Chapter 2: Utah in Depth

Utah is certainly one of the most beautiful places in the United States. It’s also one of the most misunderstood. Because of the state’s once-strict liquor laws (they were normalized in 2009) and its strong association with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), many expect Utah to be culturally at sea, so to speak. But visitors often come away with a much different notion of the Beehive State, one that includes not only beautiful places, but friendly locals and clean, well-managed cities. Visitors to Utah rightly target its parks and myriad natural wonders, but the state’s fascinating history should not be ignored. Take time to delve a little into the stories of Brigham Young and the Mormon pioneers: These tales are not only unique, they’re also definitively American. In this chapter, I introduce you to modern-day Utah and provide a background on the state’s history and the influential Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while also touching on Utah’s geography and its depiction in popular culture.

Utah Today

Some people think Utah is stuck in the 1950s—quaintly or annoyingly so, depending on your perspective. This time warp is due in large part to the strong church influence and the corollary Mormon emphasis on family values, which make Utah a notably family-oriented state. People here are friendly, the crime rate is low, and Utah is generally a very pleasant state to visit.

But don’t expect to find a lot of wild nightlife here. While alcohol laws were normalized in 2009—meaning no more memberships in private clubs—attitudes toward alcohol in Utah are considerably more conservative than what you’ll find in neighboring states. Those of us who enjoy a glass of wine or beer or a mixed drink with lunch or dinner need to choose our restaurants carefully. This isn’t universal, of course; in terms of nightlife, Park City can hold its own with any of the top ski resorts in Colorado, and Ogden and Moab are fun, wild-’n’-crazy kinds of places—at least by Utah standards.

Beyond the liberalization of alcohol laws, other changes are in the wind as more and more outsiders move to Utah. Many escapees from California’s smog, crime, crowds, and taxes have brought their mountain bikes and West Coast philosophy to southern Utah’s national park country, while others have been lured to the Wasatch Front, particularly between Salt Lake City and Provo, by the ski hills and the burgeoning high-tech industry here. These newcomers have brought demands for more services, better restaurants, upscale shops, and a greater range of activities. They’re also accused by some Utahns of bringing with them the very problems they sought to escape.

The growth of tourism is causing traffic congestion problems, mainly because there are so many tourists, and because everyone wants to visit at the same time. Zion National Park has been affected the most. In 2000, in an attempt to deal with the problem, the park instituted a mandatory shuttle-bus service. Bryce Canyon National Park, too, has implemented a shuttle.

Another current issue that will affect you is the wilderness-vs.-development debate. As in many Western states, Utah endures an ongoing battle between business interests, who see federal lands as prime targets for development or resource extraction, and environmentalists, who are intent on preserving what they consider to be one of the last true wildernesses of the American West. The wilderness-preservation side sees the businesspeople as greedy land-grabbers who care nothing for the future and see the lands only as a commodity to be exploited. On the other hand, the ranchers, loggers, and miners see the environmentalists as selfish, well-off newcomers who don’t care that other people need to earn a living and just want the government to designate vast wilderness areas as their personal playgrounds. To some extent, they’re both right. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

Even though its feet may be planted in the 1950s, Utah is actively looking toward the future. It’s even trying to tackle such modern problems as population growth and air pollution head-on. But the story’s not all grim: The Beehive State worked hard to prepare for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, and all that work paid off with a successful Olympic Games—the legend of which continues to live on.

During the 2000s, this helped catalyze growth: Utah grew at an incredible 24% clip—more than double the national average—thanks largely to a high birth rate but also to plenty of newcomers from California and elsewhere. As of 2011, the Beehive State was also the youngest state in the U.S. (the median age is about 27 years old) and poised for even more growth in the years ahead. The current challenge for the state is to balance all of this growth (and the problems that accompany it) with the quality of life that accounts for at least some of the growth.

Looking Back: Utah History

The First Peoples The first known inhabitants of Utah were the Desert Gatherers, who, from around 9000 b.c., wandered about the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau searching for food. However, being nomadic, they left little evidence of their time here. The Ancestral Puebloan (also called Anasazi) culture arose in the Four Corners region at about the time of Christ; by a.d. 1200, their villages were scattered throughout present-day Utah. For some reason—possibly drought—by 1300 the villages had been abandoned, leaving the ruins seen standing today at Hovenweep National Monument and other sites. The descendants of these early people—Shoshone, Ute, Goshute, and Paiute—were among the Native Americans inhabiting the area when the first Europeans arrived.

