Most visitors to the Park City area come for a taste of the world-class winter ski resorts or the first-rate summer hiking and mountain-biking. Many overlook the fact that the greater Salt Lake area, including Park City, remains one of a small handful of cities lucky enough to host the most famous sporting event in the world: the Olympics. A variety of points of interest associated with the 2002 Olympics remain open and accessible to the public, and should be on your list of things to see and do when visiting Park City Utah.

In 1995, the International Olympic Committee selected Salt Lake as the host of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. After considering locations in Canada, Switzerland, and Sweden, it was determined that Salt Lake had the most suitable infrastructure, terrain, and surroundings to successfully implement the 2002 games. During the two-week event 2,400 men and women competed in various events at facilities in Salt Lake, Ogden, Snowbasin, Park City, and Deer Valley.

While visiting Park City Utah, be sure to check out the site of the aerials and moguls events at Deer Valley Resort, as well as the slalom course. Or venture over to Park City Mountain Resort, host of the giant slalom, snowboard GS, and half-pipe events. If you’re feeling adventurous, you might even considering turning your own tricks in the renowned half-pipe on the front side of the mountain. If racing down an ice chute at furious speeds is more up your alley, visit the Utah Olympic Park, located at Kimball Junction. The bobsled, luge, and skeleton tracks continue function as a training facility to Olympic athletes, and the Nordic combined and ski jumping structures remain open to the public as well. And if a picture is all you’re after, check out the various murals that dot the bridges and roads surrounding Main Street, or cozy up to the statue behind the Kimball Art Center, representative of the 2002 Olympic theme, “Light the Fire Within.”

The legacy of the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games remains strong, as many winter sporting events are held annually at the Park City ski resorts. Deer Valley Resort is a regular host of International Ski Federation World Cup events, including the moguls and aerials competitions held annually in January. The resort also hosted the 2003 World Freestyle Championships, and will do so again in 2011. Park City Mountain Resort is the official training locale for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard teams, which are headquartered in Park City. The mountain also hosts annual international snowboard and half-pipe competitions.

Although several years have passed since the Olympic Games came to Utah, their impact on Park City is permanent and still apparent today. Whether you decide to test out the same runs as the Olympic athletes or simply opt for cheering on skiing and snowboarding’s future stars at one of the local resorts, be sure to check out the Olympic legacy during your stay in Park City.