UTAH

Utah, located in the Southwest region of the United States, is well known for its incredible scenic beauty and year round outdoor activities including skiing, snowboarding, hiking, boating, water skiing, horseback riding, camping, and rock climbing.

The capital city of Salt Lake City has a number of unique modern and historical sites to visit, including Temple Square, the headquarters for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons.

Capital: Salt Lake City

Best Time of Visit:

During the winter, many visitors come to the northern mountain regions for skiing and snowboarding. Summers are an ideal time throughout the state for warmer weather activities such as camping, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, and hiking. Utah’s many national parks, monuments, and recreation areas are slightly less crowded from November through February, and the ski resorts see slightly fewer visitors in the spring and fall. Travelers can often find the best rates during early spring and late fall.

High season: April to September, low season: November to February, shoulder season: March, October.

November, January, and March experience a high season for skiing and winter activities. President’s Day weekend in February is also very busy at the resorts.

Min Days Required: 3 days

Places of Interest: 

Salt Lake City – Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Salt Lake Temple, Clarke Planetarium

Cedar City – Cedar Breaks National Monument, Dixie National Forest, Cascade Falls

Moab – Arches National Park, Canyon lands National Park, Hurrah Pass

Climate:

Utah’s northern region experiences four full seasons that include winters with heavy snowfall and cold temperatures and summers with hot dry weather. Spring brings sporadic showers, melting snow, and cool temperatures. The fall is mild, with occasional rainstorms and colorful foliage.

The southern region experiences summers with temperatures that can exceed 100 degrees and mild winters with sporadic thunderstorms.

Currency: US Dollars

Things to carry:

A wide brimmed hat and sunglasses come in handy in this very sunny state. Long light pants and shirts are best for sun protection. Though generally warm during the day, the nights get chilly so you’ll need a fleece, warm hat, and rain gear which doubles as a windbreaker.

Good sturdy hiking boots and padded socks are a must.

Utah winters are cold, so pack warm clothes. Salt Lake City winter temps are often in the 20s, and other parts of the state can dip below zero. To stay safe, pack a heavy coat, a hat, gloves, thick socks and sweaters. The Utah Department of Health recommends dressing in three layers, with non-absorbent thermal underwear and a heavy second layer of something like polar fleece. The final layer should offer protection from snow, wind and rain, like a weather-proof coat.

How to get there:

Air:

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) is the westernmost hub for Delta Air Lines, which offers nonstop service from 109 different destinations, most in the western US, but also from medium-sized cities in the central US and the large cities on the east coast. Nonstop service is also available from Paris-De Gaulle and 5x weekly service from Tokyo-Narita will begin in June 2010.

American Airlines, Continental, United, US Airways, and low cost airlines Southwest and JetBlue also serve Salt Lake City.

Cedar City (CDC) in central Utah is served with prop service to Salt Lake City, and St. George (SGU) in southern Utah has prop service to Salt Lake City and Los Angeles.

Canyon lands Field (CNY) (serving the Moab area) has service to Ely, Nevada (ELY) and Denver on Great Lakes Airlines.