Another prehistoric group, the Fremont peoples, settled in central Utah, establishing small villages of pit houses. They arrived about a.d. 1200, but had disappeared by the time the first Europeans reached Utah.

Spanish explorer Juan Maria Antonio Rivera and his European expedition arrived at the Colorado River near present-day Moab in 1765. Eleven years later, two Spanish Franciscan friars reached Utah Lake and mapped it, hoping to return to establish a Spanish colony. Spain did not pursue the idea, however, and the next Europeans to explore the area were fur traders in the early 1800s. Then, in July 1847, Brigham Young led the first Mormons (a nickname for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) into the Salt Lake Valley, and the flood of Mormon immigrants began. These were the people who established Utah as we know it today.

Meet the Mormons The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was born in the 1820s when Joseph Smith had a revelation: After much prayer asking which Christian church he should join, Smith was told by God and Jesus that he would be the one to restore the church that Christ established when he walked the earth. An angel named Moroni then gave Smith some ancient inscribed gold tablets that, under divine inspiration, he was able to translate into the Book of Mormon. In 1830, Smith and his followers published the Book of Mormon and founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in upstate New York. Smith’s revelations and the fervor with which his followers believed and tried to spread the word bred hostility among their more skeptical neighbors; the early Mormons were soon forced to leave New York.

Smith and his followers settled in Ohio and Missouri in the early 1830s. A few years of prosperity were followed by strife, and the growing Mormon community was once again forced to flee. They established their church headquarters at Nauvoo, Illinois, reclaiming a swampy area along the Mississippi river. Within a few years, Nauvoo was the second-largest city in Illinois, and the Mormons continued to grow and flourish. Also during these years, the practice of polygamy began slowly and quietly among church leaders. Both their nonconformism and their success bred fear and anger in their opponents, who considered Smith and his followers a political, economic, and religious threat. In 1844, a mob stormed the jail in Carthage, Illinois, where Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were being held on treason charges, and murdered them.

Brigham Young, a confidant of Smith, became the second leader of the church, displaying a genius for organization in the evacuation of Nauvoo and the subsequent migration westward in search of a new Zion. In 1846, the Mormons headed west from Illinois, establishing winter quarters on the far side of the Missouri River, near present-day Omaha, Nebraska.

Founding Zion In the spring of 1847, Brigham Young started out with the first group of emigrants—two children, three women, and 143 men. When the first group reached the mouth of Emigration Canyon and looked out upon the empty wasteland of Salt Lake Valley, Young reportedly said, “This is the right place.” Within hours of their arrival, the pioneers had begun building an irrigation system and establishing fields for growing food. In the next few days, Young chose the site of the temple and laid out the new city in a grid system beginning at the southeast corner of Temple Square.

That first year almost ended the settlement before it had properly begun. The sod roofs leaked; provisions ran low, forcing the pioneers to eat whatever they could find, including the sego lily bulb (now the state flower); a late frost damaged the wheat and vegetables; and drought damaged more. Then a plague of crickets descended on what was left of the crops. After 2 weeks, the crickets were effectively eliminated by sea gulls (now Utah’s state bird) that came from the Great Salt Lake to devour the insects by the thousands, and enough of the crops were saved to feed the pioneers. A monument in Temple Square commemorates their deliverance from famine.

By the end of 1848, almost 3,000 Mormons had arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. It was now a part of the United States, ceded to the Union by Mexico. In 1849, the Mormons petitioned to have their territory declared the State of Deseret, a name that comes from the Book of Mormon and means “honeybee.” Denied statehood, the territory of Utah—named after the Ute tribe—was created in 1850, with Brigham Young as territorial governor. Although it was no longer officially run by the church, the territory was assured of its continued influence: The vast majority of voters were Mormons who elected church leaders to positions of authority in the civic domain as well.

In these years, non-Mormons—or “Gentiles,” as the Mormons call them—began traveling through the valley, many on their way to or from the gold fields of California. Salt Lake City was an ideal spot for resting and resupplying before setting out again. The Mormons often bought horses, livestock, and supplies, in turn reselling what they didn’t need to other travelers. The travelers who passed through to rest and trade took with them a collection of sometimes-confused ideas about the Mormons, including their fascinating practice of polygamy. The journals of these travelers gave the nation its first real knowledge—however incomplete—of Mormon faith and customs.

