Summit County

Summit County, found entirely in the Uintah mountains, receives its name from the many mountain summits that are found within the county borders. For thousands of years, the area was a traditional hunting ground for the Shoshone and Ute tribes. In 1846 the ill-fated Donner-Reed party were the first to take "a shorter route" on their way to California. They traveled down Echo Canyon and beyond. The group built a trail, part of which was later used by the Mormon pioneers on their way to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. The area became a mining district around 1860 when coal was found in the city now known as Coalville, the county seat. Mining the land near Park City began to produce silver, lead, and zinc. While the city produced mining products for over 50 years the city almost became a ghost town in the 1950's when mining became too expensive. The skiing industry came to the rescue in the 1960's when Park City became known as a ski town. In 1957 the town of Rockport was purchased by the national government to build the Wanship dam. After building the dam the town of Rockport was flooded to create Rockport Reservoir that still is in use today.

During the 2002 Winter Olympics, Park City was home to many events including the Bobsled, Luge, Skeleton, Nordic Jumps, and Snowboarding. The Utah Olympic Park and the Park City Mountain Resort are open to visitors who want to see where the events took place or even try out the sports. Each January the streets of Park City are filled with stars, people from Hollywood, during the annual Sundance Film Festival that brings thousands of visitors to Park City to see the newest independently made films. Park City has made more money as a ski resort community than it ever did in mining. There are many things to do year round in Summit County. While recreation has provided much economically for Summit County, many farms and lakes still dot the land and are equally important to the state.


Panorama above Park City, Utah	These quaint little shops are located in the historic part of Park City offering visitors the chance to stroll and shop. The streets in this area are small with a unique architecture and located within walking distance of ski lifts that take skiers to the tops of the mountains right from the center of the area.	The Park City area in Summit County, Utah has become a skiing mecca for the world. Ski lifts such as the one pictured can be found in center of town or right on the edges of town where visitors have easy access to the slopes.

More information for Summit County can be found at the following sites: