Quarry Mountain is a moderate hike in the hills directly north of downtown Park City, accessed from the Meadows Drive trailhead off UT-224. The trail rewards with views of the Wasatch Range, the Snyderville Basin, and Park City below, without the resort trail traffic that most Park City hiking draws in summer and fall.

Quick Facts

Trail Name	Quarry Mountain Trail
Location	Park City, Utah
Coordinates	40.6758 N, 111.5195 W
Distance	~2.8 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain	~700 feet
Difficulty	Moderate
Time	2-3 hours
Dogs Allowed	Yes, on leash
Fee	Free
View on AllTrails

 

How to Get There

From downtown Park City, head north on UT-224. Turn left onto Meadows Drive. The trailhead parking is on the right. The drive from Main Street Park City takes about 5-10 minutes.

The trailhead is near a residential neighborhood on the north edge of Park City. Street parking is limited; use only designated areas and respect residential access. No overflow parking on neighborhood streets adjacent to private driveways.

From Salt Lake City, take I-80 east to Exit 145 (Park City/UT-224). Head south on UT-224 toward Park City. The Meadows Drive turnoff is on the right before you reach downtown. Total time from Salt Lake City is approximately 35-40 minutes.

Parking Information

The trailhead parking area off Meadows Drive is small and fills quickly on weekend mornings during peak season. Arrive before 8 a.m. on summer and fall Saturdays. No facilities, no fee. The residential context means parking overflow onto adjacent streets is a neighbor issue; leave space for residents and don’t block driveways.

Cell Service and Navigation

Cell coverage is generally solid in the Park City area and holds through the lower sections of the Quarry Mountain trail. It may decrease on the upper sections. Download AllTrails offline before heading out. The trail is well-marked and manageable for navigation; no route-finding complexity on this route.

What to Expect on the Quarry Mountain Trail

The Trail

The trail from the Meadows Drive trailhead climbs through aspen groves and open terrain with views beginning to open almost immediately. The Park City area’s mix of sagebrush meadows and aspen stands is the characteristic vegetation environment on the lower sections. The trail gains elevation steadily with some steeper sections that earn the moderate rating.

Quarry Mountain is less trafficked than the popular Park City resort trail networks and the Wasatch Crest area. This is where it delivers its specific value: you’re on a legitimate mountain trail with Wasatch views above a ski resort town, without sharing it with the volume of foot traffic the resort corridors draw.

The Summit

From the high point, the view encompasses the Wasatch Range above Park City, the Snyderville Basin to the north and west, and the ski resort infrastructure in the valleys below. The combination of mountain terrain above and the resort-and-residential valley below is a specific Park City perspective: you’re above the thing that defines the town’s economy, looking at it from the mountain it depends on.

For photography: the summit’s north and west orientation makes afternoon the natural light window for the Snyderville Basin view. The Wasatch peaks behind Park City to the south and east catch morning light. Fall color in the aspen groves below the summit in late September gives the approach a warm color frame for summit shots looking back down the trail.

Trail Difficulty and Length

Quarry Mountain Trail is approximately 2.8 miles roundtrip with 700 feet of elevation gain.

Moderate is the accurate rating. Budget 2-3 hours for the roundtrip at a comfortable pace with time at the summit.

Dog Friendly?

Yes. Dogs are welcome on leash. The aspen and open terrain sections are comfortable for most dogs. Bring water; the trailhead proximity to a residential area means no creek access on the approach. The trail is moderate enough for most trail-fit dogs.

What to Bring

Water: 1.5-2 liters for the moderate distance. Layers for the exposed summit sections. Sun protection for the open terrain above the trailhead. Trail runners or hiking boots work on this terrain.

For photography: mid-range for the valley views and the Wasatch backdrop, wide-angle for the full panorama at the summit. Afternoon visits for the Snyderville Basin light.

Best Time to Hike Quarry Mountain

May through October. The trail can hold snow into April and early May; check current conditions for early season visits. Summer hiking is good with an early start on hot days.

September and October are the best months for fall color in the aspen groves and reduced crowds. The Park City area in September, before ski season begins and after the peak summer hiking traffic, is notably quieter. This trail benefits from that timing more than most.

Winter is possible with microspikes or snowshoes. The trail’s proximity to Park City means it’s often tracked by winter users and the lower sections are more reliable for winter access than higher-elevation routes.

Rules and Regulations

Leave No Trace principles apply. Stay on the designated trail. Dogs on leash. Be respectful of the residential trailhead access; park only in designated areas. Pack out all trash.

Where to Stay in Park City

Park City has full resort town lodging infrastructure. For points travelers, check available Marriott Bonvoy properties in Park City, IHG Rewards hotels in Park City, and Hilton Honors options in Park City. Summer and fall weekends fill fast. Salt Lake City is 35-40 minutes west on I-80.

Camping Nearby

Park City and the surrounding Wasatch Back don’t have camping in the immediate vicinity of the Quarry Mountain trailhead. Big Cottonwood Canyon and Mill Creek Canyon on the Salt Lake Valley side have developed campgrounds and dispersed sites accessible within a 45-minute drive.

Nearby Adventures

PC Hill is the other Park City-specific local trail, likely shorter or lower-elevation. Worth knowing about as a companion for less-committed days or recovery days from a Park City base.

Clayton Peak via Bloods Lake Trail is the harder Park City-area summit option: 5.5 miles / 1,600 feet from the Guardsman Pass area. Quarry Mountain and Clayton Peak together bracket the accessible range of summit hikes from Park City without driving far.

The Round Valley trail system is the Park City cross-sport network for hiking, biking, and running. More trail volume than Quarry Mountain with a broader difficulty range, and accessible from multiple Park City trailheads.

Plan This Hike

AllTrails has Quarry Mountain mapped with offline capability and condition reports. Download before heading to the trailhead. Plan your hike on AllTrails and use the GPS track to confirm the route.

Chase the Quiet

Park City has one of the higher concentrations of trail traffic per capita of any mountain town in the American West. The resort corridor trails on race days or peak summer weekends can feel less like wilderness than a gym with better views. Quarry Mountain is the trail that keeps its distance from that. Same town, same mountains, more of the trail to yourself. Sometimes that’s the whole reason to go.

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