We are a family of skiers and we like to ski out west. We have been to Park City, Utah a couple of times, and whenever we have spoken to a local on the snow-capped mountains we have been a bit surprised to hear them boast that the best time to visit Utah is in the summer.
This past summer, we finally had our chance to see for ourselves exactly what they have been talking about. Now we get it! The scenery was breathtaking and there was so much to do for the whole family. We spent four full days packing it all in. If you are looking for a family adventure that is logistically easy while off the beaten path, you might want to start looking into Heber Valley of Utah.
The author was hosted to facilitate writing this article. All thoughts and opinions expressed are their own.
Getting There
Flights out of Chicago to Salt Lake City are about 2 hours 40 minutes, and are relatively affordable. Of course, there are plenty of direct flights out of O'Hare, but Southwest Airlines also flies direct from Midway. After a quick flight and rental car pick-up we drove a short 51 miles from Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) to the small city of Midway, UT in the heart of Heber Valley.
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Midway, UT
Midway is also known as "Little Switzerland" due to its exquisite natural scenery and the architectural evidence of its Swiss heritage. It is a pretty unique place indeed. Bordered by the majestic Wasatch Mountain range, and sprinkled with design accents like gingerbread house looking homes on Main Street, or the glockenspiel in the Town Hall, one could easily believe they were among the Swiss Alps. Yet at the same time, many private homes have incorporated old barns and silos into their architecture marking the historical and cultural significance of agriculture in this area.
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Lodging
For an even more European feel, stay at the Zermatt Utah Resort and Spa. There is no escaping the Swiss inspiration from the lobby to the guest rooms, to even the onsite carousel. We loved all the amenities, including an indoor/outdoor pool with a waterfall jacuzzi, a life-sized chess board, mini-golf, tennis, shuffleboard, and sand volleyball. Their European Bakery is a great spot for a quick bite, or visit Z's Steak and Chop Haus for anything from steaks and chops to schnitzel. I could not think of a better place to stay, especially with kids!
Restaurants
If you head into town for a meal, we found some excellent, not-to-be missed spots.
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Fill'er Up Coffee Station
As we drove into town and drove past Fill'er Up Coffee Station we immediately said, "We gotta go there." Fill'er Up Coffee Station is a renovated 1930's gas station that looks straight out of the Disney movie Cars, with vintage gas pumps and even Herbie the "Love Bug" poking out of one of the garage doors. Inside there are a ton of nostalgic decor items to admire while you wait for a breakfast hand pie or specialty coffee drink. The kids will get a kick out of this place, but if they don't have the patience to go in, you can always go through the old school drive-thru.
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Midway Mercantile
For a little local history with your meal, visit this "hearth-to-table" restaurant known for warmth in both its locally-sourced food and its service. The Midway Mercantile dates back to 1874. While it has been transformed from a store to a restaurant much of the original brick structure is still intact. In fact, the back room is entirely original, only relocated from the front of the building. You might notice an unusual scar in the floor and think it suffered damage during the move, but no, that was from an intentional hole once cut to rescue a trapped pig! While the location may be historic, the menu is very modern with Coconut Mussels and Clams, Bacon Wrapped Dates, Lavender Orange Chicken, Scottish Salmon with Utah Peach Butter, and much more. There are lots of vegan and gluten free options, and a fun kids menu including s'more pizza for dessert.
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Lola's Street Kitchen
Lola's Street Kitchen is the perfect place to stop with kids for an easy but delicious meal. From the outside, the place looks like a sweet Parisienne cafe with table service, but what's really nice is that you can immediately grab a table, or a roadside bar seat, and place your order at the window like a food truck. Food options include burgers, melts, creamy mac and cheese, and garlic Parmesan fries!
Sit in the shade, help yourself to some water, and wait for your order to be delivered. They even have mist sprayers along the patio awning to help you refresh. With so much to do, we appreciated the brevity of this lunch stop without sacrificing ambiance.
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1886 Grill and Smokehouse
Just outside the Utah Crater, at the Homestead Farm Resort, overlooking the golf course is another lovely outdoor patio. Since Zermatt Resort and Spa is just across the road, while our kids (teenagers) continued to enjoy the games back at the resort, my husband and I went on our first ever "within-vacation" date. We had a couple of cocktails and appetizers at the 1886 Grill and Smokehouse and enjoyed the sweet, sweet serenity.
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Hidden Peak Provisions
Hidden Peak Provisions is a terrific spot for a quick pick-me-up, but even better is its proximity to Town Hall just across the street. As you enjoy your lunch, you can wait in anticipation of the clock striking the top of the hour awakening the glockenspiel.
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The Lakehouse at Deer Creek
The Lakehouse at Deer Creek is a truly special experience. Whether you sit inside or on the waterfront patio you'll have a gorgeous view of Mount Timpanogos. There are live music performances regularly and the restaurant prides itself on showcasing local ingredients. I saw things on this menu I'd never seen before, including Duckfat Frybread Scones and Bone Marrow Mashed Potatoes. Everything tasted amazing including a Campfire Old Fashioned and an Elder Flower Spritz. Service was impeccable and despite the elegance the restaurant is family-friendly offering a menu for kids meals and mocktails.
Activities
Just when you may be completely convinced you are in Europe, all the outdoor adventure and sheer vastness will remind you that you are in fact out west.
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Utah Crater
The Utah Crater is a geothermal hot spring located within a crater. You walk through a tunnel in the earth to get to the pool. The water temperature is 95 degrees on average and runs a depth of 65 feet. It is the only warm water scuba destination in the continental US where you can get certified. However, you don't need to scuba dive here. You can simply float in the warm, therapeutic waters. Swim sessions run about an hour long. Snorkel equipment is also available for rent. We brought along our own goggles which was enough for us to observe the rock formations under the water along the walls. Note, as everyone must wear a life jacket, all ages are welcome!