The Utah War In 1857, a new governor was sent from Washington to supplant Young. Fearing that he would be rejected, President Buchanan sent federal troops to escort him. The Mormons harassed the troops by driving off livestock and attacking their supply trains, forcing them to winter in western Wyoming. Although the Mormons were prepared to fight to keep the army out, neither Brigham Young nor President Buchanan wanted bloodshed. As the new governor entered Salt Lake City, Mormon families packed their belongings and awaited the order to move.

An estimated 30,000 Mormons left their homes in Salt Lake City and the northern settlements, moving south over a period of 2 months, leaving the capital virtually deserted by mid-May. The exodus drew national and international attention and placed the U.S. government in quite an unfavorable light—the government had persecuted innocent people, steamrolling over the fundamental right to religious freedom. An uneasy peace was finally established, the Mormons returned to their homes, and the two groups lived side by side until the outbreak of the Civil War, when the army was called back east.

Becoming the Beehive State After the close of the Civil War, attention was again directed toward the enforcement of antipolygamy laws, and many Mormons were imprisoned. Finally, in 1890, the church leaders issued a statement: Based on a revelation from God, the church was no longer teaching plural marriage and no person would be permitted to enter into it. With this major bar to statehood removed, Utah became the 45th state on January 4, 1896.

The Depression hit Utah hard; the unemployment rate reached 35% and per capita income was cut in half. Not until World War II was industry brought back to life. Several military bases established during the war became permanent installations, and missile plants were built along the Wasatch Front. After the war, steel companies reopened, the mining industry boomed, and high-tech businesses moved in. By the mid-1960s, the economy base had shifted from agricultural to industrial.

Dams were built—including Glen Canyon Dam, creating Lake Powell, and Flaming Gorge Dam, creating Lake Flaming Gorge—to further the cause of industry and to ensure water and energy supplies, but they had an additional benefit: They provided recreational opportunities for a modern society with an increasing amount of discretionary income and free time. Ski resorts began opening in the Wasatch Mountains. In the early 1980s, after outsiders started showing interest in Utah as a recreational playground, Salt Lake City International Airport and the city’s cultural center, the Salt Palace complex, expanded.

As the mining industries began winding down, tourism and service industries grew; today, they account for more of the state’s economy than any other industry. In the 1990s, the state lobbied hard to be named the host of the 2002 Winter Olympics, and then built numerous venues and even roads to assure that the games would be a success. The Mormons, who spent their first decades fleeing from outsiders, are now welcoming them with open arms, and they’re coming in droves.

A Look at Modern Mormonism—or, Yes, You Can Get a Drink in Utah

Utah is a Mormon state. Not officially, of course—strict state and federal laws are meant to keep church doctrine out of government—and not as much as in the past, when practically all Utahns (and definitely all the decision makers) were LDS church members. But because about three-fifths of the state’s population belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and most of them take their religion very seriously, it’s hardly surprising that the teachings and values of the church have a strong influence in the voting booth and echo throughout the halls of government.

Although some conflict is inevitable as government and community leaders try to adapt to Utah’s growing cultural diversity, this discord means little to most visitors, who come to Utah to experience its scenery, recreation, and history. What you’ll discover is that Utah is much like the rest of the United States, although generally not as hip as California or as multicultural as New York or New Mexico.

What Mormons Believe

Mormons are Christians, believing in Jesus Christ as the son of God and the Bible as the word of God, as do all the many offshoots of Christianity. But a significant difference is the role played by the Book of Mormon, which they believe to be God’s word as revealed to and translated by church founder Joseph Smith.

This book tells of two tribes of people who left Israel in biblical times and made their way to the Western Hemisphere. Mormons believe that these people were the ancestors of today’s American Indians. The Book of Mormon teaches that after his resurrection, Christ spent about 40 days among these people, preaching, healing, and establishing his church. The Mormons believe that Joseph Smith was commanded to restore the church as organized by Christ during his ministry on earth.

The first four principles of the faith are belief in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion, and the laying on of hands to receive “the Gift of the Holy Ghost” (in which a priest places his hands on a church member for the transference of spirituality). Another important tenet of the church is respect for the supreme authority of church leaders and the belief in the revelations from God to these leaders.

