Here's a confession from a local: after enough years in Park City, it's easy to take for granted. It’s too easy to pass by the sights and sounds as I pursue daily life. And in the ever-constant pursuit of my pow-fix, I’m not looking around as much. Certainly, I hardly ever look up towards the night sky. Which, at 7000’ elevation and clear, cool skies—the moon and stars are brilliant, illuminating the dark in a silvery sheen.
Seeing the stars in mountain setting is completely unique experience, one wholly separate from a day hike. You need extra gear and and the means to find your way on Park City's trail network in the dark. That's exactly when our amazing local activity providers come in clutch.
One last look at the beautiful sunset before we hike into the dark.
Chasing the Full Moon with Mountain Vista Touring
Recently, I tagged along with a group doing a Full Moon Hike with Mountain Vista Touring. We met up at a local trailhead with two guides, Jen and Alisha, leading a group of seven of us. One guide was out front setting the pace, and the other brought up the rear, so nobody was left behind. The guides carried the water for the whole group, so everyone else just needed to focus on what to wear and pack light. Since I was the local, I brought my own backpack anyway (old habits die hard), but honestly, letting the guides handle the essentials made things so much easier for the rest of the group.
Our guides pointed out the most interesting sites throughout our hike.
We gathered at dusk at the Cove trailhead in Round Valley, a location chosen by the guides after learning about the group hiking ability. The timing was perfect. We arrived in time to watch the sun dip below the mountains to the west in a gorgeous sunset and the moon rising. The evening, we went, the temperature was cool and comfortable, and the skies completely clear. Park City has very special sunsets. As the sun lowers behind the Wasatch mountains, it reflects off of the Great Salt Lake, and the sky is painted in brilliant oranges and pinks. Add in a distant storm cloud and you get a truly unique alpine sunset unseen anywhere else!
“The Full Moon hike was a truly unique experience, with wonderful views across the Park City landscape as the sun set and the moon began to rise. Our guides were fantastic, incredibly knowledgeable about the local flora and fauna and very attentive throughout the hike, providing water and snacks along the way. Seeing the full moon rise over the mountains was a particularly memorable moment. I can also imagine the hike being equally special around a less prominent moon, when the darker skies would provide an amazing opportunity to see the stars and experience the landscape in a completely different way.”
— Kathryn Davies, hike attendee
The view of the moon peaking above the ridge and clouds was a moving sight for all of us.
From there, we spent the evening chatting about Park City and hearing about the guides' favorite spots, stopping for water breaks, hiking about and soaking in the scenery. It was such a nice shift to experience—watching day slowly turn to evening, absorbing the quiet sounds around us, and spotting a little wildlife along the way. All told, we were out for a few hours and made it back to our cars around 10:30 pm.
"Access to a dark night sky—to see and be inspired by the universe as it really is—should be a human…
Want Something a Little More Low-Key?
We're lucky to have a handful of great tour operators offering all kinds of ways to experience our dark skies. Maybe a hike sounds like a bit more activity than you're up for. Pendry Park City offers a much tamer stargazing experience: they'll pick you up, take you to one location, and set you up with chairs, food, water, and guides ready to help you explore the sky through telescopes.
However you like to experience it—on foot with a group of new friends or settled into a chair with a telescope pointed at the stars—Park City's night sky is one of those things I hope our visitors never take for granted. I know I'm trying not to.
More Adventures in Park City
For even more inspiration and stories from Park City—view our year-round visitor guide or request one in the mail.
