Guided Snowmobile Tour: Park City Peaks Snowmobiling

Utah has opportunity for adventure year round. In the winter, most people think of skiing or tubing down a mountain side. It wasn’t until this year that I thought a guided snowmobile tour would be worth checking out. After spending two hours riding 20 miles on a snowmobile with Park City Peaks Snowmobiling, I knew it was an activity I think others should check out, too.

People come from all over the country to experience The Greatest Snow on Earth. But if skiing isn’t an option for them, or their legs need a break from the slopes, they turn to snowmobiling.

Regardless of whether you’re coming from the East Coast or downtown Salt Lake City, this guided snowmobile tour is something to check out. Here’s a rundown of what you can expect with Park City Peaks Snowmobiling.

And a big shoutout to our guide, Paul. He was fantastic. He loves what he does, and it showed in all aspects of the tour. From showing everyone how the snowmobiles worked to pointing out the beauty of the outdoors, he was a wonderful guide for our adventure.

Planning and Preparing for Your 2-hour Guided Snowmobile Tour

The key is to plan ahead, especially if your timeframe is for a weekend or holiday. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays can book up quickly. My recommendation would be to book at least one month ahead of your travel dates. There is more availability during the week (Mon-Thu), but booking a month out or more will help ensure more options are available to you.

The season generally follows the opening and closing of ski resorts. Generally around Thanksgiving is when guided snowmobile tours are available. Depending on the snow levels, tours end in March or April.

RELATED POST: Plan at day on the slopes at Alta Ski Area

Book your tour online. You can select single riders or double riders. Drivers must be 16 or older. If there’s a passenger, the driver must be 18+.

Park City Peaks Snowmobiling can provide the winter gear you need – snow suits, balaclavas, boots, etc. But there is an extra rental charge on those. Helmet rentals are included in the cost of the guided tour, and they are required for all drivers and passengers.

You’ll want to dress for winter. Here’s a list of what I recommend bringing, but the temperature and weather for the day may require some alterations.

• Snowpants
• Snowboots + warm socks
• Gloves
• Goggles or sunglasses
• Balaclava or head sock (winter hats don’t work, because you’ll be wearing a helmet)
• Coat (layers work, so you can adjust accordingly)
• Bottle of water (so you can stay hydrated)
• Camera (see below)

During the tour, most people used their cellphones as their camera. Our guide was surprised when I handed him my Olympus Tough TG-6 camera. Guess he doesn’t see a lot of non-cellphone cameras on the tours. I would not recommend bringing an expensive camera and I would ensure the camera is attached on a wrist strap, helmet mount or zipped up in a pocket. You don’t want to lose anything on the tour.

Getting There and Checking In

You want to arrive 30-45 minutes before the tour start time. The idea is for the tour to pull out of the starting path on time. You don’t want to be the person who holds up the tour for everyone else. After all, the last person to arrive holds the responsibility of tipping the tour guide on behalf of the whole group. 😉

Park City Peaks Snowmobiling is roughly one hour from the mouth of Parley’s Canyon. As you pass Oakley and head up the canyon, cell signal gets pretty spotty. It’s a good idea to printout directions or have them loaded into your phone before you lose signal. Once you get on Weber Canyon Road, you just follow it to the end. The building is on the left, a couple hundred yards down the dirt road.

RELATED POST: Take the family tubing at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center

When you arrive, find a parking spot and head into the building. It’s here where you’ll check in and pay the remaining balance on your tour reservation. You’ll also sign the waiver and go over a few safety items. If you are renting snow gear, you’ll pick that up here, too. Pick out a helmet that fits snug.

If you need a quick bathroom break before you head out on the tour, they have restrooms just west of the main building.

The have a gathering area inside the building if it’s bitterly cold outside. The weather was nice for our tour, so we waited outside with the others in the group until we were rounded up by Paul, our tour guide.

What to Expect on the 2-hour Tour

The tours start with a brief tutorial on the snowmobile itself. How to turn it on and off, how to steer, how to turn on the hand warmers on the handlebars and the signals he will use to help keep people safe. Paul spent about 5 minutes going over everything, then we all mounted up and off we went.

We drove down a ranch road, and eventually arrived at a large meadow. Paul gave us a brief rundown on how to be safe as we opened up the throttle and felt the wind in our faces. We spent about 15 minutes riding laps in the meadow. I never looked at the speedometer on my Ski Doo, but it felt fast.

RELATED POST: Get lost on the mountain at Brighton Ski Resort

From the meadow, Paul guided us further up the mountain to an amazing lookout point at an elevation of 8,000 feet. There were great views to Deer Valley Ski Resort, despite the light snow falling from the sky. We had some photo ops and enjoyed the view for about 15-20 minutes before we made our way back down the mountain.

The trail was steep in parts, so we took it slow so we didn’t have any collisions. Paul mentioned that his tour the previous day had spotted a moose. Another group had seen a coyote. Our group was lucky enough to spot a bald eagle in a tree, and then watched it take flight a mere 10-20 yards from the trail.

When we arrived back at the starting point, we lined up our Ski Doos and placed our helmets and any rented gear on the shelf outside. We headed inside to check out with the people at the front desk, and we grabbed Paul for a few minutes to thank him for the wonderful guided snowmobile tour. Then we headed off toward home.

Park City Peaks Snowmobiling has multiple guided tour options if you’re looking for something longer than the two-hour tour. Sign up for a three-hour backcountry guided tour or a four-hour lunch trip.

The Details

Address: 8341 E Weber Canyon Road, Oakley, UT 84055

Cost: Two hour guided tours start at $219 for a driver and $59 for a passenger. Three hour and four hour trips are also available. Check their website for details.

Hours: Season runs from roughly December to March, but may vary based on snowfall in Utah. Tour start times are 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Website: https://www.powderutah.com/#

Phone: (888) 410-6545

Disclosure: I received two complimentary guided snowmobile tours at Park City Peaks Snowmobiling for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

PIN THIS