The family unit is of paramount importance to Mormons, and they believe that marriage lasts literally forever, transcending death. They believe that sex outside of marriage and homosexuality are sins. The church encourages the family to work, play, and study together, and young adults—most men and some women—generally spend 1 or 2 years as missionaries. Mormons also believe in the baptism and redemption of those already dead—hence their strong interest in genealogy.

It’s practically impossible to discuss the church without discussing polygamy, which caused so much antagonism toward church members in the 19th century. But polygamy—or plural marriage, as the church dubbed it—has little to do with what the LDS church was and is. Polygamy came about as a “revelation” to church founder Joseph Smith in the 1840s, was practiced by a relatively small percentage of church members, and was outlawed by church officials in 1890. Today, polygamy is prohibited both by church doctrine and state law, although it does continue among an estimated 30,000 rebels, who have left the church to practice their own brand of fundamentalist Mormonism.

These polygamists, however, have brought unwanted media attention to Utah in recent years. The kidnapping of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart in 2002 and a separate failed kidnapping attempt in 2003 in Salt Lake City both occurred in connection with polygamy. Smart was eventually found unharmed, and police arrested a man described as a self-proclaimed prophet and polygamist who had been thrown out of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for “activity promoting bizarre teachings and lifestyle far afield from the principles and doctrines of the church.”

Warren Jeffs, then leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (based just across the Utah border in Colorado City, Arizona) and self-proclaimed prophet, was placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List when he went on the lam to avoid prosecution for arranging illegal marriages between his adult male followers and underage girls, sexual conduct with minors, and incest. His 2006 arrest near Las Vegas and subsequent trials in Utah and Texas made national headlines. In 2011, he was convicted of sexually assaulting underage girls and sentenced to life in prison.

What Mormonism Means for Visitors to Utah

This strong religious influence has brought about some strange laws regarding alcoholic beverages, although it’s definitely not true that you can’t get a drink here. Cigarettes and other tobacco products are also readily available, but smoking is prohibited by state law in all restaurants—legislation that is becoming more and more common across the United States. Although cola drinks contain caffeine, the church doesn’t specifically prohibit their consumption. Some Mormons drink Coke or Pepsi; others refrain. You’ll generally have no trouble at all purchasing whatever type of soft drink you want, with or without caffeine. Interestingly, there are exceptions: Although there are plenty of soda machines on the campus of church-owned Brigham Young University in Provo, they stock only decaffeinated products, and this is also true of church offices.

You might find it pleasantly surprising that, although the Mormons of Utah can be pretty tough on themselves regarding the above-mentioned “sins,” virtually every Utahn encountered in researching this book—and a great many were Mormons—was tolerant of others’ beliefs and lifestyles. Of course, there is no guarantee that you won’t run across some holier-than-thou busybody who insists on lecturing you on the evils of Demon Rum, tobacco, promiscuity, or homosexuality, but experience has shown that they generally respect each individual’s right to make his or her own moral choices.

Be forewarned, though: Mormons are practically missionaries by definition, and will, with only the slightest encouragement, want to enthusiastically help you see the wisdom of their ways.

Because the church emphasizes the importance of family, you’ll see lots of kids—Utah is noted for having the highest fertility rate in the nation, year after year. This makes Utah a very kid-friendly state, with lots of family-oriented activities and attractions. Overall, prices for kids and families are often very reasonable. And because many Mormon families observe Monday evening as a time to spend together, sports facilities, amusement parks, and similar venues often offer family discounts on Mondays; if you’re traveling with your family, watch for them.

Although about 60% of Utah’s population are LDS church members, church membership varies greatly from community to community, so the number of Mormons you’ll encounter will vary considerably. Although it’s the world headquarters of the church, Salt Lake City is just under half Mormon; some of the smaller towns approach 100%. Of major cities, Provo has the strongest church influence. Although St. George was historically a major stronghold for church members, recent migration from other parts of the United States (namely Southern California) is gradually diluting that influence. You’ll probably find the least church influence in Ogden, Park City, and Moab, which, in recent years, have attracted large numbers of outsiders.

Impressions

TV you can make on the back lot, but for the big screen, for the real outdoor dramas, you have to do it where God put the West . . . and there is no better example of this than around Moab.

—John Wayne, while filming The Comancheros, in 1961

Eating & Drinking

Utah has traditionally been a very meat-and-potatoes destination, but in recent years, there has been a boom in culinary creativity centered in Salt Lake City and the state’s ski resorts. While the liquor laws were brought in line with the rest of the country in 2009, there are still some quirks: Some establishments require you to order food to get a drink and can sell only beer and other low-alcohol-content drinks. There is a flourishing microbrewery culture here and a smattering of wineries; and the first new distillery in modern times (High West Distillery in Park City) opened in 2010.

