Lay of the Land

Outside City Limits: Kimball

By Jane Gendron June 27, 2022 Published in the Summer/Fall 2022 issue of Park City Magazine

Vibe

A plucky adolescent in comparison to historic Old Town, Kimball serves up vibrant ambience with a side of growing pains. Back in the ’90s, there wasn’t much at the crossroads of I-80 and Hwy 224, save for the outlet malls and the controversial Kmart. Today, it’s a humming patchwork of strip malls with local and big-box shops, burgeoning residential spots, and sleek condos and hotels. Its most lovable charms—namely, sneaky-good (and affordable) local cuisine, athlete-nurturing stomping grounds, and a 1,500-acre nature preserve—soften the suburban feel. Quieter neighborhoods have sprouted up on both sides of the highway and behind the outlet shops, and exclusive Glenwild sits on vast acreage to the north. Recently, hopes for a “Silicon Slopes” renaissance have fizzled. While remnants of this endeavor are evident in the cool Skullcandy HQ, the “tech park” plans have been scrapped, and a contentious, high-density residential development proposal is now knocking on Park City’s “front door.”

Play

Tap into the spirit of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games with summertime, high-flying fun (ropes courses, zip lines, extreme tubing, and more) at Utah Olympic Park; you might also catch the Flying Ace All-Stars show at the park’s pool or just choose to wander the free museums. Sign up for a guided nature walk at Swaner Preserve, and check out the on-site EcoCenter. For a fitness fix, drop into a HIIT class or work out on your own at Basin Recreation Fieldhouse. Trailheads at the Olympic Park, and across the highway at Spring Creek, access varied terrain for hikes and bike rides. Dog lovers will relish off-leash time with their four-legged buddies at Run-A-Muk trail.