United Statessalt-lake-city
Discover routes, attractions, and guides in Salt Lake City.
5 routes
Salt Lake City R5: Polygamy FLDS (Warren Jeffs born 1955 died 2022 FBI Most Wanted convicted sexual assault, Yearning for Zion Ranch April 2008 462 children largest US child welfare operation, Colorado City Hildale FLDS headquarters now depopulated), Utah wildlife (Uinta Mountains only E-W major range continental US Kings Peak 4123m, elk 80-90,000 bulls 500kg antlers 1.7m, Ashley National Forest Flaming Gorge 150km reservoir 1964 dam, Colorado drains 40% Utah), University of Utah (1850 University of Deseret 34,000 students, Philo Farnsworth born 1906 Beaver Utah electronic television 1927 first image straight line, Huntsman Cancer Institute 1995 USD 500M Jon Huntsman USD 300M/year research, Mario Capecchi Nobel 2007 gene targeting knockout mice), LGBTQ (Capitol Hill most diverse, Utah Pride June 50,000 largest between SF and Chicago, LDS Proposition 8 USD 22M 2008, November 2015 Exclusion Policy reversed April 2019, SLC 75-80% Democratic, Encircle LGBTQ support Larsen 2017), Great Basin National Park (285km west, Wheeler Peak 3982m, Lehman Caves shields helictites, bristlecone pine oldest organisms Prometheus cut 1964 4862 years old most significant inadvertent destruction, Ely Nevada Northern Railway Museum best preserved steam), Rock art (Newspaper Rock 4 cultures 4000BCE to 19thC, Nine Mile Canyon 10,000 petroglyphs 60km highest density American West, Edge of Cedars Museum finest Ancestral Puebloan pottery, Hovenweep 1200-1300 CE towers most mysterious prehistoric achievement).
Salt Lake City R5: FLDS (Warren Jeffs FBI Most Wanted convicted 2007 2011 sexual assault died 2022, Yearning for Zion 462 children largest US child welfare 2008, Colorado City Hildale depopulated), wildlife (Uinta Mountains E-W only major range Kings Peak 4123m, elk 80-90,000 bulls 500kg, Flaming Gorge 1964 150km, Colorado drains 40% Utah), University of Utah (1850 34,000, Farnsworth born 1906 electronic TV 1927 first image line, Huntsman 1995 USD 500M USD 300M/year research, Capecchi Nobel 2007 gene targeting), LGBTQ (Capitol Hill, Pride June 50,000 largest SF to Chicago, LDS Prop 8 USD 22M, Exclusion Policy 2015 reversed 2019, SLC 75-80% Democratic, Encircle 2017), Great Basin NP (285km, Wheeler 3982m, Lehman Caves, Prometheus cut 1964 4862 years oldest history, Ely steam railway), rock art (Newspaper Rock 4 cultures, Nine Mile Canyon 10,000 petroglyphs highest density, Edge of Cedars finest Puebloan pottery, Hovenweep 1200-1300 towers).
Salt Lake City R4: Bonneville Salt Flats (46,000ha flattest large surface earth, Speed Week SCTA September, salt flats shrinking 40% since 1950 potash mining Intrepid, Wendover Nevada casinos dry Utah), Antelope Island (39km 700 bison 1893 first conservation attempt, pronghorn 95km/h fastest Western Hemisphere, brine fly billions per hectare Great Basin Shoshone food, 1.5M Wilsons phalaropes 85% world population August-September), Ski resorts (Alta 1939 ski-only no snowboards since 1994 1400cm/year 500 inches most challenging expert terrain, Snowbird aerial tram 10min Hidden Peak 11000ft 125 passengers, Park City Mountain largest US 7300 acres 2015 merger, Deer Valley most upscale valet ski parking top ranked US), Moab (5000 residents 3M visitors/year, Slickrock Bike Trail 1980s 35 degree slopes friction sandstone, Dead Horse Point 16km descent, Canyons MAZE most remote continental US 3-5 days 4WD), Architecture (Utah State Capitol 1916 copper dome 97m Richard Kletting, Cathedral Madeleine 1909 Gothic Revival finest High Victorian Gothic west Mississippi, Vivint Arena USD 28.5M naming rights 10 years, 2002 figure skating venue), Hiking (Cottonwood Canyons 20-40min to trailheads, Timpanogos 3582m 40,000 hikers/year, Timpanogos Cave 244m elevation gain stalactites helictites, Red Butte Garden summer concerts).