In this book, restaurants categorized as expensive typically charge $15 to $40 for a dinner main course, moderate means $10 to $20 for a dinner main course, and inexpensive indicates most main courses are under $10 for dinner.

When to Go

Deciding when to visit Utah depends on what you want to do and which places you want to see. Those traveling without children will likely want to avoid visiting during school vacations. Ski resorts are most popular during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays (and the room rates accordingly shoot into the stratosphere), and national parks are inundated with visitors in July and August. The best time to visit the parks and almost everything else in southern Utah is spring or fall; summer is too hot, particularly in St. George.

Weather

Utah has four seasons, but because of the wide range of elevation—from 2,200 to 13,528 feet—conditions vary considerably across the state. Generally, as in other desert states, summer days are hot but nights are cool. Winters are cold and snowy, except in southwest Utah’s “Dixie” (which includes St. George), where it seldom gets very cold and snow is rare. Mountain temperatures are always pleasantly cool and can be quite cold at night, even in summer.

Holidays

Banks, government offices, post offices, and many stores, restaurants, and museums are closed on the following legal national holidays: January 1 (New Year’s Day), the third Monday in January (Martin Luther King, Jr., Day), the third Monday in February (Presidents’ Day), the last Monday in May (Memorial Day), July 4 (Independence Day), the first Monday in September (Labor Day), the second Monday in October (Columbus Day), November 11 (Veterans’ Day/Armistice Day), the fourth Thursday in November (Thanksgiving Day), and December 25 (Christmas). The Tuesday after the first Monday in November is Election Day, a federal government holiday in presidential-election years (held every 4 years, and next in 2012). July 24 (Pioneer Day) is an official state holiday celebrated July 24 to commemorate the arrival of Brigham Young and the Mormon pioneers in 1847; many businesses and attractions are closed.

Utah Calendar of Events

For an exhaustive list of events beyond those listed here, check http://events.frommers.com, where you’ll find a searchable, up-to-the-minute roster of what’s happening in cities all over the world.

January

Sundance Film Festival, Park City and other locations. Sponsored by Robert Redford’s Sundance Resort, this festival honors the best independent films with screenings and seminars. Visit http://festival.sundance.org for schedules and information on obtaining tickets. Late January.

February

Freestyle World Cup Ski Races, Deer Valley. This event is made up of sanctioned World Cup races and demonstrations. The location: the Champion and White Owl ski runs on Deer Valley’s 2002 Olympic runs. Call 435/649-1000. Early February.

Bryce Canyon Winter Festival, Bryce. This winter celebration, with snowshoe tours and other activities, takes place amid the colorful rock formations of the Bryce Canyon National Park area. Call 435/834-5341. Mid-February.

March

Hostlers Model Railroad Festival, Ogden. Fans of model trains gather at historic Union Station, where trains of all shapes and sizes are on display; model-train collectors can locate those hard-to-find items. Call 801/394-4952 or visit www.hostlers.info. Early March.

St. George Art Festival, St. George. This outdoor fine-arts festival draws artists and visitors from all over the American West. Call 435/627-4500; otherwise visit www.sgcity.org/artfestival. Mid-March.

April

Easter Rendezvous, Ogden. A gathering of mountain men at Fort Buenaventura, with black-powder shooting contests and other early-19th-century activities. Call 801/399-8099. Early to mid-April.

April Action Car Show, Moab. A grand display of vintage hot rods, classic cars, and more, plus a Saturday night cruise down Main Street and fun contests. Call 800/635-6622 or visit http://aprilaction.moabadventurechannel.com. Late April.

May

Golden Spike Reenactment, Golden Spike National Historic Site, Promontory. This reenactment commemorates the moment in 1869 when rail lines from the East and West coasts were joined, linking the nation. A must for historic-railroad buffs. Call 435/471-2209, or check out www.nps.gov/gosp. May 10.

Great Salt Lake Bird Festival, Farmington. Birders from across the country flock to this festival, which takes place at the Davis County Fair Park, midway between Salt Lake City and Ogden. Call 801/451-3286, or visit www.greatsaltlakebirdfest.com for more information. Mid-May.

