See Park City Olympic Park Utah Crater Cheese Farm & Jordanelle

The most unusual part of this Park City outing is its mix of Olympic sports, hot-spring geology, and farm-made cheese. In about four hours, you move from ski jumps and bobsled tracks to a volcanic crater, a Swiss-style resort, and mountain views around Jordanelle.

I like the broad local picture, especially the chance to see Olympic athletes training and sample cheese at the Midway dairy. I also like the small-group format, private transportation, bottled water, and snacks. The catch is the tight schedule: several stops are quick photo visits, and the crater swim and railroad ride cost extra.

Key points at a glance

• Olympic Park gives the tour its biggest thrill: You may see skiers, bobsledders, lugers, or skeleton athletes training, depending on the season. Training is listed from October 25 through March 1.
• The Homestead Crater is a short visit unless you pay extra: The basic stop lets you see the enclosed, naturally heated crater. A 40-minute soak and swim requires a separate ticket and advance planning.
• Midway adds a local food stop: You tour the cheese facility, watch how the product is made, taste samples, and shop for favorites.
• Park City Main Street is flexible but brief: You can walk, shop, eat, or use the free trolley, but the half-hour stop is not enough for a slow old-town visit.
• The tour covers a lot without asking you to drive: Private transportation, water, snacks, and hotel pickup make this useful early in a Park City stay.
• The $125 price pays for orientation, not admissions: The tour includes transportation and visits, but crater swimming and the Heber Valley Railroad are extra.

What this four-hour Park City tour is really trying to do

This is an orientation tour with a wide reach. It does not spend long inside one attraction. Instead, it links Park City with nearby Midway, Jordanelle State Park, and Olympic Park so you can understand how the resort town fits into the surrounding valleys.

You start at 10:00 a.m. and return to the meeting point at 1300 Snow Creek Drive. Pickup is offered at several Park City hotels, with listed times running from about 9:45 to 10:00 a.m. That makes the morning easy, but you should be ready early because the schedule is built around several short stops.

The vehicle is air-conditioned, and the maximum group size is 20 people. In practice, the tour can be smaller. One review describes a small group that still received the scheduled stops, and another says a family ended up as the only guests. A smaller group gives you a better chance to ask questions, though it does not turn the driver into a private shopping chauffeur.

Guides named in the feedback include Mike, Dave, David, and Richard. Mike is repeatedly praised for explaining Utah, Park City, and Midway, while Dave and Richard are described as friendly, punctual, and well informed about the area. Guide quality matters here because much of the value comes from what you learn while riding between stops.

The Heber Valley cheese stop brings the day down to earth

The first stop is the Heber Valley Artisan Cheese operation, also described as the Midway Artesian Dairy and Cheese facility. You see the cheese-making process from beginning to end, taste samples, and have the chance to buy what you like.

This is a useful counterpoint to Park City’s polished resort setting. You are seeing a working local food business rather than another viewpoint. If you enjoy regional products, this may be one of the most personal stops of the morning because you can connect the surrounding farmland with something you can actually taste.

The stop lasts about 30 minutes. That is enough for a tour, samples, and a quick purchase, but not a leisurely farm visit. Bring your appetite, but keep your expectations sensible: this is an introduction to the dairy and cheese process, not a long food workshop.

The Homestead Crater is the tour’s strangest stop

The Homestead Crater is a fully enclosed natural volcanic crater warmed by hot springs. Its water is listed at about 90 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, which gives the place a distinctly different feel from the snowy mountain setting around Park City.

The scheduled visit is only about 15 minutes. That is enough to see inside and hear about the site, but it is not enough for a relaxed swim. You can upgrade to a 40-minute soak and swim, but that ticket is not included in the $125 price and requires a reservation in advance.

This is the single most important booking detail to understand. If soaking in the crater is a main reason you want the tour, arrange the swim before the day begins and confirm that the timing works with the group schedule. Otherwise, treat the crater as a quick geological stop.

