Things to Do in Heber Valley Utah with Kids
Heber Valley, Utah is the perfect year round destination for families. During the warmer months, families can enjoy hiking, fishing, biking, and water sports. In winter, it is the perfect destination for skiing, tubing, and more. Families that want a well rounded vacation will find there are plenty of things to do in Heber Valley with its abundant natural beauty and historical attractions.
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Things to do in Heber Valley any time of year
Located just 50 minutes from Salt Lake City and 15 minutes from Park City, Heber Valley is home to three state parks, five pristine mountain golf courses, a Swiss themed town, world class fishing, and many amazing family friendly events.
Here you will find the towns of Heber City, Midway, and Heber Valley, and endless parks to explore along with year round events offering family fun for everyone. A visit to Heber City means a chance to create your own adventure!
1. Outdoor adventures
If your family loves sports, there are plenty of places to enjoy yourself in Heber Valley. Hit the links at one of five award winning golf courses in the area, each one with its own unique scenery and challenges.
Would your family rather spend time on the water? If so, then head for Deer Creek Reservoir where they can frolic all day long on the lake enjoying water skiing, riding wave runners, or throwing out a line to catch some fish.
The area is a hiker’s paradise with mountains, wildflower meadows, forested canyons, rocky ridges, and endless waterfalls, lakes, and streams.
Winter visitors will be delighted to find nearby Soldier Hollow which offers the longest tubing lanes in Utah. The hill has 1,200-foot sliding lanes with lift service for towing people up the hill for tubing day or night under the lights.
Deer Valley and Sundance ski resorts are both nearby, offering skiing and snowboarding in the winter. I know my kids would love to go there any time of year!
Photo credit: Heber Valley
2. Unique attractions
Maybe your family loves learning about the history of an area and connecting with the locals. There are many attractions that would satisfy this love of learning.
The Heber Valley Railroad is one of the most popular attractions here. The train covers 16 miles from the valley, winding its way across the Provo River, along the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains, and eventually into Provo Canyon. Along the way, passengers will see spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife. Not bad for a day riding the rails.
A unique experience you’ll find in Heber Valley is Homestead Crater, a 55 foot tall, beehive shaped limestone rock made over a period of 10,000 years. There’s a hole at the top of the dome that allows sunlight and fresh air to penetrate the cave below, but the interior is heated by the mineral water inside and stays at a constant temperature of 90-96 degrees Fahrenheit.
Visitors can swim, scuba dive, snorkel, or just enjoy a nice warm soak. The Homestead Crater is the only warm water scuba diving destination in the United States which makes it quite a popular attraction. This unique natural phenomenon would be at the top of our list on a visit to Heber Valley.
3. Year round fun in Heber Valley
There are festivals and entertainment aplenty in Heber Valley. There’s Wild West Days, a County Fair, Concerts in the Park, Swiss Days, and a North Pole Express Train during the holidays. Families would never be bored during a vacation to Heber Valley because there’s always something to do, and there’s always something fun for everyone.
If you are looking for other fun things to do in Utah, don’t miss our articles about St. George with kids and Zion with kids.
I’ve never been to Heber Valley, but it sounds idyllic. This is one thing I love about the western part of the U.S., there is always a variety of activities to enjoy year round.
There are so many places in Utah my husband and I want to visit. One day we will visit them all.
That does sound like a very relaxing place to be. It would be great right about now to just go outdoors and unplug.
Wow – I’ve never been there but it looks amazing. I am pinning this to put on my bucket list.
I have never been to Utah before but I love how idyllic it looks. The Crater looks like an amazing scuba destination.
Oh my goodness Heber Valley looks beautiful! I have never before thought of Utah as a good family vacation destination before – but my camera is screaming from the other room, ‘Take me! Take me!”.
I have lived in Utah my whole life and only been on the Heber Creeper once when I was 10 years old. I had no idea there was so much to do there, I know my family would enjoy several of these activities! Thanks for the ideas!
Beautiful. Adding this to my travel wish list. It so peaceful looking.
It does look peaceful doesn’t it? I think a lot of the American west is like that. Peaceful and waiting to be discovered.
You are absolutely welcome. I love when I can share things you might have overlooked in your own backyard. Enjoy!
I love it!
I was thinking the same thing Ana. The Crater looks fantastic!
I agree! I need some down time!
All these pictures remind me of my childhood. I loved the outdoors and was raised in Arizona. The scenery was quite similar. Thanks for sharing.
Looks like an amazing place. My hubby loves to fish so I need to share this with him.
I love the West coast but I’ve never been to Utah, it’s on my list though. Heber Valley seems to have something for everyone!
Wow, what a beautiful place to visit! I have always wanted to visit Utah.
Looks like a great place to visit. Glad you enjoy the peaceful scenery. Keep up the great work and live unstoppable!
I have never been to that part of Utah but I have been to Salt Lake and thought it was so beautiful – I need to stay a little longer the next time I am there so I can check some places out
This sounds like an ideal destination for those that love the great outdoors. I like being outside and participating in active pursuits – I wouldn’t mind a good hike soon…if I could get my sweetie on board.
I’ve always wanted to go to Utah! It seems like such a beautiful place to live and enjoy. Thanks for sharing a little more about it.
You’re welcome. Hope you get there soon!
Yes, I love the outdoors. Especially when the weather is good. Hiking is great, I need to do it more often too!
I’ve never been to SLC. Would love to explore it!
Thanks Rhonda!
It really does! Utah is a great destination.
Yes, I think it would be a great place to fish!
I was raised in Arizona too. It does look a lot like it. Thanks for commenting!
I’ve never been to Utah, but I know we’d love it too – and this looks gorgeous. We really love making the most out of outdoors and, having just come back from Switzerland, I really appreciated the fresh air and being away from the city. Sounds great.
We’ve never been to this part of Utah but it sounds like a beautiful family friendly destination. One to add to our list for future roadtrips. Thanks for sharing!
I have been longing to visit Utah for a while, now, and Heber Valley seems like a fantastic place to start.
I agree!