Description
On the hill to the west sits the highlight of Utah Olympic Park: The Comet bobsled track.
The run is 1,335 metres of pure, icy fun with 15 curves and a drop of over 31 metres. This incredible ride is maintained with 87 kilometers of piping and 50,000 kilogramms of ammonia refrigeration to keep the track at -26 (!) degrees Celsius in winter.
A professional pilot takes up to three visitors down with him in the "Comet" - also in summer. When the track has thawed out and the sleighs are equipped with wheels, the bob shoots down the asphalt at a speed of just under 100 km/h per hour.
But the ride is not for the faint-hearted! The sled covers the entire track in just 54 seconds (approx. 5 seconds slower than a victorious Olympic time), with a top speed of over 100 kilometers per hour. The ride also generates up to 4-5 times the force of gravity. Participants must be at least 16 years of age for the winter season and at least 13 years of age for the summer season.
For adventurous people, however, this is an Olympic experience that's not to be missed!
Historical Information
The Utah Olympic Park was built for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and is located in Park City, just 25 miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah.
The facility covers an area of almost 400 hectares and houses six ski jumps, a museum of the 2002 Games and, among other adventure activities, one of only four bobsled tracks in North America.
The "Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games Sliding Track" was not only used for bobsledding, but also luge and skeleton events that took place during the games.
How to get there
From Salt Lake City, take the I-80 E to the UT-224 S in Summit County. Take exit 145 towards Kimball Jct. Follow the UT-224 and turn right onto Olympic Pkwy. This will take you directly to Utah Olympic Park.