We recently were able to spend a fun weekend at Daniel’s Summit Lodge with some of my extended family. Daniel’s Summit’s Lodge is located just about an hour outside of the Salt Lake City, located in the Heber Valley (near Park City, Utah). Daniel’s Summit Lodge sits in the Uinta Mountains and has some of the most gorgeous scenery you can imagine.
We were invited to come and enjoy some of the scenery, mountain air and play in the beautiful country surrounding the lodge. This was a real treat for us and we thoroughly enjoyed every second of our stay. If you are looking for a great way to have some outdoor fun in an unplugged environment (yay!) with your family, this is it! There are activities that you can do with all ages so that everyone can have fun!
There is so much to do here for families who are looking for a great vacation that may be close to home (if you are located in the Salt Lake city area) and for those who may travel to visit Utah. Either way, I don’t think you will be disappointed. My family is wondering when we get to go back!
We checked into our rooms and decided we needed to check out the Lodgepole Grill for some dinner. So good! The Lodgepole Grill specializes in old-fashioned Western favorites and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We ate here three times on our trip! Be sure to stop by on your visit or even if you are just passing by on your way through Daniel’s Canyon!
Daniel’s Summit Lodge: Horseback Riding
After a good night’s rest we woke up and headed out to do some horseback riding. I used to ride horses in college and was part of the Equestrian Club but it has been several years since I have been back in the saddle.
Our guides, Lance and Jim were so great. They were friendly and helpful and I enjoyed talking to Jim and getting to learn about him and his family on the trail ride!
We did our horseback riding in two trips so that we could fit everyone in our large group. Our guides took us on and off trails through beautiful aspens and meadows and over a few streams on a two hour ride.
Some of our family were first timers on a horse and were a little bit nervous to ride. But the guides were great at helping them feel comfortable and they all ended up loving it.
With scenery like this, how could you not enjoy it?!
The first trip of Horseback riders were lucky enough to see a Moose in the Aspen trees! How cool is that?
Our guides, Jim and his son Lance.
We took turns horseback riding and eating lunch at the Lodgepole Grill.
Daniel’s Summit Lodge: Razor Rentals
When we were all back together we changed clothes and got ready to take the Razors out for a 3 hour rental ride. We rented the Razors at Daniel’s Summit Lodge. We were able to drive straight from the Lodge right up into the mountains! You can also rent Razors through Uinta Recreation. These Razors can also be driven right from their rental facility or you can transport them with your own vehicle to an area you want to ride them in!
I have never driven a Razor or ridden in one. Oh my gosh! I had so much fun! I loved it and so did the whole family! I loved that we were able to all ride together. They felt so much safer to me than four-wheelers. And we had a blast cruising through the beautiful mountains on dirt roads.
We had a little bit of rain which was actually really nice. It cut down on the dust and made for some fun mud puddles to splash through! Grandma and the little kids were able to come along and enjoy the ride even though they weren’t old enough (or didn’t want) to drive!
(sorry for the blurry image…it’s hard to get a good picture when you’re riding in the Razor and covered in mud splashes!!)
Daniel’s Summit Lodge: Swimming
After our fun Razor ride, we cleaned up and headed into beautiful Heber City for some dinner. After enjoying dinner we headed back up to the Lodge where we went swimming and played some games in the lodge’s gathering room. It was a long and fun filled day and we were ready for bed!
Daniel’s Summit Lodge is open in the winter too. They have some great snowmobiling trails! We want to come back and enjoy the lodge this winter!
Strawberry Bay Marina: Pontoon Boat Ride and Fishing
The next day we ate breakfast at the Lodgepole Grill and then headed out to the Strawberry Bay Marina at Strawberry Reservoir for the day. It is a short 5 minute drive from Daniel’s Summit Lodge (10-15 minutes to the Marina). If you are from Utah, you most likely know about Strawberry Reservoir and have probably spent some time here. We have been several times and love to go camping here.
Strawberry Reservoir is one of Utah’s most popular fishing spots, receiving over 1.5 million angling hours annually and is part of the Blue Ribbon Fisheries program. Game fish in the reservoir include rainbow trout, bear lake cutthroat trout, kokanee salmon and crayfish.
We got to the reservoir and Strawberry Bay Marina had two Crest Pontoon Boats ready for us to take out onto the reservoir!
Our two fishing guides Jon and Josh Phillips were so great!! How lucky were we to be able to spend the day with them and learning all of their fishing secrets?! Too bad it didn’t help my fishing skills!
The Crest Pontoon boats were so amazing. It was so fun to be able to get our large group out on the water together to enjoy a day on the lake. These boats fit up to 9 passengers and that makes it perfect for being able to get the whole family out fishing together.
Jon and Josh took us out to some of their favorite fishing spots on Strawberry. Some of us had never been fishing before, and they were so patient helping and teaching us how to fish.
After some coaching of the girls, we had some success!! This girl was quite the fisherman on our fishing boat. She caught a couple that she had to throw back because they were 16-22 inch Cutthroat Trout.
The other boat caught several fish and we were able to take home a few to eat! We spent about four hours fishing and had a lovely day together.
The boats were so comfy and we enjoyed some snacks while waiting for the fish to bite. I feel like we need to get one of these pontoon boats for our own family! Wouldn’t that be nice? It just so happens that the owners of Strawberry Bay Marina own the only Crest Boat Dealership in Utah. So if you are looking for one of these nice boats, be sure to visit the dealership up at the Marina!
These boats can be rented by families to spend the day out on Strawberry Reservoir! You can also take a guided fishing tour like we did! All of these activities can be arranged through Strawberry Bay Marina. You can also follow along with them on their Facebook page. The Marina is also open in the winter for ice fishing and other winter activities!
Isn’t this scenery amazing? What a great way to enjoy the day!
What a great trip! The Heber Valley is so beautiful, easy to access and has an endless amount of fun outdoor activities the whole family can enjoy! If you are looking for some fun family activities be sure to check out the Heber Valley website for more ideas of what you can do in the Heber Valley and Park City area!
Be sure to stay tuned for an exciting giveaway…I may or may not be giving away a fun trip!
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Thanks to the following for a great trip in the Heber Valley!
Daniel’s Summit Lodge Facebook Page
Uinta Recreation Facebook Page
Strawberry Bay Marina Facebook Page
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