Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City is a vibrant metropolis perfectly positioned against a scenic backdrop. It is surrounded by nature and diverse geography on all sides. Not only is it a fun city, but it is also a great place to start any Utah adventure.

Overview Attractions / Activities Adventurous Activities Food Final Comments

As Utah’s capital and its most populous city, Salt Lake City is also the world headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (i.e. the LDS or Mormon Church). And due to being situated close to so much nature, it has a strong outdoor and recreation industry. For example, it is the only state where every county contains some part of a national forest.

Despite its proximity to some incredible natural landscapes, Salt Lake City is still a relatively underrated destination. While the city itself is quite interesting, I would still visit even if it wasn’t, because Utah’s nature is simply wonderful. As a bonus, Salt Lake City is approximately 4 hours away from one of the best National Parks in the United States—Zion National Park.

When you visit, make sure to follow this adventure guide to maximize your time in Salt Lake City.

Recommended Duration of Visit

3 days (ideal), 2 days (doable), 1 day (difficult)

Click for some interesting facts about Salt Lake City

Utah has one of the most interesting origins of any state because it was settled and developed by Mormon pioneers in the 1800s. Therefore, Utah’s entire history is deeply rooted in religion, and Salt Lake City was the place that started it all.
Utah is home to the Trembling Giant (a.k.a. Pando)—a group of 47,000 or so genetically identical trees that share a single root system. It is one of the oldest organisms on earth, dating back tens of thousands of years. It is approximately 3 hours north of Salt Lake City.
As previously mentioned, Utah is the only state where every county contains some part of a national forest.
Over 60% of the state’s population is Mormon, and most of them live in Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake City has one of the highest numbers of plastic surgeons per capita in the entire country.

Before You Go

Flights / Getting There: Flying directly into Salt Lake City is the most efficient strategy.

Overview

Climate: Salt Lake City’s climate intuitively follows the normal pattern of North America. There is one distinction: winters (December, January, February) are very cold, and summers (June, July, August) are less warm.

Communication: English is the official language.

Navigation: Traveling by car is, by far, the best way to explore most of what Salt Lake City has to offer. There are rentable scooters (i.e. Lime scooters) scattered throughout the city as well. Traveling via scooter is a very fun and flexible way to explore the city.

Lodging: Lodging, in general, is moderately expensive in a metropolis such as Salt Lake City. It would be cheaper to stay outside the city.

Activities Planning: Most attractions are free to visit, but they are far enough apart to necessitate driving.

Special Considerations

A great plan would actually involve flying into Las Vegas, renting a car, exploring Vegas, and then driving to Salt Lake City in order to see all the incredible nature and national parks along the way.
A properly planned trip will leave enough attractions for the round trip back to Las Vegas. This should be relatively simple because all 5 of Utah’s national parks are several hours south of South Lake City.

General: N/A

Peak Seasons: Summer is the peak season (for the lakes and national parks), and winter is a close second (for the snow activities).

Currency: United States Dollars (USD). Currency Converter.

Things to Do: Attractions and Activities

Attractions are paired up based on similarity and/or proximity. All the names provided are easily searchable on Google Maps.

Great Salt Lake State Park: As the place that gave Salt Lake City its name, Great Salt Lake is one of the most unique lakes in the United States. At 75 miles (120.7 kilometers) long and 28 miles (45 kilometers) wide, the lake is so large that it creates its own weather pattern.

Here, in these salty waters that average 14% salinity (about 4 times that of the ocean), the only lifeforms that can survive are the brine shrimp, brine flies, algae, and bacteria. And, if you can get past the pain-in-the-ass brine flies, you can enjoy the incredibly picturesque and calm landscape.

For more information and amazing photos, refer to the Great Salt Lake Guide.

Cost: $5 per motor vehicle. Recommended Duration of Visit: 30 – 60 minutes.

Antelope Island: Antelope Island—the largest of Great Salt Lake’s 10 islands—features roaming bison, a historic ranch (Fielding Garr Ranch), vast fields, tall hills, and a wide assortment of hiking trails. Due to its relative isolation, this massive island’s landscape is excellently preserved. In essence, it appears the same now as it did when Mormons first settled in the region in the 1800s.

For more information and amazing photos, refer to the Antelope Island Guide.

Cost: $15 per motor vehicle. Recommended Duration of Visit: 2 – 6 hours (depending on the duration of hikes).

Make sure to watch where you walk in this area. There are literally millions of tiny brine flies (along the shore) and numerous spiders (near the rocks). Great Salt Lake lies to the left of Salt Lake City (near the town of Magna).

The farthest point of interest accessible by vehicle is Fielding Garr Ranch. The actual farthest point (Unicorn Point) lies at the opposite tip of the island and can only be accessed via hiking trail. Antelope Island is north of the Great Salt Lake visitor center.

Temple Square: As the most popular tourist attraction in the entire state of Utah, Temple square lies in a centralized location along the commercial arteries of Salt Lake City. The entire 10-acre complex, owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, features the Salt Lake Temple, the Salt Lake City Tabernacle, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a massive conference center, and a beautifully landscaped plaza.

