Salt Lake City is officially in the Winter Games host lineup—again. An Olympics return is a big deal for Park City, which is slated to host roughly half of the 2034 events at three veteran 2002 venues: Utah Olympic Park (UOP), Deer Valley Resort, and Park City Mountain. Peering a decade into the future translates into opportunity and less-than-concrete plans. Here’s what we know now, although everything is subject to change.

What’s Familiar

Locally, the 84060 and 84098 venues will serve up competitions much like in 2002. Deer Valley is teed up for freestyle moguls and aerials on Champion and White Owl, respectively. Park City Mountain is looking at halfpipe and slopestyle events. Nordic ski jumping and sliding events (bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge) will glide back into the Utah Olympic Park. Wasatch Back’s Soldier Hollow plans to welcome the return of cross-country and biathlon events, which haven’t been intertwined at the same venue concurrently since 2002, according to Colin Hilton, who wears a few Olympic-related hats as Olympic Legacy Foundation CEO and member of the SLC bid-turning-organizing committee. 

What’s New

A third venue, the Utah Olympic Park’s Spencer F. Eccles Olympic Mountain Center (a.k.a. West Peak), will be in play this time around, creating space for events like freestyle skiing and snowboard cross and snowboard parallel giant slalom. While Paralympics events did not grace Park City venues in 2002, they are currently slated to do so in 2034. For example, the UOP will likely host para snowboarding banked slalom. There are 40 percent more events planned for the 2034 games than 2002, yet only one additional snow site (Big Air in downtown SLC, site of the former Olympic medals plaza) has been added to the mix. So, in general, expect busier venues. 

Opportunities on the Horizon

An Olympics bid can serve as a catalyst for getting stuff done. “The best thing about a future [Winter] Games is that it’s a date certain in the future,” says Hilton. “Having a deadline is good. It won’t move. You can’t keep punting issues, and it forces people to make a series of decisions over a period of years—and that’s where the long lead-up time is a good thing.” 

According to Hilton, the Olympics opens the door for the organizing committee to lean into key initiatives spearheaded by the communities involved: Park City, Summit County, Wasatch County, and Salt Lake City. Olympics-charged (and funded) support can help a range of micro- and macro-efforts regarding water quality, clean air, transportation, economic development, and more. For Park City, those goals will crystallize as consultants, neighborhood committees, and staff hash out the latest version of the city’s General Plan (which is currently undergoing its every-10-year revamp). Yes, hot, growth-related, local issues like traffic, transportation, and sustainability will likely surface as Olympics excitement builds. 

“Right now, we’re having high-level conversations about who we want to be in 2035,” explains Park City Mayor Nann Worel. “What are our city’s goals? Where do we see ourselves? And how can the Olympics help get us there?” 

How to Get Involved

Free and fun Olympics-level events (as well as tier-two and even devo comps) routinely grace local venues. Grab the cowbells, show up, cheer, and get to know the sport and the up-and-coming local and international athletes at big-time competitions such as Deer Valley’s Freestyle World Cup held in February in non-Olympic years, Soldier Hollow’s biathlon World Cup likely held in March, a menu of sliding events at the Utah Olympic Park, and, potentially, Grand Prix-type events in years to come at Park City Mountain. 

At this point, no formal Olympics volunteer training or sign-ups exist. For those looking to get a jump on becoming a 2034 volunteer, pick a sport you love and get involved with a related club, nonprofit, or event at Deer Valley, Park City Mountain, Utah Olympic Park, or Soldier Hollow. According to Hilton, seasoned technical officials and volunteers who worked at the 2002 Games are eager to pass the torch—and, more importantly, their skills—to the next generation.