Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History, an all-volunteer committee of the Park City Historical Society and Museum dedicated to preserving Park City’s mining heritage, said it will soon provide visitors a way to walk or bike through history as they explore the mountains that once produced vast min eral wealth. The Park City Historic Mine Route, a new 7-mile loop comprising 24 sites of mining relics, will open for self-guided tours on Miners Day, Sept. 7. “The Park City Historic Mine Route is both a tribute to the miners of the past and a gift to future generations who will hike, ride, learn and connect with the stories that make Park City unique,” said Donald Roll, co-chair of Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History. “The route is history preserved, interpreted and shared in a way that is accessible, engaging and enduring, giving Park City’s mining history a permanent and meaningful presence within the community’s public trail system.” Since 2015, Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History has worked to protect, preserve and interpret Park City’s mining heritage. In Spring 2025, after receiving grants from Park City Rotary, Central Wasatch Commission and Utah Outdoor Recreation, the committee launched plans for the route. The Park City Historic Mine Route, a 7-mile, self-guided, GPS-audio guide-enabled hiking and biking loop, will link 24 historic mining sites. The Route will begin at the Park City Museum, climb up Treasure Hill on Park City Mountain to the Silver King Mining Complex, head down through Empire Canyon, before returning to the Museum. The route is mostly on existing trails created and maintained by Mountain Trails Foundation, and on preservation easements held by Summit Land Conservancy. More than a hiking or biking route, the Historic Mine Route will function as an open-air museum, highlighting the area’s silver mining history dating back to the 1870s. Along the way, residents and visitors will encounter historic structures, mine sites and cultural landmarks that tell the story of the miners, families, immigrants, entrepreneurs and community members who helped build Park City, since the discovery of silver in 1868. The crown jewel of the route, the committee said, will be the Silver King Coalition Mine Headframe, one of Park City’s most iconic mining structures. Following a multi-year preservation effort to stabilize the collapsed mine shaft and protect the 1926 structure from further deterioration, the headframe now stands as a symbol of Park City’s industrial heritage and the community’s commitment to stewardship, the committee said. The building sits within a 32-acre National Historic District. The route will incorporate a free audio guide using the TravelStorys app, which uses GPS technology to trigger narrated stories, archival photographs and historic interpretation as users approach key landmarks. This technology will transform a recreational outing into an immersive, self-guided heritage experience, making Park City’s history accessible in a dynamic and engaging way. The official website for the Park City Historic Mine Route is hmr.parkcityhistory.org. For more information about Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History, visit parkcityhistory.org/mining. The post This new 7-mile loop will take riders on a self-guided tour of Park City’s mining history appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less