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Rocky Mountain Outfitters
How could we visit horse country without a little trail riding ourselves? Rocky Mountain Outfitters lead gorgeous trail rides year-round.
On horseback we felt like we were at one with the nature all around us. Our horses, Sunday, Picante, Scooter, and Victor, were all very tame and easy to manage. Kids must be 8 years old to ride and must wear helmets provided. Helmets are optional for adults. Rocky Mountain Outfitters also offers wagon rides for all ages and Chuck Wagon dinners.
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High Country Adventure
I have always wanted to go white water rafting, but have also been afraid of falling out of the boat. Here we were able to take a guided raft tour down Class I and II rapids. The rapids were just enough to get us wet, but not so rough that my daughter couldn't "ride the bull", (sit on the very top/front of the raft with her legs hanging over, holding on with one hand), successfully. Our guide, Bode was very strong and added to the excitement by single-handed paddling us into 360 degree turns. The minimum age for this activity is only 3. Other River Activities offered by High Country Adventure include self-guided rafting, tubing, and kayaking. Land adventure options include ziplining, a scenic train, and more.
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Wasatch Excursions
To really see the backcountry in Heber Valley, a guided UTV tour is essential. Wasatch Excursions is the only company authorized to offer guided tours in the Wasatch Mountain State Park. We had so much fun on this tour. We encountered wildlife, fields of sunflowers, forests of tall dogwood trees, and incredible views of the mountains. We couldn't believe how far, and high up, we traveled in just two hours. In the front passenger seat it was a pretty smooth ride considering the boulders we were plowing over. In the back seats, you definitely felt more of the ride. I did take a turn at driving, on a flat stretch, and it was surprisingly easy to operate. Helmets with goggles are required and face coverings, i.e. buffs, are highly recommended. Children ages 5+ are able to ride.
Wasatch Excursions also offers guided/unguided ATV and snowmobiling.
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Rainbow Bay Aqua Park
Rainbow Bay Aqua Park is an inflated aqua park on Deer Creek. Think of a floating ninja warrior course. Its the place to cool down! The whole family can challenge themselves on all the obstacles without real consequence. The penalty for failing on an apparatus is an invigorating splash into the fresh water. Life jackets are mandatory and I highly recommend water shoes as the beach is quite rocky.
Sessions can be booked for 1 hour, 2 hours, or entire days. Also available at Rainbow Bay Aqua Park are kayaks, paddle boards, and water bikes. Do note that you need to pay for parking.
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Heber Market on Main
While you have been playing tourist, you may forget that people actually live in this mountain paradise. If you want to feel more like a local, attend the Heber Market on Main. On Thursday evenings throughout the summer you will find live music, dozens of food vendors, and artisan booths around the park. There is a playground, lawn games, and other kid activities. As a tourist you may not have a picnic blanket handy, but it isn't hard to get a spot at a table inside the small park pavilion. There is a roped-off beer garden, but keep in mind that kids are not allowed in it.
Stargazing
Did you know that natural dark skies are basically endangered across the world? Utah State Parks however, currently have ten dark sky designations with more to come. Local towns have specific designs when it comes to street lighting and building codes to restrict light pollution. What does this mean for you? The starriest night skies you could dream of, with layers upon layers of visible galaxies.
We drove up the Guardsman Pass Scenic Backway in the Wasatch Mountains and parked at the Bonanza Flat Trailhead. It was about a 20 minute drive in complete darkness (except for our headlights.) The kids were a bit anxious and convinced the drive was pointless. However, when we got to our destination and opened the car doors, everyone's jaws dropped. It was like we were in outer space ourselves. Do yourself a favor and download a star tracking app. We liked Sky Guide. You just point your phone at the night sky and it tells you what stars, planets, or constellations you are looking at.
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Self-Guided Home Tour
I remember as a kid on vacation being very annoyed when my mom wanted to look at local houses. Perhaps you reach an age where this becomes entertaining to you, but I just couldn't get over the styles of the homes in Midway. From elevated log cabins to renovated ranches to fairytale cottages, I found myself taking more pictures of strangers' homes here than on the Hollywood Homes tour in Los Angeles!
You may also follow this walking historic Midway tour for more information on local buildings.
One thing worth mentioning about visiting Utah, if you didn't already know, is that due to a very large Mormon population, alcohol consumption has more restrictions than you might be used to. In order to have a drink at your standard restaurant/bar and grill you must order food also. We didn't come across any cocktail only lounges or dive bars in Midway. The upside to limited alcohol imbibing is that restaurants tend to have pretty robust and creative mocktail menus, which is particularly fun for the kids.
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Due to sleep away camp, part-time jobs, and our own work schedules, we weren't able to get away for very long this summer. We had initially considered a road trip as we knew we wanted to get out west, but didn't have the time for that. Flying into Salt Lake City and visiting Heber Valley allowed us to pack everything we would have wanted to do into just four days. (And yet we really only scratched the surface of all you can do in this area.) Each restaurant or activity was no more than a 20 minute drive from the resort (often less than 10 minutes.) The quaintness, accessibility, and the caliber of restaurants in Midway makes it a great alternative to staying in Park City on a ski trip too.
Ironically enough, when we spoke to locals on this trip about whether winter or summer was the best time to visit, they tended to agree that the best time to visit Utah is in fact the Fall. Therefore, our overall conclusion was that there is no bad time to visit Utah. In fact, rather than just visiting, it might belong on the list of places to retire!