June

Harmons Best Dam Bike Ride, Logan. More than 1,500 participants pedal miles along Cache Valley’s back roads. The money raised goes to help in the battle against multiple sclerosis. Call 801/424-0113. Mid-June.

Utah Shakespearean Festival, Cedar City. This professional theater festival produces several plays by William Shakespeare, plus a few contemporary offerings. Call 800/752-9849, or check out www.bard.org. Late June through August.

July

Deer Valley Music Festival, Deer Valley. This festival presents a spectacular series of concerts in an equally incredible setting. Call 801/533-6683, or visit www.deervalleymusicfestival.org for more information. July to August.

August

Railroaders’ Festival, Golden Spike National Historic Site. Reenactments of the Golden Spike ceremony, which united the nation by rail, plus a spike-driving contest, railroad handcar races, and a buffalo-chip-throwing contest. Call 435/471-2209, or visit www.nps.gov/gosp. Early or mid-August.

September

Greek Festival, Salt Lake City. The music, dance, and food of Greece are featured, plus tours of the historic Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. Call 801/328-9681, or visit www.saltlakegreekfestival.com. Early September.

Moab Music Festival, Moab. Live classical, jazz, bluegrass, and other types of music are presented in a beautiful red-rock amphitheater and other locations. For more information, check out www.moabmusicfest.org, or call 435/259-7003. Early to mid-September.

Utah State Fair, Salt Lake City. This fair has live entertainment, a horse show, rodeo, livestock judging, arts and crafts exhibits, and typical state-fair fun. Visit www.utah-state-fair.com, or call 801/538-8400. Mid-September.

Oktoberfest, Snowbird. This is a traditional celebration, with German music, food, and, of course, beer. Call 801/933-2110, or visit www.snowbird.com. Mid-September to mid-October.

October

Huntsman World Senior Games, St. George. This is an extremely popular Olympics-style competition for seniors, with a variety of athletic events. Call 800/562-1268, or check out www.seniorgames.net. Mid-October.

Bison Roundup, Antelope Island State Park. Stop by the park and watch the annual bison roundup. Take binoculars and get a close-up view of the bison as they receive their annual medical exams. Call 801/773-2941, or visit www.stateparks.utah.gov. Late October to early November.

November

Ogden Christmas Parade and Christmas Village, Ogden. A parade begins the Christmas season, and the municipal park is transformed into a Christmas village, with thousands of lights, music, and animated decorations. Call 801/629-8253. Late November through December.

Temple Square Christmas Lights, Salt Lake City. A huge, spectacular display of Christmas lights adorns Temple Square. Call 801/240-4872. From the Friday after Thanksgiving to January 1.

December

Salt Lake City New Year’s Eve Celebration, Salt Lake City. This New Year’s Eve party animates downtown Salt Lake City with arts and crafts, entertainment, storytelling, and other family-oriented activities, with a midnight fireworks display. Visit www.eveslc.com. December 31.

Lay of the Land

You can easily split Utah into three distinct regions: the Colorado Plateau, in the southern half of the state, where all those fantastic rock formations are; Rocky Mountain Utah, with rugged peaks, stately pines, deep blue lakes, and most of the state’s residents; and the Great Basin Desert, the big middle-of-nowhere to which you’ve always wanted to send that cousin you never really liked.

Truth be told, though, certain sections of Utah do just have a whole lot of nothing. So this book is organized by destination, based on where you probably will want to go.

Eighty percent of Utah’s population lives in the Rocky Mountain region of the Wasatch Front, the 175-mile-long north-central section of the state from Logan to Provo. Salt Lake City is Utah’s most populous city, as well as its most cosmopolitan. It’s also the international headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Temple Square is Utah’s most-visited attraction. Keep in mind that Salt Lake City is still a relatively small city and not as sophisticated or glitzy as New York or Los Angeles (maybe that’s what makes it so likable). As any real-estate agent will tell you, one advantage Salt Lake City has over all other Western cities its size is its location; within an hour’s drive is some of the best downhill skiing in the United States. Here also is that anomaly of nature, the vast Great Salt Lake, eight times saltier than any of the world’s oceans.

This brings you to the rest of the Wasatch Front. In this book, the section that’s roughly north of Salt Lake is designated the Northern Wasatch Front. Here you’ll find historic Ogden; Logan, Utah’s northernmost town of any size; the national historic site where the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads met in 1869; and four ski resorts. The mountains that offer skiing in winter also provide numerous opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, and biking in summer.