Salt Lake City R4: Bonneville (46,000ha flattest earth, Speed Week September, shrinking 40% 1950 potash mining, Wendover Nevada casinos), Antelope Island (700 bison 1893, pronghorn 95km/h, brine fly billions Shoshone food, 1.5M phalaropes 85% world August-September), ski (Alta 1939 no snowboards 1994 1400cm/year expert terrain, Snowbird aerial tram 10min 125 passengers, Park City Mountain largest US 7300 acres, Deer Valley valet top ranked), Moab (5000 people 3M visitors, Slickrock 35 degree friction, Dead Horse descent, Maze most remote 3-5 days), architecture (Capitol 1916 copper dome 97m, Cathedral Madeleine 1909 Gothic finest west Mississippi, Vivint Arena USD 28.5M 2002 figure skating), hiking (Cottonwood canyons 20-40min, Timpanogos 3582m 40,000 hikers, cave 244m gain stalactites helictites, Red Butte Garden summer concerts).
Salt Lake City R2-R6: Utah parks (Zion 4.5M visitors/year Narrows wade upstream 300m walls Angels Landing permits since 2022, Bryce Canyon hoodoos 2400-2800m, Arches 2000 arches Delicate Arch 16m on license plate, Canyonlands 1366 km2 White Rim Road 160km 4WD, Dead Horse Point Thelma Louise 1991, Moab uranium tailings 16M tons Colorado River), Pioneer history (400 settlements 1847-1877 Great Basin, Utah War 1857-1858 Buchanan army 2500 soldiers, Mountain Meadows Massacre September 11 1857 120 killed most damning LDS event, polygamy Manifesto 1890 Edmunds-Tucker 1887, FLDS 30,000-50,000 continue), Great Salt Lake crisis (shrimp harvest 50M kg/year USD 50M most earthly commercial brine shrimp, dust threat arsenic mercury exposed lakebed, overallocation water rights 80% agriculture, canal Pacific proposal USD 50B), neighborhoods (Avenues Victorian Craftsman 1880s-1930s, Beehive House 1854 Lion House Young wives, Tabernacle 1867 pin drop 7000 seats, Sugar House penitentiary site 112 acres, Gilgal Sculpture Garden sphinx Joseph Smith face), food (Word of Wisdom no coffee tea alcohol tobacco, state liquor stores grocery 5% beer, Granary District craft beer Uinta 1993 150,000 barrels Squatters 1989 first brewpub, Utah Pride June 50,000 LGBTQ Capitol Hill).
Salt Lake City R2-R6: Utah parks (Zion 4.5M/year Narrows wade 300m walls, Angels Landing permits since 2022 fatalities, Bryce hoodoos 2400-2800m, Arches 2000 arches Delicate 16m license plate, Canyonlands 1366km2 White Rim 160km 4WD Dead Horse Point Thelma Louise 1991, Moab uranium tailings), pioneer history (400 settlements 1847-1877, Utah War 1857 Buchanan 2500 soldiers, Mountain Meadows September 11 1857 120 killed worst LDS event, polygamy Manifesto 1890, FLDS 30-50,000 continue), Great Salt Lake (brine shrimp 50M kg USD 50M largest commercial harvest, dust arsenic mercury exposed lakebed health threat, overallocation 80% agriculture, Pacific canal proposal USD 50B), neighborhoods (Avenues Victorian 1880s-1930s, Beehive House 1854 Lion House, Tabernacle 1867 pin drop 7000 seats, Sugar House penitentiary park 112 acres, Gilgal sphinx Joseph Smith), food (Word of Wisdom no coffee tea alcohol, state stores 5% grocery, Uinta 1993 150,000 barrels Squatters 1989, Utah Pride 50,000 June Capitol Hill).
