- Park City will launch its Bonanza Winter Shuttle on Friday, Dec. 19.
- The shuttle will run Friday to Sunday through April 19, 2026.
- The service is free, accommodates winter gear and aims to increase backcountry recreation access.
PARK CITY — A transit-to-trail service that Park City launched for the first time this summer and fall is now being tested in the wintertime.
Park City announced on Wednesday that it will launch the Bonanza Winter Shuttle starting on Friday, Dec. 19, which will operate through 30-minute intervals from 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through April 19, 2026, which is somewhat similar to a Trail Service route that debuted in July.
The weekend bus service traveled as far as Bloods Lake during the summer and fall, but that requires access to Guardsman Pass, a road that's closed during the winter.
Bus service will be slightly different in the winter, as part of the Park City-led system. It will run between Park City Transit's 9-Purple bus route's Montage Deer Valley stop and Bonanza Flat. Park City officials recommend that people reach the Montage stop by taking the 9-Purple at Old Town Transit Center, 445 Marsac Ave.
The shuttle, which can hold up to 11 riders at a time, has space for winter recreation gear, like cross-country skis and snowshoes, and up to four fat-tire bikes. Dogs are allowed on the buses, as well, as long as they are muzzled.
It will also be a zero-fare service, like Park City Transit. By offering access to the Bonanza Flat Conservation Area — a stop within the summer and fall route — city officials said they hope to offer more access to the backcountry for winter recreation.
"The new winter service expands access to the Bonanza Flat open space more than ever before, including three times as many service days and double the operating hours compared to previous seasons," officials said in a statement.
City officials said riders should be prepared for "variable mountain weather," and they advise that people should access backcountry terrain at their own risk. The Mountain Trails Foundation does groom trails that will be accessible through the service.
The winter service is funded by paid parking revenue collected during the summer season, which also helped fun the summer and fall service, according to the city. Deer Valley Resort, Mountain Trails Foundation, Utah Open Lands and the Talisker Club also helped.
Park City's summer and fall service to the backcountry trails averaged 770 riders per weekend in its first year, Park City Councilman Bill Ciraco said in October.
"It actually worked out really, really well for us," he said at the time. "It really is an effective tool in, sort of, managing demand in a way that helps you preserve the asset — it doesn't get trampled."
