11 Best Sights in Park City and the Southern Wasatch, Utah

In the warmer months, the resort transforms itself into a mountain amusement park, with attractions such as the Alpine Slide and the Alpine Coaster, ziplines, and a climbing wall. Visitors take a chairlift up the mountain to the Alpine Slide, then hop aboard special sleds that carry them down 3,000 feet of winding concrete and fiberglass track at speeds controlled by each rider. The gravity-propelled Alpine Coaster (which operates year-round) zooms through aspen-lined twists and turns at speeds up to 35 mph. Two ziplines offer a high-flying adrenaline rush as riders strap into a harness suspended from a cable. In addition to the climbing wall, there's a miniature golf course, trampolines, an adventure zone for younger children, and some of the West's best lift-served mountain biking and hiking.

An exciting legacy of the 2002 Winter Olympics, this is a mecca of bobsled, skeleton, luge, and ski jumping. As it is one of the only places in America where you can try these sports, you might have to wait your turn behind U.S. Olympians and aspirants who train here year-round. In summer or winter, screaming down the track in a bobsled at nearly 80 mph with a professional driver is a ride you will never forget. In summer, check out the freestyle ski jumpers doing flips and spins into a splash pool and Nordic jumpers soaring to soft landings on a synthetic outrun. Ride the ziplines or the Alpine Slide, or explore the adventure course. There's also an interactive ski museum and an exhibit on the Olympics; guided tours are offered year-round, or you can take a self-guided tour.

This museum, across from LaVell Edwards Stadium, features dinosaur bones, fossils, and tours for adults and children. Kids love the hands-on activities, which include several small tables of touchable artifacts.

A student-curated collection of artifacts relating to cultures from all over the world is housed here. Clothing, pottery, rugs, weapons, and agricultural tools of Utah's Native American cultures are often on display. A permanent display includes artifacts from the first Provo Tabernacle that BYU students dug up in 2012.

This museum at BYU, north of the bell tower, has extensive collections of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, insects, plants, shells, and eggs from around the world, as well as revolving nature-art exhibits. You'll also see current NASA satellite images, wildlife art, and various interactive ecology exhibits. If you bring a toddler, head for the play area themed around animal habitats.

A must-see for history buffs, this museum is housed in the former library, city hall, and whistle tower on Main Street. With a two-story scale model of the 19th-century Ontario Mine, a 20th-century gondola hanging overhead, and the old jail below, this is an authentic tribute to Park City's mining and skiing past. Climb aboard a re-created Union Pacific train car, hold on to a quivering and noisy jack drill for a feel of the mining experience, and, if you dare, step inside a jail cell. Tours of historic Main Street also depart from here.

This museum re-creates what life was like for the first settlers in the mid-19th century. Original cabins and shops furnished with period antiques are staffed by volunteer history buffs.

There's plenty of family fun at this popular local water park, including more than 15 water play areas, slides, and pools. Float along the relaxing Rainforest River, catch a wave in the wave pool, or rent a cabana and cool off with a delicious Dole Whip. 

This steam train takes passengers on a nostalgic trip along a line that first ran in 1899, past the Deer Creek Reservoir and through beautiful Provo Canyon. It continues past Bridal Veil Falls, a veil-like waterfall near snow-capped Mount Timpanogos. Each car has been restored, and two of the engines are fully operational, steam-powered locomotives. The railroad offers special events, including cheese-tasting rides, the local favorite North Pole Express, Raft 'n Rails (pairing rafting with a train excursion), Reins 'n Trains (with horseback riding), and Wilderness. Lunch is available for an extra cost.

There's no climate control in the rail cars, so dress for the weather.

Soaring to 11,750 feet, Mount Timpanogos is the centerpiece of a wilderness area of the same name and towers over Timpanogos Cave National Monument along Highway 92 within American Fork Canyon. After a somewhat strenuous hike up the paved 1½-mile trail to the entrance, you can explore three caves connected by two man-made tunnels. Stalactites, stalagmites, and other formations make the three-hour round-trip hike and tour worth the effort. No refreshments are available on the trail or at the cave, and the cave temperature is 45°F throughout the year, so bring water and warm clothes. Although there's some lighting inside the caves, a flashlight will make your explorations more interesting; it will also come in handy if you're heading back down the trail after dusk. These popular tours often sell out; it's a good idea to book online in advance, especially on weekends.

This 22,000-acre preserve is 3 miles from Heber City and provides for a number of activities, ranging from serene hikes along winding mountain trails to golfing at one of the four 18-hole courses. Children have their own fishing pond near the visitor center. In winter, hiking turns to snowshoeing and cross-country or backcountry skiing along the Dutch Hollow, Snake Creek, or Pine Creek Trails winding up through stands of Gambel oak, aspen, and maple.