Destination:
Utah

Temple Square

The four-hectare (10-acre) Temple Square complex includes the Mormon Temple, the Tabernacle and the Assembly Hall. It is at the heart of Salt Lake City, in location and spiritual importance, and the symbolic epicentre of the Mormon religion or Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints. Temple Square is the city's biggest attraction, particularly the majestic six-spired Temple, topped by a golden statue of the Angel Moroni, which forms a striking silhouette on the city's skyline. The Temple was completed in 1893 after 40 years of heavy labour and the expenditure of millions of dollars. It is a holy place closed to the non-Mormon public. Confirmed believers may enter the Temple, but only for the most sacred of religious ceremonies, and non-Mormons can learn about temple activities at the visitor centres. The oval shape of the Tabernacle, topped by an impressive domed roof, is home to the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir whose weekly rehearsals and organ recitals are open to all free of charge, and illustrate the outstanding acoustic properties of the Tabernacle building. The Gothic-style Assembly Hall, constructed from granite left over from the Temple, is the venue for concerts and lectures. The two visitor centres, North and South, contain religious murals and paintings, exhibits and presentations about the Mormon faith, a film depicting the arrival of the first Mormon pioneers in Salt Lake City, and photographs of the Temple interior.

Utah State Capitol

Modelled after the national Capitol building in Washington DC, the Utah State Capitol sits on a hill above the city, a prominent sight surrounded by acres of beautifully landscaped gardens. Memory Grove, to the east of the building, contains statues honouring Utah veterans, and the grounds are a favourite destination for joggers and walkers. The impressive granite structure of the Capitol building is crowned by a copper dome and fronted by columns, representing one of the greatest examples of the Renaissance Revival style in the nation. A colossal chandelier illuminates the interior walls that are covered with murals illustrating Utah's history. Several busts proclaim the state's prominent figures, including Brigham Young, leader of the Mormon pioneers who founded Salt Lake City. Marble staircases lead to the third floor where the Senate, House of Representatives, and the Supreme Court of Utah are based. The state legislature meets in January and February and visitors are welcome to sit in the galleries overlooking their chamber. Visitors can choose to wander through the building alone or join a guided tour.

Pioneer Memorial Museum

Devoted to objects connected with historical events, the Pioneer Memorial Museum is crammed with photographs, furniture, textiles, toys and a doll collection from the daily lives of the pioneers that have been painstakingly collected by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. All four storeys are full of relics of Utah's history, including personal effects of Mormon leader Brigham Young. A short film is shown every half hour.

Great Salt Lake

The huge shallow lake is the second saltiest body of water in the world after the Dead Sea and is several times saltier than the ocean and rich in minerals. Floating weightlessly in the water of the Salt Lake is one of the main attractions, and although this natural wonder is worth seeing, the facilities are somewhat limited. The Great Salt Lake State Marina has a beach at one end and boat launching ramps, but there are no boat rentals available. Great Salt Lake has been declared a World Heritage Bird Sanctuary due to the numbers of migrating birds that are attracted to the brine flies and brine shrimp that survive in the saline waters. Antelope Island is the largest of the lake's ten islands and can be reached either by boat or by a causeway, offering excellent picnicking, hiking and camping opportunities. The island also boasts a herd of about 600 American Bison, introduced in 1893, and other interesting animals such as coyotes, bobcats, deer and a small herd of elk. Early mornings along the shore of this vast expanse of water can be extremely beautiful.

Dinosaur National Monument

The Dinosaur National Monument straddles the border between Utah and Colorado. The reserve was created to preserve the layers of rock in which Jurassic Era dinosaur skeletons and bones were found embedded at a site in the Utah section of the Monument area. In 1909 an exposed sediment riverbed was discovered to contain layers of prehistoric plant and animal fossils. A quarry went into operation on the site, where full dinosaur skeletons as well as fossilised remains of sea creatures up to three times older than dinosaurs were excavated. A visitor centre has been built over the quarry to protect the fossils, and forming one of the walls is the exposed rock layer containing over 2,000 dinosaur bones that has been enclosed as a permanent exhibit. (This is currently closed, but visitors can see fossils by hiking half a mile (1km) from the temporary visitor's centre). Although the quarry is often the main reason for visiting the Dinosaur National Monument, the area also contains acres of some of the most beautifully rugged mountain scenery in the north, with colourful sandstone cliffs, deep river canyons and forests, along with a number of scenic hiking trails, unique wildlife and thrilling whitewater rafting on two of the Colorado River's fast-flowing tributaries.

Bryce Canyon National Park

The smallest of Utah's national parks, Bryce Canyon is really a series of amphitheatres carved from the surrounding cliffs by erosion. From the plateau at 8,000ft (2,438m) above sea level, layers of multicoloured rock have been worn away exposing the Pink Cliffs and leaving fairytale sandstone formations in striking colours of red, white, yellow and rich orange. Its best-known features are the groups of top-heavy pinnacles of rock that have been left standing after millions of years of erosion, known as 'hoodoos'. A Paiute legend explains the silent columns of sandstone in terms of a legendary tribe who lived there in antiquity and were turned to stone by the powerful Coyote for their evil ways. Today views from the rim take in landscapes such as the 'Silent City' and 'Rainbow Point' where thousands of fiery-coloured hoodoos stand watch over arches, mazes and oddly shaped spires. Bryce Canyon is also one of the most accessible parks with many trails leading down among the sandstone pinnacles, as well as an easy Rim Trail with many viewpoints.

Zion National Park

In 1863 a Mormon settler named Isaac Behunin built his cabin in the canyon and called his abode Zion, feeling that he had at last reached the Promised Land. Zion is an ancient Hebrew word meaning a sacred place of refuge. Today his sanctuary is recognised as a national park, protecting a spectacular landscape of carved canyons and towering rock walls, with cliff-hanging fern gardens and a great variety of animals, including the tiny Zion Snail. Sculpted by the Virgin River, Zion Canyon is the park's verdant centrepiece, a dramatic gorge between towering cliffs with the sounds of running water echoing off the walls. It can become very clogged in summer, but it is fairly easy to escape the crowds on many of the trails off the main route. The park encourages discovery, and visitors keen to explore will find a natural wealth of forests, waterfalls, huge stone sculptures and monuments, as well as numerous hiking trails, the most famous of which is through The Narrows where a hiker will wade, swim and hike between soaring pastel-coloured rock walls barely 20ft (6m) across in places. One of the highlights is travelling the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive with viewpoints of many of the park's most famous rock formations, particularly the 'Great White Throne', a massive block of sandstone considered to be the symbol of Zion National Park. The charming hamlet of Springdale at the southern entrance is the gateway to the park.

Tracy Aviary

Situated on eight acres on land in Liberty Park, the Tracy Aviary is the oldest bird sanctuary in the United States, and a wonderful 'urban oasis' among the hustle and bustle of downtown Salt Lake City. Home to over 400 well cared-for birds, from 135 species - including bald eagles, flamingos and hawks - the aviary is popular with visitors of all ages, bird-lovers or not. With daily shows - including flight demonstrations given by professional handlers, pelican feeding, and a special showcase featuring the most beautiful, iridescent little birds of the Amazon basin - it is not hard to see why the Tracy Aviary is consistently voted one of Salt Lake City's premier tourist attractions.