Scenic Drives Around Park City

By Ramon Gomez, Jr.

Oct 10, 2017

The Wife and I love to take the car out and drive whenever we have free time. In Park City Scenic Drives- Some of the best scenic drives or road bike rides in Utah are within a few miles of Park City. Our mountain passes and scenic byways will take you to some of the most breathtaking places in the West. Here are a few of our favorite scenic drives from Park City, of which, many are perfect for road biking as well. We have one suggestion, don't forget your camera as you'll take home many memorable photos of wildlife, wildflower, and incredible mountain vistas. Information about the scenic drives is from www.visitparkcity.com

GUARDSMAN PASS - If you are looking for a short drive (just 14 miles) from Park City, you can't beat Guardsman Pass, which, for a longer drive connects Park City to Brighton and Salt Lake or to Midway and Wasatch Mountain State Park. The road surface is paved much of the way, but the middle portion is maintained gravel, but you can drive the route in a family car. To get there, take SR-224 to Deer Valley Drive and turn east; continue on to the roundabout and exit on Marsac Ave and continue on up Ontario Canyon to Guardsman Pass. This road (SR-190/224) travels through forests and valleys to the summit area between Big Cottonwood Canyon and the Park City Resort area, and is a popular wildlife and wildflower viewing area. Drive Time depends on how much time you plan to spend enjoying the spectacular scenery or round-trip route.

PROVO CANYON - The start of the Provo Canyon scenic drive is just a short 20 minutes from Park City. The Provo River is a fly-fisherman's paradise, which runs adjacent to this scenic byway with vertical cliffs of limestone defining the canyon walls. For an opportunity to view looming peaks, catch boaters and wind and kits surfers at Deer Creek Reservoir, and experience Bridal Veil Falls, look no further than Provo Canyon Scenic Byway. The Falls are well worth a stop, plunging 607 feet over limestone terraces where you can admire them from a roadside overlook or turn off at Nunns Park for a closer view. Continue your journey up to Sundance Resort and then onto the Alpine Scenic Loop for a return trip to Heber and then back to Park City.

ALPINE SCENIC LOOP - The Alpine Loop Scenic Byway is a 27-mile journey through fantastic mountain landscapes, with sites along the way including Mount Timpanogos and Robert Redford's Sundance Resort, including a short detour to Cascade Springs. This is one of the most scenic drives in Utah and is an incredible place to go as the fall colors start to peak. You can continue your trip down Provo Canyon until you reach UT-92 W (Alpine Loop Drive) and continue past Sundance and travel along the spectacular Mount Timpanogos. You can follow the highway down toward Highland if you want to visit the Timpanogos Caves, or continue down the paved road toCascade Springs. At the springs, some 5.5 million gallons of water bubble up each day and spill over travertine ledges into sparkling pools full of flora and fish. From here, the road turns back to gravel where you'll travel 7.5 miles back down to Midway and Heber, from where you can return to Park City. Plan on a full day for this trip as there will be many spectacular sites along the way. VIEW MAP Drive Time: 2.5 to 3.5 hours depending on stops along the way.

MIRROR LAKE HIGHWAY - The Mirror Lake Scenic Byway cuts through Utah's highest mountain range from the town of Kamas up into the national forest before descending to placid Mirror Lake. The start of the the Mirror Lake Highway scenic drive is located 16 miles east of Park City in the town of Kamas. Take SR-248 (Kearns Blvd.) east to Kamas and then left on SR-32 two blocks to SR-150 (Scenic Byway). Mirror Lake is about an hour drive from Park City. Return the same way or continue on to Evanston, WY and return via I-80 westbound. Many small lakes, falls, camping sites, trail-heads and wildlife are along this beautiful route. There are no retail services within the forest area so it's best to shop and gas up before you begin your drive. Fee area. Drive Time: 1.5 to 3 hrs.

Interested in more drives - check out Utah.com Fall in Utah for some of their must-drive scenic routes through the months of October and November. Grab your chai-pumpkin-spiced-latte drink thing, a sweater, and your camera. It's going to be awesome.

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