Salt Lake City: Great Salt Lake, Temple Square, Transcontinental Railroad, skiing, culture, and practical guide
Salt Lake City overview: Great Salt Lake shrunk to 25% historical area (6000 km2 to 1500 km2) threatening 10M migratory shorebirds, Bonneville Salt Flats ancient Lake Bonneville 52,000 km2; Temple Square 4 hectares LDS Church HQ 17M members, Salt Lake Temple 1893 6 spires 40 years construction granite Little Cottonwood Canyon Truman Angell, Brigham Young July 24 1847 This is the right place; Promontory Summit Golden Spike May 10 1869 first transcontinental railroad Stanford Durant telegraph THIS IS DONE, first western US irrigation 1847; Wasatch skiing (500cm/year Greatest Snow on Earth, Alta 1939 no snowboards, Snowbird 1971 aerial tram 914m, Brighton 1936 oldest, 2002 Winter Olympics 2034 awarded), Sundance Film Festival January Park City 120,000 attendees 180 films 14,000 submissions; Natural History Museum Utah 2011 dinosaur capital Utahraptor found near Moab 1991 Cleveland-Lloyd densest Jurassic bones; SLC airport 8km TRAX 30min, Arches Bryce Zion 4-5hrs south.
Salt Lake City R3: Capitol Reef (Waterpocket Fold 160km monocline, Fruita orchards 1880 2700 trees pick free in season, Goblin Valley mushroom hoodoos free roam, Grand Staircase-Escalante Clinton 1996 reduced Trump 2017 restored Biden 2021), LDS Church (17M members 70,000 missionaries 160 countries, fastest growing US religion, sub-Saharan Africa 1M to 3M 2010-2024, Mitt Romney 2012 first LDS nominee, priesthood restriction 1978 Official Declaration 2 Spencer Kimball, Deseret News KSL Bonneville Communications 35 stations), Jazz (relocated New Orleans 1979 hence Jazz name, Karl Malone 36,928 points second all-time, Stockton all-time assists steals, 1997-1998 Finals lost to Bulls, Jordan Flu Game 38 points, Jordan Last Shot 5.2 seconds 1998, Holy War BYU Utes), Native American (Fremont Culture 700-1300 CE petroglyphs, Newspaper Rock 650+ petroglyphs 2000 years, Ancestral Puebloans Mesa Verde, Ute people Utah named for, Black Hawk War 1865-1868 Uintah Ouray Reservation), Wasatch Front (2.5M people 80% Utah, highest US birth rate 2.1 statewide, Silicon Slopes Qualtrics USD 15B Domo Overstock, BYU 36,000 largest private US university LDS honor code), 2002 Olympics (IOC scandal USD 1.2M expelled 10 members, figure skating French judge Russian pair gold Canadian Sale Pelletier second gold unprecedented, Utah Olympic Park bobsled public 120km/h, Oval Uytdehaage two world records fastest ice, 2034 awarded July 2023 USD 3.5-4B).
Salt Lake City R3: Capitol Reef (Waterpocket Fold monocline, Fruita 2700 trees pick free, Goblin Valley free roam hoodoos, Grand Staircase Clinton 1996 Trump reduced Biden restored), LDS (17M members 70,000 missionaries 160 countries, Africa 1M to 3M 2010-2024, Romney 2012 first LDS major nominee, priesthood restriction 1978 Kimball, Deseret News KSL Bonneville), Jazz (New Orleans 1979 Malone 36,928 second all-time, Stockton all-time assists steals, 1997-1998 Finals lost Bulls, Flu Game Last Shot 5.2 seconds 1998), Native American (Fremont 700-1300 CE petroglyphs, Newspaper Rock 650+ glyphs 2000 years, Ute people Utah named for, Black Hawk War 1865-1868 Uintah Reservation), Wasatch Front (2.5M 80% Utah, highest birth rate, Silicon Slopes Qualtrics USD 15B Domo Overstock, BYU 36,000 largest private LDS), Olympics (IOC scandal USD 1.2M 10 expelled, figure skating French judge second gold unprecedented, park bobsled 120km/h, oval fastest ice, 2034 USD 3.5-4B).