The areas east and south of Salt Lake City are designated in this book as the Southern Wasatch Front. This region contains beautiful Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, which have some of the state’s best skiing, as well as great hiking and biking in the summer; Park City, Utah’s premier ski-resort town—and a delightful destination year-round—with a historic Main Street dominated by intriguing shops and restaurants; some fun spots just outside of Park City, including a historic railroad, Strawberry Reservoir (a real gem of a lake), and several nice state parks; Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute; and Provo, a small, conservative city that’s home to Brigham Young University.

The western side of Utah, beginning west of Salt Lake City, is dominated by the vast, salty nothingness of the Great Basin Desert, which includes the pristinely white Bonneville Salt Flats, a terrain so flat that you can actually see the curvature of the earth. The Flats are also famous for the land-speed records set on them. This is not the sort of place you want to go for a picnic—it’s hot, the water’s undrinkable, and there’s very little to see.

Northeastern Utah is home to two terrific recreational areas that creep into the adjoining states: Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, which wanders into Wyoming, and nearby Dinosaur National Monument, which extends into Colorado. Both are what one might call “Undiscovered Utah,” because they’re really off the beaten path and not what most people imagine when they think of the state—consider this part of Utah well worth a visit.

The Colorado Plateau, which extends along the state’s entire southern border and halfway up the east side, is where all five of Utah’s national parks are located, and for good reason. Ancient geologic forces, erosion, oxidation, and other natural processes have carved spectacular rock sculptures—delicate and intricate, bold and stately—and painted them in a riot of color. This is quite likely why you’ve come to Utah in the first place, and these chapters will help you spend your time wisely and enjoyably. Check out chapter 10 on Zion National Park for hints on avoiding the crowds at the state’s most popular national park; and see if you agree that Bryce Canyon National Park (chapter 11), with its marvelous stone sculptures (called hoodoos), is the West’s best. Chapter 12 explains why Capitol Reef National Park is one of Utah’s hidden treasures, and chapter 14, “From Moab to Arches & Canyonlands National Parks,” directs you to some of the best ways to explore eastern Utah’s beautiful red-rock country.

But the Colorado Plateau isn’t just national parks. This area offers historic Mormon sites; live theater, dance, and music; as well as skiing and the state’s best golf. If you’re heading in from Las Vegas, St. George is the first Utah town you’ll see.

Utah’s best destination for watersports—maybe the best in the West—is Lake Powell and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. A boating vacation here is the stuff that stressed-out big-city dreams are made of.

Finally, the Four Corners Area is in Utah’s very southeast corner. Spectacular American Indian sites, such as Hovenweep National Monument, make a visit here truly worth the drive through the West’s vast, empty spaces.

Responsible Tourism

The perpetual debate continues throughout Utah: natural gas drilling and mineral extraction versus recreation and conservation. Most recently, the Bush administration opened up parcels of federal land near Canyonlands National Park for bidding to natural gas exploration in 2008; the move was condemned and quickly reversed after the Obama administration took over. Likewise, Escalante has been the center of the development-vs.-ecological-preservation debate in Utah since President Bill Clinton made it a national monument in 2000. Locals decried the move, saying it would wreck the economy, but the increased tourism has them singing a different tune today.

Generally speaking, the Wasatch Mountain Club, 1390 S. 1100 East, Ste. 103, Salt Lake City, UT 84105-2443 ( 801/463-9842; www.wasatchmountainclub.org), can offer a number of resources to eco-minded visitors to the Beehive State, with activities geared toward the eco-conscious outdoor lover. Many hotels and resorts in Utah have begun green initiatives, ranging from cutting down on laundry to installing solar panels, in recent years. Be sure to ask hotels about their green policies and initiatives to get a good grasp before you book a room. As for getting around in a green fashion, public transportation is great on the Wasatch Front, but nonexistent in the more remote corners of Utah.

But perhaps the best way to experience sustainability is by connecting with Utah’s wild soul on a trek along the state’s myriad hiking trails or a campout in one of its many campgrounds. To lessen your impact further, go off the grid on an overnight backpacking trip. Leave No Trace (www.lnt.org) is an educational nonprofit that expands on the backpacker’s credo to leave any campsite in the same condition—or better off—as when one found it. Backpacking is a refreshing counterpoint to modern life that will give perspective on the issues of sustainability and personal energy dependence.

