginning with a Summer Kick-Off Soiree, June 17th from 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm, the culinary team will take you and your tasting spectrum through a labyrinth of flavors touching on Sweet, Sour, Spicy, Bitter, Umami, and Salty while indulging on champagne to enhance the flavors and cleanse the palate. There will also be live music. This will be a ‘social’ event with food stations adorning the patio of Earl’s Lodge.  Price: $50 includes appetizers, Moët champagne (or sparkling cider), entertainment with free live music. 

Snowbasin Resort continues to host the Mt. Ogden Midweek Bike Race Series this summer. There will be ten races starting on Wednesday, June 20th and go through Wednesday, August 29th with the exception of no race on Wednesday, July 4th. This is a race that is fun for all abilities and all ages. 

Don't miss the Blues, Brews & BBQ Summer Concert Series! This year Snowbasin Resort releases an elevated line-up of national and regional touring artists and bands that will fill the mountain air with music every Sunday afternoon June 10 through September 30, 2018. Check out a Spotify playlist for a preview of artists performing at Snowbasin by visiting http://bit.ly/BBBBQ2018.

Other events at Snowbasin (there are too many to cover here!) including Movies on the Mountain and Introduction to Mountain Biking (10:30 am - 2:00 pm on Saturdays, June 16 - September 1. Price: $40 per participant includes gondola ticket)

Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort

Snowbird is a killer location to bring the family during summer! Their summer activities include mountain biking, gemstone mining, Mountain Coaster, Alpine Slide, Mountain Flyer, Vertical Drop, Ropes Course, Climbing Wall, Bungee Trampoline, Aerial Tram, and Peruvian Chairlift. 

Summer activities begin June 9th, with two new attractions as part of the All-Day Activity Pass. Test your skills on the new Woodward WreckTangle at Snowbird, a ninja-styled obstacle course. For the younger crowd, Summer Tubing will now be offered on the Chickadee slope. Check out snowbird.com for a full list of free summer concerts and outdoor movies under the stars.

For a fall escape, time your visit around Oktoberfest, which runs every Saturday and Sunday from Aug. 18 through Oct. 21, 2018, including Labor Day Monday.

Snowbird also features barrier-free trails and a partnership with Wasatch Adaptive Sports to offer an extensive list of summer adaptive sports programs including:

• Hiking/Orienteering
• Fishing
• Cycling
• Yoga
• Paddle Boarding and Kayaking

Solitude Mountain Resort

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Summer at Solitude begins June 15, 2018! Enjoy lift-served mountain biking and hiking with stunning views, scenic chairlift rides, a beautiful 18-hole disc golf course and more. In August, Utah’s premier culinary event, Taste of the Wasatch, will feature food tastings presented by chefs from over 50 top Utah restaurants and resorts. Events continue until September 30, 2018.

Solitude offers several summer dining options including the Honeycomb Grill and Stone Haus Pizzeria & Creamery with unbeatable mountain views (opening June 7, 2018), or stop by Thirsty Squirrel (opening June 8, 2018).

Cool off and enjoy Sunday afternoons in Solitude's Village with free live music from July 1 to  September 2.

Sundance Mountain Resort

Summer at Sundance is a busy season, which includes adventure, culture, and romance. Take a nearly 2-mile long scenic zip-line tour, and then finish the evening with a full-moon lift ride (offered monthly during the…you guessed it…full moon.) Wow, it sounds like a great date night! Also check out their teen and kid’s camps, concert series, theater schedule and fly-fishing excursions. A full schedule can be found on the Sundance Events Page. 

A few events you’ll want to be sure to check out this summer:

NEW this year is Sundance Mountain Music, a brand-new concert series launching with “Belle and Sebastian,” a Scottish band who has performed to critical acclaim across the UK. They were the subject of a 2013 documentary and received an NME award in 2014. They released their ninth album, Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance, in 2015. Michelle Zauner of “Japanese Breakfast” will be opening for the show. Tickets on sale NOW!

Sundance Sounds of Summer 2018 Lineup

Bring your lawn chairs and blankets every Sunday starting July 8 – Sept 9 and enjoy a free concert on Ray’s Lawn! Each week Sundance invites talented local bands and artists to mingle their music with the mountain air. The Sundance Food Truck will make a special appearance at each performance. Performances are 5 pm – 7:30 pm.  

Summer Events Throughout Utah

Although Utah's resorts have fully embraced the vibe of summer, here are a few summery fun events outside of the resorts worth checking into:

• Brian Head's Annual Car Show: July 27, 2018
• Moab Music Festival: August 27-September 13, 2018
• Utah Symphony Summer Concerts: See schedule 
• Midweek MTB Race Series: - Most Tuesdays at Solitude, Corner Canyon, Snowbird, Heber Valley, Round Valley, and High Star Ranch
• Park City Food and Drink Events– An event page for all of the tasty events in Park City this summer!
• Discrete Cirque Series– Challenge your body and will against altitude and elevation change in this mountain running series. Multiple dates and locations beginning June 30, 2018 at Brighton Resort. 

Now that you know about all the fun to be had at Utah’s ski resorts in the summer, the next question is where to start. What sounds like the most fun to you? Personally, I like a high picnic spot or outdoor dining. If there is yummy food with a view, look for me!