The short visit may disappoint anyone expecting a spa session. It works better for someone who wants to see an unusual natural site without building an entire day around it.

Park City Main Street offers a quick taste of the resort town

At Park City Main Street Historic District, the vehicle drops you near the top of Main Street. You can walk downhill past shops, restaurants, pubs, and historic buildings, or use the free trolley and hop on or off as you wish.

The stop is listed at about 30 minutes. That is enough to get your bearings, admire the old buildings, and sample the feel of the street. It is not enough for serious shopping, a full meal, and a careful look at every side street.

I see this as a smart first-day stop. You can note places you want to revisit later, then return on your own with more time. If shopping is your priority, do not expect the guide to add an unscheduled shopping run. The route follows an organized timetable, and one unhappy booking experience centered on that mismatch in expectations.

Jordanelle State Park supplies the big views

Jordanelle State Park provides a close view of the reservoir and surrounding mountains. The listed visit is about 15 minutes, so this is mainly a scenic pause and photo opportunity.

The value depends on weather and visibility. On a clear day, the combination of water and mountains gives you a strong sense of the area around Park City. On a gray or stormy day, the stop may feel less rewarding, which is one reason the operator reserves the right to change the date or refund the tour when weather makes the outing impractical.

You will not have time here for a full state park visit. Think of it as a viewpoint built into a larger route, not a recreational stop with a long walk or water activity.

Swiss details and volcanic pits at Zermatt

The Spa at Zermatt introduces you to Zermatt Swiss Village and Resort in Midway. You can step into the resort lobby, which blends Swiss and western design, and possibly buy homemade chocolate or cakes from the bakery. The restaurant also offers food for purchase.

The property includes volcanic tar pits, adding another geological detail to a stop that already connects with the Homestead Crater. The scheduled time is about 15 minutes, so you will likely be looking, taking a quick taste, and moving on rather than spending time at the spa.

This stop is useful because it shows another side of Midway. You get a quick look at a themed resort and local geology, but you should not confuse it with a spa treatment. The experience is a brief visit, not a booked massage or extended resort stay.

Heber Valley Railroad is an optional add-on

The tour passes the historic Heber Valley Railroad depot, steam engine, and classic western carriages as the train prepares to leave for Vivian Park. The listed stop is only about 10 minutes.

That is enough to see the depot and train equipment, but not enough to take the journey. Round-trip train tickets for a 90 to 120-minute ride are not included. You can purchase a separate full-day tour that includes the railroad tickets if riding the train is a central goal.

This distinction matters. The railroad appears in the route, but the four-hour outing does not function as a train excursion. If you want photographs and a quick look, the included stop may be enough. If you want to ride behind the steam engine, choose the longer option instead of assuming the $125 price covers it.

Olympic Park is where the tour feels most alive

Utah Olympic Park is the strongest stop for many people. It served as a venue for the 2002 Winter Olympics and remains a training site for athletes in bobsled, luge, and skeleton.

Training is listed from October 25 through March 1. During that period, you may see skiers practicing jumps or athletes working on the track. The exact activity depends on the training calendar, so no particular performance is guaranteed.

You can also visit the Olympic Museum. There is a chance to meet an Olympian, Paralympian, or future Olympian, but that is a possibility rather than a promise. Even without a personal meeting, the park gives you a close look at the machinery, tracks, and training culture behind winter competition.

The scheduled visit is about 30 minutes. That is a good length for an introduction, but you will need more time if the museum is your main interest. The stop works best when you want to see the site, watch activity if available, and hear how Park City’s Olympic role continues today.

Several positive accounts single out Olympic Park as a highlight. One describes seeing skiers practice jumping, while another calls the Olympic site a must-see. I would place this stop near the top of your reasons to book, particularly during the listed October to March training period.

The drive adds context between the stops

The route also passes Utah Film Studios and the United States Ski Association center. The film studio is associated with productions including Blood and Oil and Yellowstone, and the ski center is presented as a headquarters for American skiing.