General Resources for Green Travel

In addition to the resources for Utah listed above, the following websites provide valuable wide-ranging information on sustainable travel. For a list of even more sustainable resources, as well as tips and explanations on how to travel greener, visit www.frommers.com/planning.

• Responsible Travel (www.responsibletravel.com) is a great source of sustainable travel ideas; the site is run by a spokesperson for ethical tourism in the travel industry. Sustainable Travel International (www.sustainabletravelinternational.org) promotes ethical tourism practices, and manages an extensive directory of sustainable properties and tour operators around the world.

• In the U.K., Tourism Concern (www.tourismconcern.org.uk) works to reduce social and environmental problems connected to tourism. The Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO; www.aito.co.uk) is a group of specialist operators leading the field in making vacations sustainable.

• In Canada, www.greenlivingonline.com offers extensive content on how to travel sustainably, including a travel and transport section and profiles of the best green shops and services in Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary.

• In Australia, the national body that sets guidelines and standards for ecotourism is Ecotourism Australia (www.ecotourism.org.au). The Green Directory (www.thegreendirectory.com.au), Green Pages (www.thegreenpages.com.au), and Eco Directory (www.ecodirectory.com.au) offer sustainable travel tips and directories of green businesses.

• Carbonfund (www.carbonfund.org), TerraPass (www.terrapass.org), and the Cool Climate Network (coolclimate.berkeley.edu) provide info on “carbon offsetting,” or offsetting the greenhouse gas emitted during flights.

• The “Green” Hotels Association (www.greenhotels.com) recommends green-rated member hotels around the world that fulfill the company’s stringent environmental requirements. Environmentally Friendly Hotels (www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com) offers more green accommodation ratings.

• Sustain Lane (www.sustainlane.com) lists sustainable eating and drinking choices around the U.S.; also visit www.eatwellguide.org for tips on eating sustainably in the U.S. and Canada.

• For information on animal-friendly issues throughout the world, visit Tread Lightly (www.treadlightly.org).

• International Volunteer Programs Association (www.volunteerinternational.org) has a list of questions to help you determine the intentions and the nature of a volunteer program. For general info on volunteer travel, visit www.volunteerabroad.org and www.idealist.org.

Tours

Escorted tours are structured group tours, with a group leader. The price often includes everything from airfare to hotels, meals, tours, admission costs, and local transportation.

Despite the fact that escorted tours require big deposits and predetermine hotels, restaurants, and itineraries, many people derive security and peace of mind from the structure they offer. Escorted tours—whether they’re navigated by bus, motorcoach, train, or boat—let travelers sit back and enjoy the trip without having to drive or worry about details. They take you to the maximum number of sights in the minimum amount of time with the least amount of hassle. They’re particularly convenient for people with limited mobility, and they can be a great way to make new friends.

On the downside, you’ll have little opportunity for serendipitous interactions with locals. The tours can be jam-packed with activities, leaving little room for individual sightseeing, whim, or adventure—plus they often focus on the heavily touristed sites, so you miss out on many a lesser-known gem.

Adventure & Wellness Trips

Utah is an ideal destination for an adventure- or wellness-oriented trip. The national parks are perfect for both, and the spas at Utah’s numerous ski resorts and in and around St. George have deservedly earned a national reputation for excellence. See chapter 4, “The Active Vacation Planner,” and individual destination chapters for more information.

Guided Tours

City Sights Bus Tours, 3359 S. Main St., Ste. 804 ( 801/534-1001; www.saltlakecitytours.org), offers several tours of Salt Lake City and the surrounding area. Offering tours to Utah’s national parks and other destinations is Tauck Tours ( 800/788-7885; www.tauck.com).

A number of companies also offer specialized tours for outdoor-recreation enthusiasts. See chapter 4, “The Active Vacation Planner,” for more information.

Volunteer & Working Trips

Home to several thousand cats, dogs, and other animals at any given time, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, 5001 Angel Canyon Rd., in Kanab ( 435/644-2001; www.bestfriends.org), offers numerous opportunities for visitors to volunteer for a few hours or an entire vacation. Thousands of folks participate annually in such volunteer activities as feeding, walking, and cleaning up after the sanctuary’s furred, feathered, and scaled residents.

Volunteer trail crews offer another great opportunity for visitors to lend a hand while visiting Utah. Many state and national parks and other recreation areas have programs for volunteer trail crews; contact a specific park or area for additional information.