UTAH AND SALT LAKE CITY

UTAH AND SALT LAKE CITY

Individuals unfamiliar with the State of Utah and Salt Lake City are often quite surprised at the wealth and variety of “things to do and see.”

Geography

Most of Utah lies on a plateau above 4,000 feet in elevation. The Wasatch and High Plateau Ranges of the Rocky Mountains span the heart of the state for 300 miles from north to south. To the east is the Uintah Range, Utah’s most rugged and highest mountain wilderness. To the east and south is the Colorado River Plateau with its famed red rock country, accented by snowcapped mountains and ten national parks and monuments. To the west, Utah’s Rocky Mountains slide into the state's major communities and farmland and then roll away to the remote mountain ranges of the Great Basin Desert. Carving a large slice out of northwestern Utah are the Great Salt Lake and the Bonneville Salt Flats. In land area, Utah ranks 11th in size among the states with 84,900 square miles.

Weather 

There’s a saying here in Utah: “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.” Our weather is as varied as our terrain. Some of our mountains receive over 500 inches of snow in the winter. In the summer, parts of the state can reach temperatures well over 100°F. Spring and fall bring every type of weather imaginable—sunny mornings, rainy afternoons, snowy nights, and everything in-between. Our advice? Come prepared for anything!

Population

As of the 2008 census, the population of Utah was about 2.85 million. Utah has a high fertility rate, which has contributed to a 29.6% growth in population during the past decade.  Utah is among several states in the Intermountain West experiencing significant immigrations and increasing diversity. Persons of color (Hispanic, African-American, American Indian, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander) now make up nearly 12% of the population. In recent years, the fastest growing ethnic group in Utah has been the Latino/a population, now making up 11% of the overall population.

Sports

Sports enthusiasts find plenty of exciting year-round athletic action throughout the state of Utah. The Salt Lake Metropolitan area is home to four professional sports teams. Basketball fans may watch the NBA's Utah Jazz in action at the Energy Solutions Arena (formally the Delta Center). Major League Soccer has come to Utah, with Real Salt Lake currently constructing a new state of the art venue in Salt Lake County. Utah's newest professional sports team is the Utah Blaze, playing in the Arena Football League. Ice hockey fans can watch the AHL Utah Grizzlies at The "E" Center, Utah’s newest entertainment center. During the summer, baseball fans enjoy watching the Salt Lake Bees, the Triple-A affiliate of the Anaheim Angels at Franklin Covey Field, which offers a “classic baseball” experience. Fans of college sports will find one of the NCAA's most entertaining and bitter rivalries between the Brigham Young University Cougars and the University of Utah Utes.

Outdoor Recreation

For the outdoor recreational enthusiast, Utah is truly a paradise. Boasting "The Greatest Snow on Earth," Utah is home to 13 world class ski resorts, not to mention being the host of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Utah is world famous for its skiing, due to a favorable combination of great mountains, elevation, and storms that gather strength over the warm waters of the Great Salt Lake before dumping light, dry snow. During the 2007-2008 ski season, more than 800 inches of snow fell at some ski resorts. When you arrive in Utah, you will immediately notice the proximity of the mountains to the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. With 11 resorts within an hour drive of Salt Lake City, skiers and snowboarders will be thrilled to call themselves "locals" in this winter wonderland.

Twenty three percent of the state is administered by the National Forest Service. There are hundreds of miles of backcountry roads and trails, many of which are accessible only by four-wheel drive and/or hardy backpacking. Utah has over 1,000 lakes, rivers and streams and there are over 375 public and private campgrounds throughout the state. Jeeping, sailing, wind surfing, kayaking, rock climbing and mountain biking are extremely popular during the warmer months of the year (April through October). The sport of whitewater river rafting began in Utah and there are over 400 miles of raftable rivers, including the Green, Colorado, and San Juan Rivers. A Utah bike trip will color your thinking forever, whether it's a wide open desert ride with spectacular red rock vistas or a lush green mountain trail lined with yellow wild flowers. Utah has developed a world class reputation from Moab's famous Slickrock trail and is fast becoming known for wonderfully diverse alpine mountain biking, including lift-served access at many ski resorts.   

Arches National Park

With five national parks, Utah is America’s “National Parks Capital” (distances from Salt Lake City):

• Arches National Park (232 miles) — contains the world’s largest concentration of natural stone arches. The 73,000-acre region has over 2,000 of these “miracles of nature.”
  
• Bryce Canyon National Park (256 miles) — thousands of delicately carved spires and pinnacles rise in brilliant color from the amphitheaters of Bryce Canyon. The etched cliffs come alive with the rising and setting of the sun.
  
• Canyonlands National Park (249 miles) — here you will see thousands of feet down to the Green and Colorado Rivers, or thousands of feet up to red rock pinnacles, cliffs and Spires. As Utah’s largest national park, Canyonlands has been naturally sliced into three distinctive districts: The Island in the Sky, The Needles, and The Maze.
  
• Capitol Reef National Park (229 miles) — this park is characterized by sandstone formations, cliffs, and canyons, and a 100-mile long bulge in the earth’s crust called the Waterpocket Fold. Capitol Reef has been intriguing visitors with its twisting canyons, massive domes, monoliths and spires of sandstone for the past century.
  
• Zion National Park (321 miles) — Designated in 1919, Zion is Utah’s oldest national park. Zion Canyon features soaring towers and monoliths that suggest a quiet grandeur. Zion is also known for its incredible slot canyons, including “The Narrows,” which attracts hikers from around the world.

Utah is also home to seven National Monuments — Cedar Breaks, Dinosaur, Hovenweep, Natural Bridges, Rainbow Bridge, Timpanogos Cave, and the new Grand Staircase-Escalante, as well as two National Recreation areas. Flaming Gorge is one of the largest freshwater lakes in America and has excellent power-boating, fishing, water skiing and parasailing. Glen Canyon contains Lake Powell, the second-largest man made reservoir in the world.  Lake Powell is 200 miles long, contains almost 2,000 miles of sand-stone shoreline and offers superb fishing, boating, scuba diving, water skiing, parasailing and swimming.

City Life
Salt Lake City is a montage of modern high-rises, commercial centers, unique sightseeing attractions, classic buildings, historic sites, excellent restaurants, and beautiful shopping malls. Twelve public golf courses are within 30 minutes of the downtown area. The city is home to three nationally acclaimed ballet dance companies, as well as the Utah Opera Company and many fine art galleries and historical and art museums. The Utah Symphony is world renowned and performs 260 concerts yearly. The orchestra frequently records with the world famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Salt Lake’s evolution continues forward with the recent debuts of the architecturally stunning Library Square in downtown Salt Lake City and the excitement of hands-on learning at the Clark Planetarium and Children’s Museum within the Gateway Mall.