Explore More than Just the City
Things to Do in Salt Lake City, Utah
We traveled to Find the best places to visit in salt lake city
We spent nearly a week exploring Salt Lake City & the areas surrounding it. These were our favorite things!
Downtown Salt Lake City Farmers Market
If you’re exploring downtown Salt Lake City during the weekend, be sure to check out the farmers market. During the summer you can walk around the large circle sidewalks checking out the variety of vendors – everything from clothing and jewelry to farm stands and delicious bakeries. Visit all the booths, because you don’t know what you could miss. There are beautiful artists, painters, and ceramics pieces to see.
From June to October, the farmer’s market is located inside Liberty Park in the heart of downtown. During the winter months, the market is held at The Gateway, but the dates of the market are TBD. You can explore all the farmer’s market vendors online!
Our favorite vendor you can’t miss is the popsicle stand. They have fun flavors that can cool you off in the heat and give you a snack to fuel your excursion. We got the strawberry lemonade popsicle but they have many other flavors too.
The Utah State Capitol
Sitting prestigiously atop the hill sits the Utah state capitol building. The large columns and tall building make for a cool photo op. Plus, there’s a path that circles around the capitol building, so you can see the building from every angle. The building entrance faces the mountains and is easily accessible on the west side of downtown.
You can schedule a tour of the Utah State Capitol online. Learn about Utah’s history, architecture, and government processes through the state capitol tours offered at The Visitor Services Center. Tour formats include self-guided and docent-led, as well as virtual options. Tours of The Utah State Capitol are available on weekdays only, but there are days tours are not provided on weekdays, so be sure to check online.
The old state capitol building is still standing on the other side of the street, so you can visit both the old and new capitol in one trip!
Saratoga Hot Springs
Saratoga Springs are probably the best springs near Salt Lake! They’re only 40 minutes from downtown Salt Lake and are located on the edge of Utah Lake, so you can see multiple wonders at once – the springs, the mountains, and the lake. It’s a perfect place to relax on any day of the week.
You’ll need to take a short hike towards it, just park and follow the trail past the bathrooms then keep going until you reach a nice small stream. It’s about a half mile walk. Once past that, walk down another 10 minutes until you see the pool on the left. The springs are publish access and open all year round, so expect to see other people while visiting. It was starting to sprinkle when we arrived, which meant we got the springs to ourselves luckily.
There are 2 springs, but one is much larger (and nicer) than the other. The main spring has a perfect view of the mountains, so you can enjoy hot springs with a view! The area around the springs is quiet enough that you can just sit in the water and listen to the sounds of nature while you enjoy the mountain views.
While the best months to visit these springs are fall and spring when it isn’t too hot or too cold, they’re enjoyable any time of year. We visited the springs in the first couple days of July and it wasn’t too hot to enjoy the water. Be aware, the temperatures of the water do change – there was a noticeable difference when we were visiting.
Hike Stewart Falls
This is probably one of the best hikes in Utah, especially if you’re looking for a moderate challenge. Because there is over 1,000 ft elevation climb, there are beautiful views of the mountain ranges as you’re hiking up to the waterfall. We couldn’t stop taking pictures as we hiked!
There are a few tougher areas of the hike, but once you come around the last bend, there is a breathtaking 2-story waterfall that you can climb up the side over. There’s a rive flowing down the mountain that looks out over countless mountains in the distance.
Once you get to the waterfall, you can climb up the side of the mountain to get to the second story of the waterfall. If you’re into gorgeous views, we don’t recommend skipping out on that extra lil hike! You will get misted by the falls and can see an even bigger view of the mountains.
There’s also a river running down the mountain after the falls, so bring a snack to enjoy the view before your hike back down!
Hike Donut Falls
Donut Falls is a much easier hike if you’re looking for a little bit easier adventure in the woods. It’s about 2 miles each way, but the incline of the hike is much less than others in the area. The hiking path is clearly defined and accessible to hikers of varying skill levels.
The Wasatch Mountains in the state of Utah in the United States of America are home to the popular hiking attraction known as Donut Falls. The falls got their name from the “donut” shape that is created at the base of the falls as a result of the water flowing over a massive rock formation that is shaped like a circle.
There are multiple picnic tables positioned near the falls, making it an ideal location for a picnic due to its proximity to the waterfalls. You can also eat your lunch on the rocks of the falls! Visitors can beat the heat during the summer months by taking a dip in the pool that sits at the base of the waterfalls. However, it is essential to exercise extreme caution when swimming in the water around the waterfalls because the water can be frigid and the rocks can be dangerously slick.
Be sure to explore the surrounding area too! The region surrounding Donut Falls is home to a wide variety of flora and animals, and there are a number of different hiking paths in the immediate vicinity that can be explored by hikers.
Bridal Veil Falls
If you’re not a big hiker, you can still take in nature – without all the exercise. Located inside Provo Canon, you can drive to the lookout spot and get a beautiful view of the waterfall and you don’t even need to leave your car.
It’s well known among tourists for its simple accessibility and picturesque surroundings, both of which contribute to its popularity. The waterfalls are located on the Provo River and are accessible via a short hike starting from the parking lot that is located nearby. The river drops over a succession of ledges to create a sequence of cascades, which ultimately leads to the formation of the falls. The falls are a popular location for picnics and other types of outdoor enjoyment due to the thick greenery that surrounds them.
In addition to the waterfalls itself, the region surrounding Bridal Veil Falls is home to a wide array of outdoor recreational activities. Some of these activities include rock climbing, mountain biking, and hiking. In addition, the waterfalls are situated in close proximity to a number of the canyon’s other well-known tourist destinations, including as the Provo Canyon Scenic Byway and the Bridal Veil Power Plant.
Explore Park City, Utah
While there are many fun things to do in Park City, our favorite was riding the town lift to the top of the mountain – the views were absolutely incredible! You can also hike around the mountains once you get to the top, so it’s really a two-for-one special!
The ride is about 30 minutes, so be prepared for a long ride, but it’s worth it when you get to the top! There are also gorgeous views the entire way up. We are also working an entire guide to Park City you can read for more things to do in Park City, UT.
Shopping in Park City
Park City offers a variety of shopping.