The square is my second-favorite area in the entire city because it’s a park and a garden conveniently located in the middle of everything. It is also relatively peaceful, making it an ideal place to just relax and hang around after an eventful day.

Cost: Free to visit. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.

City Creek Center: This massive outdoor mall features a beautifully simulated creek, artistic water fountains, and a plethora of restaurants and shops. It is one of the most festive regions in all of Salt Lake City and one certainly worth a visit if not for the scenery alone.

Cost: Free to visit. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.

Within the vicinity, you can’t smoke, bicycle, or ride a vehicle of any kind because the entire area is church property. Park Place is the perfect parking spot nearby. You can leave your car there for the day and explore the center of the city.

There are numerous entrances into the center and the center is conveniently located right next to Temple Square. Park Place is the perfect parking spot nearby. You can leave your car there for the day and explore the center of the city.

Gilgal Sculpture Garden: This small public park, tucked away at the bottom-right edge of Salt Lake City, is a hidden gem. The garden revolves primarily around symbolic statues associated with Mormonism. There are about a dozen sculptures and 70 stones engraved with scriptures and literary texts. Some notable attractions include a sphinx and Joseph Smith’s head.

Cost: Free to visit. Recommended Duration of Visit: 15 – 30 minutes.

This Is The Place Heritage Park: Brigham Young, one of the Mormon pioneers and the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, basically looked at the Salt Lake Valley and said “this is the place.” And it was in this park where he first uttered those words.

In addition to the religious and historical importance, the park also boasts an impressive heritage village, a garden, scenic hiking trails, and magnificent sculptures.

Cost: For more information, refer to the official This Is The Place Heritage Park website. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.

The garden is open 8 am to 8 pm from April through September and 9 am to 5 pm from October through March.

The park is south of the incredible Butte Gardens—one of my favorite gardens in the United States.

Utah State Capitol Building: The capitol is the seat of government of Utah. It stands at 285 feet ( 87 meters) and is made of stone. It was constructed in Neoclassical revival style and built between 1912 and 1916. And while the building itself is very grand and picturesque, the entire area is surrounded by memorials and monuments worth visiting as well.

Cost: Free to visit. Recommended Duration of Visit: 15 – 30 minutes.

Memory Grove Park: Memory Grove Park commemorates the 142 Utah men who died during the Korean War. The park features picnic tables, monuments, a nice pond, fountains, a creek, hiking trails, biking paths, and a vast expansive area for relaxation and picnics.

Cost: Free to visit. Recommended Duration of Visit: 30 – 60 minutes.

Parking is available at the Upper Parking Lot northeast of the entire complex or near the Salt Lake City Council Hall.

One hiking trail leads to a small hill overlooking the park. In the distance, the capitol building can be seen.

Red Butte Garden: The Red Butte Garden is a photogenic paradise within the heart of nature, featuring an amphitheater, a four seasons garden, a rose garden, a conservation garden, and a Mediterranean garden, among others.

With nature in its backyard, the garden also contains hiking trails that span for miles. It is one of my favorite gardens in the United States (and the world, honestly). And yes, I’m aware it has a weird-ass name.

Cost: For more information, refer to the official Red Butte Garden website. Recommended Duration of Visit: 2 – 4 hours. There is a 4-hour limit for visitor parking.

Natural History Museum of Utah: With an emphasis on Utah and the Intermountain West region in which it resides, this museum showcases the natural world and humanity’s role in it. Exhibits center around Mayans, Vikings, dinosaurs, and Native Americans, among others. The interior is elegant and there are over 1 million objects in the museum’s collection, with the prehistoric fossil displays being among the most impressive.

Cost: For more information, refer to the official Natural History Museum of Utah website. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.

Due to the addition of hiking trails, this garden is vast. It is also close to a dry and hot region. Therefore, I recommend bringing your own water bottles. The garden has refilling stations.

The parking lot for Red Butte Garden is nearby. The parking is free, but there is a 4-hour limit. If you wish to visit both places, I suggest spending about 2 hours at each place.

Wheeler Historic Farm: The Wheeler Historic Farm is a working farm designed to resemble a park. Throughout the farm, there are playgrounds, intricate wooden carvings, a blacksmith shop, a country store, a barn, a “party house,” picnic tables, farm animals, and short hiking trails. Visitors can also milk cows and participate in wagon rides.

Overall, this park is very unique, fun, tranquil, and family-friendly.

Cost: Free to visit. Recommended Duration of Visit: 30 – 60 minutes.

Ensign Peak: This small mountain offers gorgeous panoramic views of the city. From this place, pioneers laid plans for Salt Lake City. The hike to the summit is about .5 miles (.8 kilometers) and the elevation change is 398 feet (121 meters). Throughout the trail, visitors will come across the Vista Mound, Hell Canyon, and an amphitheater.

Ensign Peak is my favorite part of Salt Lake City. The hiking trail is fun and moderately challenging, and the skyline view is arguably the best in the region.

Cost: Free to visit. Recommended Duration of Visit: 1 – 2 hours.

The farm is one of the farthest attractions from central Salt Lake City. Therefore, it should be one of the destinations to visit first or last during the day.

If you arrive about 30 to 40 minutes before sunset, then you will have plenty of time to complete the hike and see the city during the day and night.