Salt Lake City

Only about a half-hour drive separates the airport from powder slopes known to skiers worldwide – hardly any major city sits this close to the mountains. A city trip to Salt Lake City combines the history of the Mormon pioneers with the Wasatch Range, the Great Salt Lake, and a surprisingly laid-back urban culture.

The Pioneer City

In 1847, Brigham Young arrived in the valley with the first settlers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is said to have declared, "This is the place." The settlers laid out wide streets in a strict grid whose zero point is still Temple Square today – which is why many addresses carry designations like "400 South." Salt Lake City became the capital of the territory and later of the state of Utah. The 2002 Winter Olympics put the city in the international spotlight; the Games return in 2034.

Sights in Salt Lake City

The heart of downtown is Temple Square, home to the granite-gray Salt Lake Temple, which has been undergoing extensive renovation for several years, and the Tabernacle with its famous organ and choir, whose rehearsals are open to the public. The Utah State Capitol sits atop Capitol Hill above the city. The Natural History Museum of Utah displays impressive dinosaur finds, and Red Butte Garden is in bloom with desert and mountain plants. Southeast of downtown lies the Sugar House neighborhood with its park, shops, and cafés. A side trip to the Great Salt Lake is a must, for example to Antelope Island State Park, with its bison herds and sunsets over the salt water.

Eating and Going Out in Salt Lake City

Local specialties include fry sauce with french fries, fried scones with honey butter, and "funeral potatoes," a potato casserole served at family gatherings. If you thought there was no beer in Utah, think again: breweries have set up shop in Downtown, Central Ninth, and the Ballpark district, even if serving rules are stricter than elsewhere. The restaurant scene benefits from many newcomers and offers a wide range, from Pacific cuisine to Mexican taquerias. On summer Saturdays, Pioneer Park fills up with the Downtown Farmers Market.

Culture, Sports, and Festivals

The arts scene is livelier than many expect. The Utah Symphony performs at Abravanel Hall, and theater and musical productions run at the Eccles Theater. The Utah Museum of Fine Arts on the university campus shows art from around the world. In January, the Sundance Film Festival turns nearby Park City into a gathering place for the film industry; starting in 2027, however, the festival is moving to Boulder, Colorado. In basketball, the Utah Jazz thrill fans, and in hockey, the still-young NHL team Utah Mammoth. Pioneer Day on July 24 commemorates the settlers' arrival with parades and fireworks.

Getting Around Salt Lake City and the Best Time to Visit

The modernized Salt Lake City International Airport lies just a few miles to the west and is reachable by TRAX light rail. Within the city, light rail and buses operate, and the FrontRunner commuter train connects to Ogden and Provo. In winter, you head up the Cottonwood Canyons to Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, and Solitude, or to Park City. In summer, hikes in the Wasatch and excursions to the national parks to the south beckon. Spring and fall are mild; in winter, temperature inversions can trap smog in the valley.