Cycling has evolved over the past century, taking riders from suburban sidewalks to summit trails. On the Wasatch Back, dormant chair lifts criss-crossing area ski resorts create a way to venture further and easier. Lift-served mountain biking opens up alpine terrain to riders of all ages and abilities, reconnecting them with youthful memories or allowing them to make new ones with their children or grandchildren.

Lift-Served Mountain Biking
When the snow melts, people flock to the arid, alpine slopes of Deer Valley, Park City Mountain (PCM), and Sundance Mountain Resort to hike and bike the trails lined with wildflowers. Over 450 miles of bike paths and trails crisscross the valley and slope of this mountain town, beckoning riders to explore the sights, sounds, and scents wafting through the aspens and pines.

Bottom line: If you can ride a bike, you can mountain bike. With wider tires, mountain bikes are designed to provide riders stability and traction over the roots and rocks on unpaved trails. However, at an elevation of over 8000 feet, pedaling uphill at altitude can be challenging even for the fittest. So, enter lift-served mountain biking, whereby ski lifts that cart carvers and shredders to the snow-capped summits are used in the summertime to transport mountain bikes and their riders to the top, where they can saddle up and coast or careen downhill.
Deer Valley, PCM, and Sundance have developed lift-served and singletrack mountain biking trails with the same characteristics and care they’ve put into their award-winning ski runs. They’ve also provided first-class amenities, including premium equipment rentals, instructors, and dining options, making mountain biking in and around Park City a hugely popular summer activity, as well.
Trails are rated like ski runs—green, blue, black, double black—to inform riders of the technical aspects so beginners and experts can enjoy the ride. However, unlike ski runs, there are no boundaries between the resorts (just separate lift tickets); riders can ride a lift at one and descend on another. Mountain Trails Foundation (www.mountaintrails.com) posts an online Summer Interactive Map providing details and conditions of all biking trails at Deer Valley, PCM, and the surrounding area. Plan your route, or not, and ride for as long or little as you want.
Views and characteristics on Wasatch Back trails change with seasonal and daily weather conditions, which might be another reason people enjoy mountain biking here so much. Wildflowers carpet the canyons in mid-summer and breezes through the aspens all season long provide sonorous applause as you wend your way down.

Park City Mountain
PCM operates lift-served mountain biking at its Mountain Village base daily from June 15 to September 2 (10 am-7 pm) and on Thursdays and Sundays from September 3 to October 6 (11 am-6 pm). At Canyons Village, lifts spin every day from June 15 to September 2 (10 am-6 pm).
New to PCM this summer is Seldom Seen, a 2-mile intermediate (blue) trail. A downhill alternative to the lower section of Spiro, it takes riders down to First Time Return. For those looking for white-knuckle adventure, Change Reaction is the new expert (black) downhill-only trail that provides 1.1 miles of drops, rocks, and thrills from Charlie’s 9k towards McConkey’s and Keystone trails. Both trails can be accessed from the Mountain Village base.
PCM also has trails designed to accommodate adaptive equipment, including Silver Queen and Mojave. The new McGrath Mountain Center, operated by the National Ability Center, is located at the Mountain Village base and offers adaptive bikes and programs.
A daily Haul Pass at PCM is $52 (ages 13+) and $37 (ages 5-12). After 5 pm, the price drops to $37 (ages 13+) and $19 (ages 5-12). Remember to swap clear lenses in your sunglasses or goggles, as the runs are shady on the east-facing PCM trails.
If you have an Epic Pass for next season’s skiing, you can take advantage of discounts for seasonal Haul Passes (from $235 down to $185, ages 13+ or from $115 to $90, ages 5-12). Epic Pass holders also receive 20% off daily mountain bike rentals from Legacy Sports at Mountain Village and Canyon Mountain Sports at Canyons Village.

Deer Valley
With its ever-growing collection of machine-cut flow trails, Deer Valley has set a high bar for lift-served mountain biking. Flow trails are downhill trails engineered to allow riders to move across and down the mountain, often without pedaling a stroke. The “flow” describes the surf-like feeling bikers experience and is reflected in trail names at Deer Valley, such as Tidal Wave (blue) and Tsunami (black). Experienced gonzos or cruising newbies will find choices to satisfy their thrill or chill levels.
“We look forward to welcoming bikers of all abilities—first-timers to expert riders—to explore our expanded flow trails, varied terrain, and chances to refine their downhill skills with our bike clinics throughout the summer season,” explains Deer Valley Resort President & Chief Operating Officer Todd Bennett.
While most bikers jump on the lifts and head straight to the summit, wise ones will leave some fuel in the tank for the ride down. As part of the resort’s multi-year trail expansion, Deer Valley is opening Regulator this summer, an intermediate (blue) trail that ties into Ripple (new in 2023), the fun and flowy beginner (green) trail that winds, seemingly forever, from the top of Homestake terminating at Snow Park, bringing the total number of beginner trails to over nine miles from summit to base.
Also new this year, Deer Valley will offer Gravity Bike Clinics, two-day downhill camps scheduled throughout the summer for grommets ages 10-14. The instruction price is $250 per clinic. Lift ticket and equipment purchases and gear rentals are available on-site.
Bikers of all ages and abilities can take advantage of Deer Valley’s private and group mountain bike lessons and participate in its popular Twilight Series, riding on Tuesday nights between 4 and 8 p.m. from June 18 to August 20.
Adding to its Twilight Tuesdays lineup, intermediate and advanced mountain bikers can give e-biking a spin. From 5:15-8:15 pm, explore varied slopeside terrain with a Deer Valley guide. This three-hour tour is $129 per person and includes an e-bike rental and a discounted lift ticket if needed.
Lift service for mountain bikers (and hikers) at Deer Valley is open daily from June 14-September 2 (Labor Day) and Friday-Sunday through September 22 (conditions permitting). Lifties load riders and their steeds onto Silver Lake Express at Snow Park Lodge and Sterling Express to access traditional singletrack or berm, bridge, and jump-filled flow trails off Bald Mountain.
Daily summer lift tickets at Deer Valley are $53 (Monday-Thursday) or $58 (Friday-Sunday) (ages 13+). Kids (5-12) and seniors (65+) run $39 (Monday-Thursday) or $42 (Friday-Sunday). An adult summer season pass is $425 ($375 for 2024-25 Ikon Passholders or military personnel).

Sundance Mountain Resort
The tabletop silhouette of Mt. Timpanogos is visible from much of the Wasatch Back. Snow melts from the summit, splashing into Stewart Falls and flowing to the base of Sundance Mountain Resort, providing some of the region’s most scenic mountain bike trails. Its location, tucked between Provo and American Fork Canyons, also means that sunny skies and lower altitudes quickly dry its “brown pow,” allowing the resort to open much earlier than its Park City neighbors.
However, mountain biking at Sundance provides more than pretty pictures for your social media gallery. This summer, the resort will open all of its recently constructed and refurbished trails. From traditional singletracks cutting through the forest to downhill berms carving down the mountain face, lift-served trails at Sundance provide bikers of varying abilities with a range of terrain features and challenges in addition to jaw-dropping views.
This season, Sundance lifts spin from 10 am-5 pm May 31-October 6.
For those new to mountain biking or the Wasatch Back, one of the area’s best programs and deals is the Mountain Bike Skills Clinic at Sundance. First-time riders can learn to roll confidently and comfortably, while more experienced shredders can improve navigation along bumps, jumps, and berms. These 2.5-hour group clinics led by Sundance guides are held daily at 11 am and 2 pm (24-hour advanced registration required). The price is $100 (1-5 people) and $200 (6-10 people).
Daily summer lift tickets are $50 (ages 13+) and $40 (ages 6-12). Sundance also offers an Afternoon (3 pm-5 pm) Lift Ticket for $37.57 tax incl. (ages 13+). A summer season pass is $300 (ages 13+). Mountain bike rentals are also available for adults and children.
When finished with any of these lift-served adventures at Wasatch Back resorts, reconnect with friends and family, share memories and partake in the most traditional bipedal pastimes: après bike.

See more in the 2024 Summer Adventure Guide

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