These are drive-by points rather than extended visits. They add local color, especially if you follow film or ski competition, but you should not expect to tour the studio or enter the ski offices. The same is true of other passing sights, including the area’s cemeteries and Wasatch Mountain State Park, which guides have included in the spoken tour and route.

This is where a strong guide can make the difference. Mike, Dave, David, and Richard are named in the feedback, and the best accounts focus on clear explanations of local history, geography, and Olympic sport. You spend plenty of time in the vehicle, so a guide who can connect the stops makes the ride feel useful rather than simply long.

Is $125 a fair price?

At $125 per person, this is not an admission-heavy attraction package. The price covers private transportation, an air-conditioned vehicle, bottled water, snacks, and the guided route. The listed visits themselves do not add admission charges, but the two most substantial optional activities, the crater swim and railroad ride, cost extra.

I think the price makes sense if you value convenience and orientation. You avoid arranging several drives, parking at multiple sites, and figuring out how Midway, Jordanelle, Heber Valley, and Olympic Park fit together. For a first day in Park City, that can be worth more than a cheaper, narrower outing.

The value is weaker if you want long visits at each attraction. Seven short stops in four hours means frequent transitions. You are paying for range and transportation, not depth at every site.

The 92 percent recommendation rate and 4.7 rating from 24 reviews suggest the experience usually lands well, but the sample is small. The one severe complaint also points to a real issue: this is a scheduled tour, not a flexible private car service. Ask questions, but do not expect major route changes or a shopping detour.

Who should book this outing?

I would choose this tour if you are staying in Park City without a car, visiting for the first time, or want a guided overview before deciding where to spend the rest of your trip. Families can see several different kinds of attractions without managing the driving themselves.

It also suits couples and solo visitors who prefer a compact route with a guide. The vehicle holds up to 20 people, and most people can participate. Service animals are allowed, and the route is near public transportation, though pickup details are centered on the listed Park City hotels and meeting point.

You should look elsewhere if your top goal is crater swimming, a full railroad ride, serious shopping, or extended time at Olympic Park. Those activities need more time than this route provides.

The experience requires good weather and a minimum number of bookings. If the operator cancels for either reason, you are offered another date, a different experience, or a full refund. Your own booking is non-refundable and cannot be changed, so check your plans carefully before paying.

My booking call

Book this tour for breadth, scenery, and local explanation. The cheese facility, Homestead Crater, Olympic Park, Main Street, and Jordanelle are an unusual combination, and private transport makes the route easy.

Do not book it expecting seven full attractions in four hours. Choose it as a well-paced introduction, with Olympic Park as the likely highlight and the cheese stop as the most distinctive food visit. If you want to swim in the crater or ride the Heber Valley Railroad, plan those extras in advance or choose a longer tour built around them.

FAQ

How long does the Park City tour last?

The tour lasts approximately four hours, including travel time, and returns to the starting meeting point.

Where does the tour start?

The main meeting point is 1300 Snow Creek Drive, Park City, Utah 84060. Pickup is also offered at several listed Park City hotels.

What time does the tour begin?

The listed start time is 10:00 a.m. Hotel pickup times range from approximately 9:45 to 10:00 a.m.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, bottled water, and snacks are included.

Is swimming at the Homestead Crater included?

No. The 40-minute crater soak and swim requires a separate ticket and advance reservation.

Is the Heber Valley Railroad ride included?

No. The short depot visit is part of the route, but the 90 to 120-minute round-trip train ride requires separate tickets.

Can I shop and eat on Park City Main Street?

Yes. The Main Street stop gives you time to walk among shops, restaurants, pubs, and historic buildings. You can also use the free trolley, but the stop lasts about 30 minutes.

What happens if the tour is canceled?

If poor weather or an insufficient minimum number of bookings causes cancellation, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund. Your own cancellation or amendment is otherwise non-refundable.