Adventure comes in all forms in the Salt Lake City and Park City areas, and there are plenty of ways for planners to get attendees in on the action.
“Many people who come to Utah are brought here to do something based on the Olympics,” says Courtney Morrison, director of accounts for Park City-based Summit Events (435.631.0038; www.summiteventsdmc.com). “Utah has come up with great ways for people to interact and be part of the Olympic experience.”
Groups can host receptions at the Utah Olympic Oval (801.968.6825; www.olyparks.com) in Salt Lake City or participate in interactive events such as speed skating and curling. The U.S. Speedskating headquarters is based in Salt Lake City, according to Morrison, which gives groups access to some of the U.S.-based athletes. Groups can arrange interactive activities such as speed skating lessons.
The oval facility consists of five acres and houses a 400-meter speed skating oval, two international-size ice sheets, an indoor soccer field, a four-lane, 442-meter running track and eight 110-meter sprint lanes.
In Park City, Utah Olympic Park (435.658.4200; www.olyparks.com) is a favorite for its Olympic bobsled track, which attendees can speed down with a professional driver at 75 to 85 miles per hour.
The park features ZipRider, which bills itself as the world’s most exciting no-sweat adrenaline ride. The zipline, known as the Xtreme Zip, reaches a maximum speed of 55 mph with a 435-foot vertical drop and a length of 1,454 feet at a 33 percent grade. The park also offers extreme snow rafting via a chairlift ride to the top of a ski jump.
Other options at the park include street luge and biathlon shooting using air rifles.
Utah Olympic Park also offers a variety of on-site venues to hold dinners, and it can host private receptions at the top of the ski jumps.
In the Park City area, winter activities like skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing are all easily accessible and popular with groups. Dog sledding is also available in Weber Canyon through a variety of operators, including All Seasons Adventures (435.649.9619; www.allseasonsadventures.com).
Another popular option is snow tubing at Gorgoza Park, owned and operated by Park City Mountain Resort. Summit Events can also organize cocktail receptions at the base of the hill.
“We also can organize sleigh rides to private dinners held in renovated barns or yurts,” Summit Events’ Morrison says.
During warmer months, groups can go white-water rafting on the Weber River or the Provo River, enjoy horseback riding or go fly-fishing on the Provo River.
Rocky Mountain Connections (970.920.9800; www.rockymtncon.com) which recently opened a branch office in Park City, can arrange unique outings, such as snorkeling or scuba diving in the Homestead Crater in Wasatch County. Scuba and snorkeling lessons are taught here by appointment, while non-divers can swim or soak in Utah’s largest hot tub at the Homestead Resort.
Another favorite is the Alpine Slide at Park City Mountain Resort, says Shawn Thomson, owner and president of Rocky Mountain Connections. The slide is one of the longest in the world, with over 3,000 feet of a luge-like track.
