When Utah’s “Greatest Snow on Earth” melts, the fabulous Wasatch Mountains of the Salt Lake City area turn into wildly wonderful summer playgrounds.  Accommodation prices drop dramatically and a new slate of activities comes online.  Almost every resort offers “lift assisted” mountain bike riding and hiking, where your bike can hitch a ride on the lift or gondola, depositing you high up the mountain for a downhill run on the bike or a less strenuous family hike. Some resorts offer guided hiking, as well.  Several resorts have extensive music programs with regular performances as well as multi-day festivals. 

Here are some events and deals for the picking. 

Snowbird Mountain Resort presents the Snowbird Mountain Music Festival July 10-12, with a program of nationally known groups, including The Cowboy Junkies, and more.  The Rock and Blues Festival kicks in July 24-26, and the Tent Revival, August 14-16, with the season ending in the extended Oktoberfest, which runs weekends from August 22 to October 11.  Check the festival website for details.  Snowbird Mountain Resort offers summer rates on rooms (from $85/person for the Mountain Music Festival), though they book up quickly for the big festivals.  See the Hot Deals section of their website for details.  Mountain biking and hiking activities are facilitated by their high-flying gondola.

Park City is jumping with summer activities both in town and at its three ski resorts, plus the Park City Jazz Festival August 21-23, at the Deer Valley Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater. The Canyons Resort offers its own free Saturday Summer Concert Series, with a wide array of summer activities, including lift-served mountain biking, hiking, and more.  Canyon Mountain Sports (435/615-344) offers gondola tickets, trail maps, and equipment rental. Check the activities list under the Vacation Planning section of The Canyons website for more information, a detailed schedule, and a list of summer bargain lodging options. One-bedroom suites at  the Sundial start at $85/N pp, plus packages with 2 Silver Park Passes to the Utah Olympic Park start at $86/night per person.

Deer Valley Resort presents its own Big Stars, Bright Nights 2009 outdoor concert series on weekends throughout the summer, with Wednesday concerts sponsored by the local Frontier Bank.  The Deer Valley St. Regis offers a special “two-for-one” concert ticket offers.   Lift-served mountain biking and hiking are very popular here, as well, with mountain bike equipment rentals and lessons available on-site.

The Park City Mountain Resort offers a whole menu of outdoor activities including lift-served mountain biking and hiking, a 3000-foot alpine slide, the ZipRider zipline  run, the Alpine Coaster, an intricate maze, climbing wall, mini-golf, a young kids amusement park,  and horseback riding.

No family should leave the area without several hours at the Utah Olympic Park above Park City.  Site of many events of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, visitors can actually ride the “Comet” bobsled, a thrilling, heart-stopping piloted ride in a 4-person bobsled on the actual Olympic track. Not for the faint-hearted, it’s a lifetime experience.  There is a “light” version of the experience to be had on the Quicksilver Alpine Slide.  The XTREME Zipline is billed as the world’s steepest zipline, and will take you through the air down the mountain at up to 50 mph.  There is a shorter version of this experience as well.  You also be able see Olympian ski jumpers training on artificial snow for the ski jumping competition, landing in the pool at the bottom of the training run.  There is also an interesting tour of the training facility and the Alf Engen Ski Museum awaiting you.

Heading northeast into the Ogden Valley, Snowbasin Resort presents free concerts and BBQ every Sunday on the grassy lawn of the Wildflower Meadow.  BYOB (bring your own blanket).  Mountain biking is available Friday-Sunday with onsite rental equipment and lift-served riding.  The “Beyond Trails” program is a complimentary guided hiking excursion for all ages and abilities.  You’ll need a gondola pass to get you up on the mountain where experienced guides will lead hikes specializing in various subjects, like plant identification and wildflowers, forest ecology and more.  Snowbasin’s dining facilities are open on weekends, as well.  Check the summer calendar on their website.

So Go West, young family and old! Summer is a great time to be in the mountains, high above the baking heat of the Utah desert.  At each of these resorts you’ll find well-priced accommodation deals, as you will also in Salt Lake City and Park City.