Park City is a jewel in the Wasatch Mountains and nestles at the south end of Snyderville Basin, climbs a steep mountain to the southeast, south, and west, and is surrounded by picturesque pine-covered mountains and alpine-like meadows. It is not a small mountain area – it covers a total area of 17,567 square miles, has an abundance of mountain streams, trails, and recreation venues.
Early History
Park City has a history that is as rich as its spectacular ski hills. Early Mormon pioneers traveled through Park City as they moved to Salt Lake City. Some settlers even stopped to build homes and take advantage of the stunning mountain views and open meadows just waiting for grazing.
Gold, silver, and lead ore discovered by Colonel Patrick E.Conner sparked miners to seek the Park City Area. In the 1860s the mining boom brought large numbers of prospectors setting up camps in the surrounding mountains.
In 1872 the Ontario mine, discovered by Herman Buden and later purchase by George Hearst, was a rich silver strike just sitting on prime Park City property. By 1892 the Silver King Mine and owners Thomas Kearns and David Keith were renowned as holding one of the most famous silver mines in the world.
Silver was a thriving business in Utah as other silver mines around the world were becoming depleted. The town flourished with miners and wealth, but success in mining was not destined to last. By the end of the 1950s, the town was almost a ghost town, and Park City property was abandoned as the price of silver plummeted.
Park City has had a share of tragedy in the face of wealth. Once the site of the largest silver mining camp in the county, the town was destroyed by fire in 1898. In 1902 tragedy struck the area when 34 miners were killed in an explosion in the Day West Mine. Miners are a suspicious lot, and the community never totally recovered its mining glory after these tragedies.
The miners left in Park City turned to desperate measures to save their homes. Miners gave up their mining heritage and turned to the rising interest in the West and skiing. The town was barely alive when Parkite miners presented to Utahns Inc. a proposal for a ski resort called Treasure Mountain.
The resort opened in 1963 on 10,000 acres of land owned by the miners. Intense advertising enticed tourists to take a gamble on Treasure Mountain, and skiers began to visit Park City as a ski destination. Thus began the beginning of the ski industry in Park City, Utah largely promoted by the Utah State Legislature as a destination resort.
The miners took advantage of vast underground trains and shafts to gain access to the mountain for skiing. Aerial trams that were once used for hauling ore were converted to chairlifts. There are still more than 1,000 miles of old silver mine workings and tunnels beneath the slopes at Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley. Still, Park City property might be nondescript were it not for the colorful and eclectic Main Street. Here you can see 64 Victoria buildings that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Many remaining mine buildings, mine shafts, hoists, and water towers remain to give Park City a remembrance of its history.
Park City Today
The rise of the skiing industry, the tourist economy and D. James Canon’s promotion of winter sports in Utah drew over 658,000 tourists in 1970, and now a yearly average of 4 million tourists visit the small town. Park City’s fame rose even higher through the 2002 Winter Olympic games, and the promotional material carefully distributed by the Utah Publicity and Tourist Council. Visitors now flock to Park City to take advantage of the best homes for sale in Utah, the most prominent ski resorts in the world and to awe over the Sundance Film Festival. Park City has surpassed its former glory and is now one of the most affluent and popular resort towns in America.
Real Estate in Park City
Factors contributing to the phenomena of Park City reality is more than rising prices. It is low-interest rates, an expanding economy leading to an increase in luxury home buyers, the best homes for sale in Utah, and the high demand for ski properties. Architecture is becoming a high quality, and luxury finishes and features are being introduced as more buyers are seeking to spend more time in Park City and the surrounding areas.
Vacation homes are quickly becoming second homes, and second homes are becoming primary residences. The real estate bar is continually being raised, which is raising luxury homes and values. Today homes being built in Park City are much nicer and more luxurious than what has been the norm. Visitors come to Park City and stay to invest in Park City property.
Property values are increasing for new communities like Park Meadows, Prospector, and Silver Springs. Buyers are looking for luxury housing options in areas like Promontory, Tuhaye, The Colony, and Deer Crest. Many of these luxury housing developments are located in pristine aspen forests, rolling hills, and all with an abundance of freshwater streams.
The dream of miners to strike it rich with silver has now become an area that is prized for its ski in and out properties, gorgeous venues, and best homes for sale in Utah. If you are looking for the luxury living and Park City properties, look no further than Utah Luxury Real Estate Group. They know the Park City real estate market and will find you the most remarkable home in Park City.