Utah
Uniquely Utah: Peaks, Canyons, Deserts & Salt Lake City
Program No. 25251RJ
Head outdoors in northern Utah! Explore Salt Lake City, study Wasatch range ecosystems and hike into Big Cottonwood Canyon. Delve into Park City’s history. Float in Great Salt Lake!
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7 days
6 nights
15 meals
6B 4L 5D
1
Check-In, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Salt Lake City, Utah
2
Temple Square, Red Butte Garden
Salt Lake City, Utah
3
The Great Salt Lake, Ecology Presentation, History Museum
Salt Lake City, Utah
4
Bloods Lake, Park City Museum, Silver Queen Presentation
Salt Lake City, Utah
5
Swaner Preserve, Homestead Crater, This is the Place
Salt Lake City, Utah
6
Thanksgiving Point, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Gondola
Salt Lake City, Utah
7
Program Concludes
Salt Lake City, Utah
At a Glance
Northern Utah is a study in contrasts. Snow-capped mountains share the landscape with stunning canyons. Sprawling deserts give way to an abundance of rivers and the largest salt-water lake in the Western Hemisphere. Charming ski towns and bustling Salt Lake City seem worlds apart. Experience all of it as you take in the culture of the state capital, then venture into the Wasatch mountains to study the dazzling landscapes, diverse flora and fauna and unique microclimates. Hear the fascinating history of Park City, dubbed “the perfect mountain town.” Explore — and have a float in — Great Salt Lake!
Activity Level
Outdoor: No Sweat
Expect easy to moderate walks/hikes of up to four miles on sometimes rocky, uneven terrain. Elevations up to 11,000 feet. Optional swimming in Great Salt Lake.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Explore vibrant downtown Salt Lake City, including the awe-inspiring, 222-foot-high Salt Lake Temple, and Park City, “the perfect mountain town.”
- Hike into Big Cottonwood Canyon as you study the unique flora, fauna and geology of the Wasatch range.
- Stand on the shores of Great Salt Lake — then have the unforgettable experience of swimming and floating in it.
Suggested Reading List
(3 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Uniquely Utah: Peaks, Canyons, Deserts & Salt Lake City
Program Number: 25251
Temple Square: The Spirit of Salt Lake City
Explore historic temple square in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. These exquisite photographs showcase buildings in and around Temple Square, displaying intricate pioneer craftsmanship and modern architectural marvels. From the grand auditorium in the Conference Center to quiet spots for reflection near the Salt Lake Temple, you can experience the beauty and spirit of this sacred place in your home for years to come.
Images of America Park City
Known primarily for its richness in silver, Park City miners also extracted lead, zinc, gold, and copper from the surrounding hills. With the town and its mines located at over 7,000 feet above sea level, miners faced brutal winters to unleash treasure for the nation. As the mines grew, so too did the town, attracting business people, grocers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, in addition to miners and prospectors seeking to strike it rich. While most miners faced tough lives and died young, some created legacies beyond their wildest dreams.
First Peoples of Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake is a celebrated, world-recognized natural landmark. It, and the broader region bound to it, is also a thoroughly cultural landscape. Steven Simms, one of the foremost archaeologists of the region, traces the scope of human history dating from the Pleistocene, when First Peoples interacted with the lapping waters of Lake Bonneville, to nearly the present day.
