With over 100 historic sites throughout Park City, White Pine Touring offers not only an educational experience but a beautiful scenic ride through town.

Details

What: Historic Bike Tour

Where: White Pine Touring

When: Per Reservation, May – October (weather permitting)

Who: All Ages and Family Friendly

Experience

As an individual, I was excited to see that White Pine Touring did not require a minimum amount of people to sign up for their Historic Bike Tour. I decided to do the morning tour, which begins at 9 am. Two days before the Tour, I received a text from my tour guide who introduced himself and said that if I had any questions, I could text or call him any time. 

Fortunately, the night before, he kindly texted me that it may be a bit cold and that gloves and a jacket would be a good idea. He was absolutely correct, and I was very thankful for the reminder. 

On the day of the tour, I arrived at White Pine Touring at 8:45 AM and was greeted by my guide. He checked me in, and after signing a few forms, I was fitted for my bike, and we were ready to go. The tour takes place on a comfort bike, similar to a cruiser bike, but with gears for mountain roads, so you can relax and soak in the history and the views of Park City. We loaded our bikes on the back of a truck and were driven a short 5-10 minute up the mountain to the Silver Lake area of Deer Valley. The tour starts on top of the mountain, so the majority of the tour is relaxing and fun ride downhill.

Adult Cruiser Bike

To start the tour, we walked around the Silver Lake area of Deer Valley where my guide pointed out several parts of the mountain that were significant during the silver mining era, including where the actual Lake was located and where people were living back then. 

Afterward, we jumped on the bikes and started making our way down the mountain. Here is where the fun started, the weather was great and right from the start of the tour I enjoyed the beautiful scenic mountain views. Our next few stops were all stunning spectacular views where you could see the remnants of past mine sites. It was fascinating to visualize the scale of what the mining operations were like back then. 

Scenic View of Park City Mountain

Throughout the tour, my guide always checked in to see if I was comfortable on the bike, making sure I felt safe and if I had any questions about the sites we were viewing. On the day I attended, I was the only participant on tour, which was great, as I was able to ask a lot of questions, and the trip became more and more of a conversation. 

Scenic View of Old Town Park City

In addition to the Silver Mining historical sites, we also talked about the Olympic Legacy that Park City has and stopped by Snow Park in Deer Valley, where some of the 2002 Olympic events were held.

What amazed me about this experience was the number of historical sites that we passed by, how well everything has been preserved, documented, and can be reached by bike. It was especially great to experience everything on a bike because it was effortless to pull off to the side of the road without the hassle of parking a car. I loved how so many places were marked and had signage with photos and information about each site. 

Sign with Historical Information

While on the tour, I was shocked by so many sites that I have driven by and never noticed before. 

Warning Sign for Mine Site on side of the road

Information Sign for Mine Site

Entrance to a Mine Shaft

As we made our way down to Old Town, we started talking about the historic buildings and some of the more famous residents of Old Town Park City. Thanks to the Park City Historical Society, there are plenty of historical buildings to view in Old Town, and I believe Historic Main Street has more historical buildings than any other street in America.

Historic Park City Certification Plaque on wall 

Keep an eye out for these Plaques and Ribbons 

As the tour went on, I quickly concluded that cruising through town by bike is truly one of the best ways to experience the rich history of Park City. It's the perfect pace, and on a beautiful day, it's hard to beat. Additionally, since I was the only one on my tour, my guide gave me the choice of when to end the tour. So after checking out a few more sites, I decided to call it a day, and we made our way back to where we started at White Pine Touring. 

Not only do I recommend this tour to anyone who visits Park City, but I encourage all locals to do it as well. I guarantee you will be surprised by how many interesting sites we have in town that people drive by every day.