Heber City and Midway sit side by side in the high valley at the top of Provo Canyon, close enough to Utah Valley for a half day. This is the list version: what there is to do, what it costs, when it runs and where to park, so you can choose before you drive. For the story of the valley, the drive through the canyon, where to eat and what happened to the Ice Castles, read our Heber Valley and Midway day-trip guide, which this page is built to sit beside.
Getting there
OpenStreetMap routing puts the Heber Valley Railroad depot about 28 miles and 39 minutes from Center Street and University Avenue in Provo, and Midway Town Hall about 27 miles and 38 minutes, both without traffic. The route is US-189 up Provo Canyon and along Deer Creek Reservoir; at Charleston, the left fork goes to Midway and the straight road into Heber. Construction on US-189 at Deer Creek can add time, and our news brief on the widening has the schedule.
Three things that save money
The state parks pass. Three state parks ring the valley. Paying day-use at all three on separate trips runs $50 or more in summer, and a $125 annual Utah state parks pass, as listed in 2026, covers all of them.
The free stuff is good. Cascade Springs, the Heber Valley Artisan Cheese farm store and the walk around Midway's square cost nothing, and Swiss Days and Christmas on the Square are free to walk.
Sundays are quiet. The railroad depot and the cheese farm store list Sunday as closed. The outdoors does not close.
Thirteen things to do in Heber and Midway
1. The Crater at Homestead
A natural hot spring inside a limestone dome in Midway, with water that stays between about 90 and 96 degrees in every season and reaches roughly 65 feet at its deepest. You can soak and swim, take a paddleboard yoga class, snorkel, or scuba dive, including a beginner introduction for ages 10 and up, and climb to the observation deck on top of the dome. Getting there: 700 Homestead Drive, Midway. Cost: $30 for a one-hour soak, as listed in October 2026. Season: Year-round; soak hours were 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. weekdays and 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. weekends. The Crater plans to close for renovations in April and May of 2027. Book ahead for weekends. Our hot springs guide compares it with the free springs. The Crater
2. Heber Valley Railroad
The Heber Creeper's scenic trains leave the Heber depot for Deer Creek Reservoir. In fall 2026 the scenic list was the Deer Creek Express, a 90-minute round trip running most days at 1 and 3:30 p.m., plus the Red Caboose and a Monday Night Train; the specials were the Pumpkin Train, the Halloween Express (Monday, Thursday and Friday evenings in October), Witches Night Out, a wine tasting train and the North Pole Express. Active-duty military and veterans ride the scenic trains free. Our Heber Creeper guide has the history and the track work. Getting there: 450 South 600 West, Heber City. Cost: Ticketed; the site lists prices at checkout. Season: Year-round, with themed trains in October and December. Heber Valley Railroad
3. Soldier Hollow Nordic Center
The 2002 Olympic cross-country and biathlon venue inside Wasatch Mountain State Park, and a public playground the rest of the time. In summer it rents mountain bikes and e-bikes and sells a summer trail pass; in winter it runs what it calls the longest tubing lanes in Utah, 1,200 feet of sliding with a magic carpet back up, in two-hour sessions with date-based pricing. The 2026-27 tubing season is set to close March 13, 2027, weather permitting, and children under 3 cannot tube. Our Soldier Hollow guide goes deeper. Getting there: Courtland C. Nelson Day Lodge, 2002 Soldier Hollow Lane, Midway. Cost: Varies by activity and date. Season: Year-round. Soldier Hollow
4. Biathlon at Soldier Hollow
The rare chance to shoot on a range certified for World Cup biathlon. Staff coach participants, 10 and up, on the same model of .22 caliber Anschutz rifle used at the Olympics; in summer the course is on foot, and in winter it is on skis or snowshoes. The private Silver experience, for 2 to 10 people, was listed at $125 per person for 75 minutes, with a short group competition at the end. Getting there: Soldier Hollow Nordic Center. Cost: $125 per person for the Silver package, as listed in October 2026. Season: Year-round, by reservation; the range closes at times for events and the seasonal changeover. Biathlon experiences
5. Wasatch Mountain State Park
The mountainside behind Midway. The park has four 18-hole golf courses in two places, the Mountain and Lake courses at Wasatch Mountain and the Gold and Silver at Soldier Hollow, plus 122 developed campsites with showers, cabins and yurts, OHV trails, disc golf, archery, and snowshoeing and snowmobiling in winter. It is also where the seasonal road to Cascade Springs starts. Getting there: 1281 Warm Springs Road, Midway. Cost: $10 per car day-use, $5 for seniors, as listed in October 2026. Season: Year-round. Wasatch Mountain State Park
6. Deer Creek State Park
The reservoir beside US-189 on the way in, with a beach, swimming, boating, kayaking, fishing, windsurfing, an aqua park and a zip line run by a park partner. The park is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. year-round, with self-pay at every entrance. Our Deer Creek and Jordanelle guide compares the two reservoirs. Getting there: The main entrance is off US-189, the highway you drive in on; the park's Wallsburg area has the big group pavilions. Cost: $20 per vehicle from March 19 to October 20, $15 from October 21 to March 18, as listed in October 2026. Season: Year-round. Deer Creek State Park
7. Jordanelle State Park
The bigger reservoir above Heber on the way to Park City, split into three recreation areas, Hailstone, Rock Cliff, with its nature center, and Ross Creek. It has camping, cabins and cottages, beaches, boating, fishing, equestrian trails and dark-sky viewing. Getting there: Above Heber along US-40 toward Park City; the park lists Hailstone and Rock Cliff with separate phone numbers. Cost: $20 per vehicle at Hailstone, Rock Cliff or Ross Creek in peak season, May through October, and $10 in the off-season at Hailstone, as listed in October 2026; walk-ins are $5. Season: Year-round; camping closes November through March. Jordanelle State Park
8. Cascade Springs
