Interactive Family Guide to Sundance
Your family's guide to the land of the sleeping princess and mountain adventures.
Ready for Your Mountain Adventure?
This interactive guide transforms a detailed travel report into a fun, explorable experience. Discover wildlife flashcards, explore Ute legends, view weather comparisons, and plan your perfect mountain getaway with engaging visuals and hands-on activities.
🦌 The Mountain & Wildlife
Learn about Mount Timpanogos through science and legend, then explore interactive wildlife and wildflower cards that turn hikes into scavenger hunts.
📚 Stories Through Time
Discover three eras of history with an interactive timeline: the Ute people, Mormon pioneers, and Robert Redford's artistic vision for Sundance.
🎨 Your Adventure Planner
Organize activities by category, view a sample 3-day itinerary, check weather differences, and get altitude tips with packing checklists.
Interactive Family Guide to Sundance
Welcome to Sundance
Your family's guide to the land of the sleeping princess.
This interactive guide is your family's storybook for the adventure ahead. We've transformed a detailed travel report into a fun, explorable experience. Use the navigation above or simply scroll to discover the nature, history, and activities that await you in the heart of Utah's mountains. Let's begin our journey!
The Mountain's Embrace
To truly know Sundance, you must first get to know Mount Timpanogos, the majestic peak that watches over the valley. The mountain tells two stories at once: an ancient tale written in stone and ice, and a timeless legend of love and loss. Understanding both will transform your view from a simple backdrop into a living character in your family's adventure.
The Scientific Story: A Living Museum
The rock you see is limestone, formed on an ancient seafloor 300 million years ago and later pushed miles into the sky. During the last Ice Age, giant glaciers carved the mountain's face, sculpting the sharp ridges and wide bowls. It's a dramatic history of oceans, tectonic power, and immense ice that created the stunning landscape you see today.
11,752 ft
Peak Elevation
300M
Years Old (Rock)
The Ute Legend: The Sleeping Princess
For centuries, people have seen the shape of a reclining woman in the mountain's ridgeline. This inspired the Ute legend of Princess Utahna. Heartbroken after her love was lost in battle, she climbed to the highest peak to die. The Great Spirit, moved by her sorrow, immortalized her form in the stone. As you gaze at the summit, see if you can find the resting princess.
Can you see her?
Look for the outline of a face, chest, and knees along the top ridge.
Explore the Wild
The forests and meadows around Sundance are teeming with life. This section is a fun, interactive field guide for young explorers. Turn your hikes into a scavenger hunt! Click the buttons to switch between animals and flowers, then tap on a card to learn a fun fact or story.
Echoes in the Canyon
The land you are visiting has been shaped by three distinct eras of human history. First came the original inhabitants, then the pioneering settlers, and finally a visionary artist. Use the interactive timeline below to explore these three acts and understand the layers of stories embedded in the landscape.
Your Family Adventure
Now that you know the land and its stories, you're ready to create your own! This section is your practical guide to the fun. We've organized activities into simple categories. Below that, you'll find a sample 3-day itinerary to help you make the most of your time.
🏔️ On the Mountain
- Scenic Lift Rides
- Hike to Stewart Falls
- Horseback Riding
- Kid-Friendly Zip Line
- Fly Fishing Lessons
🎨 Art Studio Fun
- Pottery & Wheel Throwing
- Jewelry Making
- Soap Making
- Journal Making & Painting
- Glassblowing Demos
👧 Just for Kids
- Nature Day Camp (Ages 5-12)
- Themed Weeks (e.g., Animal Adventures)
- Outdoor Play & Crafts
- Environmental Education
🚗 Valley Day Trips
- See Bridal Veil Falls
- BYU Dinosaur Museum
- Bean Life Science Museum
- Rockwell's Ice Cream
A Sample 3-Day Plan
Click a day to see a suggested plan.
Trip Planner
A little preparation goes a long way. This final section is your practical dashboard for a safe and comfortable trip. Here you'll find a comparison of mountain vs. valley weather, tips for dealing with the high altitude, and a handy packing checklist.
Mountain vs. Valley Weather (July)
Go Slow: Rest on day one. Let your bodies adjust.
Hydrate: Drink water regularly in the dry air.
Watch for Symptoms: Look for headaches, fussiness, or poor appetite in kids. If symptoms worsen or don't improve, go to a lower elevation.
- ✔️ T-shirts & shorts
- ✔️ Long pants & fleece jacket (for cool evenings)
- ✔️ Light waterproof/windproof jacket
- ✔️ Sturdy walking shoes or hiking boots
- ✔️ Sun hats, sunglasses, high-SPF sunscreen
- ✔️ Reusable water bottles
Sundance Mountain Infographic
SUNDANCE MOUNTAIN
Where Art Meets Nature
Explore Mount Timpanogos through the lens of three distinct eras: Ute heritage, pioneer dreams, and artistic vision.
Mount Timpanogos by the Numbers
11,752
Feet High
Utah's second tallest peak
15
Miles Long
The sleeping princess ridge
7,200
Sundance Base
Elevation in feet
1969
Resort Founded
By Robert Redford
Three Eras, One Mountain
🏛️ The Timpanogos Utes (Centuries Ago)
This mountain was the heart of Ute territory, a place of seasonal gathering, hunting, and spiritual significance. The Timpanogos Utes lived in harmony with the natural cycles, following game and gathering plants across the varied elevation zones.
🌟 Legend: The Sleeping Princess
Ute legend tells of a beautiful princess who died of a broken heart and became the mountain's profile.
⛪ Pioneer Settlement (1849-1900s)
Mormon pioneers arrived seeking their promised land, establishing Provo in the valley below. They viewed the mountain as a resource to be utilized - timber for homes, streams for irrigation, and land for farming.
🏘️ Cultural Clash
Differing views of land ownership led to conflicts and the eventual displacement of the Ute people.
🎬 Artistic Vision (1969-Present)
Robert Redford purchased the land with a vision to "develop a little and preserve a great deal." Sundance became a retreat focused on independent arts, environmental consciousness, and intimate connection with nature.
🎭 Film Festival Legacy
The Sundance Film Festival celebrates independent filmmaking and launched many careers.
Mountain Weather Comparison
🌡️ Temperature Differences
Elevation makes a big difference! For every 1,000 feet up, temperature drops about 3-5°F.
Wildlife Spotlight
Mule Deer
Large ears help them hear predators. Can jump 8 feet high!
Mountain Goats
Special hooves help them climb steep rocky surfaces safely.
Golden Eagles
Soar on mountain thermals with 7-foot wingspans.
Family Adventure Highlights
Scenic Chairlift
Easy access to mountain views
Stewart Falls
200-foot waterfall hike
Art Studios
Pottery and painting classes
Stargazing
Dark mountain skies