Travel to Salt Lake City

Travel to Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah, is a pleasant and easy-going city with some great activities for those who love the outdoors. It has an amazing setting, sandwiched between an 11,000 foot mountain range and an inland sea. The area was revitalised for the Winter Olympics in 2002 and benefited from large investments and improvements to its infrastructure.

Transportation to Salt Lake City

The city is well served by all major modes of transportation. Salt Lake City International Airport is just five miles west of downtown, making the transfer to the city quick and easy. Greyhound provides long distance buses to hundreds of destinations throughout America and Amtrak also has a station serving the San Francisco to Chicago route.

What to see

The city's identity was shaped by the original pioneers, the Mormons, and many of the attractions are connected to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The stunning Salt Lake Temple is one of the most popular sites and should definitely be visited. The State Capitol is set in attractive gardens and the nearby Avenues district has some well-preserved 19th century houses. There are many facilities that were built for the 2002 Winter Olympics that are open to the public, including the Olympic Cauldron Park. Salt Lake City also has a good selection of museums and attractive parks and gardens.

Daytrips

Antelope Island is the largest of 10 islands in the Great Salt Lake. It measures about five miles wide and 15 miles long and has gravel beaches rather than the fine sand you would find at an the ocean. There are over 600 buffalo on the island and pronghorn have recently been introduced. Antelope Island is about 30 miles northwest of Salt Lake City and about 16 miles southwest of Ogden. The Great Salt Lake attracts many visitors, although there isn't really much to see or do. It is the largest lake west of the Mississippi River and the salinity can be as high as 27 per cent. Fashionable resorts used to be found around the lake but today, the only surviving legacy is the rundown Salt Air Palace. The lake is located 17 miles west of Salt Lake City on I-80.

Leisure

One of the main attractions for visitors to Salt Lake City is the wide range of outdoor pursuits and leisure activities. The city makes an excellent base for exploring the surrounding areas and the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. During the winter season, skiers and snowboarders flock to the world-class resorts in search of fresh powder snow. The summer months are a good time to walk the mountain trails and enjoy water-based activities on the lakes and rivers.

Safety issues

Salt Lake City has a lower crime rate than many other American cities but you still need to take care. As long as you are sensible and plan your trip carefully then you shouldn't have any problems. Most areas of the city are safe to walk around during the day; however, you should take care at night and preferably take a taxi to your destination. We strongly recommend you take out travel insurance for you and your family when visiting Salt Lake City.