A large artesian spring above Midway, where more than seven million gallons of water a day flow over natural terraces and pools. Easy boardwalks, benches and bridges let you watch trout in the water, some of the trail is wheelchair accessible, and signs explain the plants. In October 2026 the Forest Service listed the flush toilets as closed, with a vault toilet at the self-pay station. Our Cascade Springs guide has the road details. Getting there: The seasonal Cascade Springs road from Wasatch Mountain State Park, or from the Alpine Loop. Cost: A self-pay station sits at the site. Season: Summer and early fall, while the road is open. Forest Service: Cascade Springs
9. Heber Valley Artisan Cheese
A fourth-generation family dairy in Midway that lets visitors in: daily dairy farm tours, cheese tastings, monthly classes in making mozzarella or burrata, and a fall festival with a hay maze, a corn pit, a hay slide and a bounce house. The farm store sells the cheese. Getting there: 920 River Road, Midway. Cost: The store is free to visit; tours and classes are booked on the farm's site. Season: Store open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed Sunday. Heber Valley Artisan Cheese
10. Commemorative Air Force Utah Wing museum
A hangar of vintage aircraft at the Heber airport, kept by the Commemorative Air Force's Utah Wing. Its season is short: May through October, Saturdays only, with group visits at other times by arrangement. Getting there: The CAF hangar at Russ McDonald Field, Heber Valley Airport. Cost: The wing's page does not list admission. Season: Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., May through October. CAF Utah Wing museum
11. Midway Swiss Days
Midway's Labor Day weekend festival: hundreds of artisan and vendor booths, Swiss German food, live music, a children's area with a bounce house and climbing wall, and a parade on Saturday at 10 a.m. Our Swiss Days guide covers parking in detail. Getting there: Midway's town center; the city recommends the parking shuttle. Cost: Free to walk. Season: The Friday and Saturday before Labor Day; September 4 and 5 in 2026. Midway City: Swiss Days
12. Soldier Hollow Classic
Border collies and their handlers working sheep across an open mountainside, along with agility and cart-pulling competitions, at the Olympic venue. It is a Memorial Day event now, not a Labor Day one: the 2026 edition ran May 22 to 25 with competitors from 20 countries. Our sheepdog Classic guide explains how to watch a trial. Getting there: Soldier Hollow, Midway. Cost: Ticketed. Season: Memorial Day weekend. KPCW on the 2026 Classic
13. Wasatch County Fair Days
The county fair's long run at the end of July: in 2026 a demolition derby on July 23 to 25, a Party in the Park and talent contest, the junior livestock sale, a $5 barbecue dinner and a movie in the park, then the Mountain Valley Stampede rodeo from July 30 to August 1, with a Fair Days parade at 4 p.m. and a balloon launch on the last day. Our fair and rodeo guide has ticket details. Getting there: Wasatch County Event Complex, Heber City. Cost: Varies by event. Season: Late July into August. TownLift on Fair Days 2026
Matching the list to the day
| If you have | Do | Skip |
|---|---|---|
| Two hours | Cascade Springs or the cheese farm, Midway's square | The railroad (90 minutes plus boarding) |
| A half day | The Crater or the Creeper, plus one state park | Soldier Hollow biathlon (book ahead) |
| A full summer day | Railroad, a reservoir, dinner in Heber | Nothing; add Park City on the way home |
| A winter evening | The Crater, or a Soldier Hollow tubing session | Cascade Springs (road closed) |
Our Park City summer list is 20 minutes farther up US-40, and the Mirror Lake gateway list for Kamas is half an hour north.
Related Guides
- Heber Valley and Midway from Provo: The Day Trip Through the Canyon
- The Heber Creeper: A Complete Guide to the Heber Valley Railroad
- Soldier Hollow Guide
- Deer Creek and Jordanelle
- The Middle Provo River for fly fishing
- Best Day Trips from Provo
Frequently Asked Questions
How far are Heber and Midway from Provo?
How much does it cost to swim in the Homestead Crater?
How much is the day-use fee at Deer Creek, Jordanelle and Wasatch Mountain state parks?
Do veterans ride the Heber Creeper free?
When is Midway Swiss Days?
Is the Soldier Hollow sheepdog championship still on Labor Day?
Can you tour a dairy farm in Midway?
What is open in Heber and Midway in winter?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Wasatch Mountain State Park, Utah State Parks. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Wasatch Mountain State Park fees, Utah State Parks. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Deer Creek State Park, Utah State Parks. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Deer Creek State Park fees, Utah State Parks. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Jordanelle State Park, Utah State Parks. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Jordanelle State Park fees, Utah State Parks. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Cascade Springs, USDA Forest Service, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Midway City: Swiss Days, Midway City. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Christmas on the Square, Midway City. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Homestead Midway Utah: The Crater, Homestead Midway Utah. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Heber Valley Railroad. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Soldier Hollow Nordic Center, Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation: Winter Tubing, Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Biathlon Experiences, Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Heber Valley Artisan Cheese. Checked October 19, 2026.
- CAF Utah Heber Valley Museum, Commemorative Air Force Utah Wing. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Memorial Day sheepdog championship to draw thousands to Wasatch County, KPCW. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Wasatch County Fair Days continues with rodeo, carnival and community events, TownLift. Checked October 19, 2026.
- The Crater at Homestead and Heber Valley Railroad listings, Google Places. Checked October 19, 2026.
- OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap data), drive estimates from Center St & University Ave, Provo, Project OSRM. Checked October 19, 2026.
