Utah — the state where you can ski in the morning and bask in the desert sun mere hours later. With our outdoor recreation, Olympic athletes and a rich history, Utah has a lot to offer.

  1. Five National Parks

Howard Ignatious/flikr We’ve pretty much got that red-rock thing wrapped up. In addition, check out Utah’s seven National Monuments and six National Forests – all within hours of Salt Lake City’s International airport.

  1. Skiing and Snowboarding

SnowBirdPhoto/flikr Powder hounds flock to Utah for world-class snow. Our fourteen resorts get around 500 inches every winter.

  1. Our Great Salt Lake

DaveAW89/flikr We’ve got the largest salt water lake in the entire Western Hemisphere. Those Sea Monkeys you ordered from the back of Boy’s Life magazine when you were a kid? Straight from the lake to your doorstep.

  1. Independent Film

Raffi Asdourian/flikr You may have heard of a little film festival called Sundance? Robert Redford thought Utah was a great state for indie filmmakers to show their art. We agree.

  1. Transcontinental Travel History

Jeff Stevan/flikr The joining of two railroads created the first transcontinental railroad, and it happened at Promontory Summit, Utah.

  1. The Wasatch Mountains

Carlos Scheidegger/flikr Hike to an alpine lake, or perch on an 11,000 foot peak. Fish for rainbow trout, camp in the pines and scope out some of Utah’s plentiful wildlife.

  1. Extreme Sports

eye-see/flikr Whether we’re dangling from a cliff or jumping from a helicopter to board down a snow-covered cliff, we Utahns love extreme sports.

  1. Olympic Heritage

GoCal83/flikr We hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002, and the Olympic dream lives on. Aspiring Olympic athletes train here for skiing, aerials, bobsled, skeleton, figure and speed skating.

  1. Your Heritage

Family History Library People from all over the world research their family histories at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, which houses millions of genealogical records. Check it out…maybe you’re the descendant of a Belgian King!

  1. Outlaws

Nicholas D./flikr Utah’s crime rate is amongst the lowest in the country, but infamous outlaws such as Billy the Kid and Butch Cassidy once hid out here.

  1. We Love Kids

Behan/flikr With more kids per family than any other state, we’ve created plenty of ways to keep the little darlin’s entertained. You’ll find tons of kid-friendly entertainment, museums and dining everywhere you go

  1. Slickrock

Tim Bounds/flikr Mountain bikers in Moab love the sandstone, which creates friction between rubber and rock that allows for some death-defying stunts.

  1. Mormon Heritage

Sandwich/flikr From the magnificent downtown Salt Lake City temple (which looks an awful lot like a castle), to the fresh-baked rolls at Lion House restaurant, you’ll find plenty of Mormon culture here.

  1. Utah’s Little Hollywood

Al/flikr The tiny town of Kanab is a popular filming location; over 100 movies and many TV shows have brought some of Hollywood’s greats such as John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple, Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood and Charlton Heston to the state.

  1. Copper

DL Wise Photography/flikr The Bingham Canyon Mine is the world’s largest open copper pit. You can see it from outer space. Or from the Visitor’s Center.

  1. Kentucky Fried Chicken

Jimmy Wayne/flikr The first KFC was built in Salt Lake City, Utah and it’s still serving buckets of fried goodness.

  1. Astronauts

Horatio3k/flikr Astronauts: The Mars Desert Research Station trains astronauts in Southern Utah.. And really…is there anyone cooler than astronauts?

  1. Beer

Red Rock Brewing Co. Yes, you can get a drink in Utah. In fact, we’re home to more than a dozen microbreweries producing award-winning brews all over the state.

  1. Bonneville Salt Flats

Mr. Nixter/flikr 30,000 acres of perfectly flat, salt-packed ground where race car drivers from all over the world gather twice a year to drive really, really fast.

  1. Dinosaurs

Daveynin/flikr Utah’s oldest residents, clocking in at 150 million years or so.

Of course, this is only 20 reasons. Why do you love Utah?

Howard Ignatious/flikr

We’ve pretty much got that red-rock thing wrapped up. In addition, check out Utah’s seven National Monuments and six National Forests – all within hours of Salt Lake City’s International airport.

SnowBirdPhoto/flikr

Powder hounds flock to Utah for world-class snow. Our fourteen resorts get around 500 inches every winter.

DaveAW89/flikr

We’ve got the largest salt water lake in the entire Western Hemisphere. Those Sea Monkeys you ordered from the back of Boy’s Life magazine when you were a kid? Straight from the lake to your doorstep.

Raffi Asdourian/flikr

You may have heard of a little film festival called Sundance? Robert Redford thought Utah was a great state for indie filmmakers to show their art. We agree.

Jeff Stevan/flikr

The joining of two railroads created the first transcontinental railroad, and it happened at Promontory Summit, Utah.

Carlos Scheidegger/flikr

Hike to an alpine lake, or perch on an 11,000 foot peak. Fish for rainbow trout, camp in the pines and scope out some of Utah’s plentiful wildlife.

eye-see/flikr

Whether we’re dangling from a cliff or jumping from a helicopter to board down a snow-covered cliff, we Utahns love extreme sports.

GoCal83/flikr

We hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002, and the Olympic dream lives on. Aspiring Olympic athletes train here for skiing, aerials, bobsled, skeleton, figure and speed skating.

Family History Library

People from all over the world research their family histories at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, which houses millions of genealogical records. Check it out…maybe you’re the descendant of a Belgian King!

Nicholas D./flikr

Utah’s crime rate is amongst the lowest in the country, but infamous outlaws such as Billy the Kid and Butch Cassidy once hid out here.

Behan/flikr

With more kids per family than any other state, we’ve created plenty of ways to keep the little darlin’s entertained. You’ll find tons of kid-friendly entertainment, museums and dining everywhere you go

Tim Bounds/flikr

Mountain bikers in Moab love the sandstone, which creates friction between rubber and rock that allows for some death-defying stunts.

Sandwich/flikr

From the magnificent downtown Salt Lake City temple (which looks an awful lot like a castle), to the fresh-baked rolls at Lion House restaurant, you’ll find plenty of Mormon culture here.

Al/flikr

The tiny town of Kanab is a popular filming location; over 100 movies and many TV shows have brought some of Hollywood’s greats such as John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple, Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood and Charlton Heston to the state.

DL Wise Photography/flikr

The Bingham Canyon Mine is the world’s largest open copper pit. You can see it from outer space. Or from the Visitor’s Center.

Jimmy Wayne/flikr

The first KFC was built in Salt Lake City, Utah and it’s still serving buckets of fried goodness.

Horatio3k/flikr

Astronauts: The Mars Desert Research Station trains astronauts in Southern Utah.. And really…is there anyone cooler than astronauts?

Red Rock Brewing Co.

Yes, you can get a drink in Utah. In fact, we’re home to more than a dozen microbreweries producing award-winning brews all over the state.

Mr. Nixter/flikr

30,000 acres of perfectly flat, salt-packed ground where race car drivers from all over the world gather twice a year to drive really, really fast.

Daveynin/flikr

Utah’s oldest residents, clocking in at 150 million years or so.

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