Tourists flock to our state to ponder the dwindling Great Salt Lake, tour the Salt Lake LDS Temple grounds and ski our peerless powder. But these interlopers will never know the joy of waking up to the crew from Radio From Hell, of shopping at Deseret Industries or of eating a Bear Lake Raspberry. Those are pleasures reserved for true locals who’ve been around long enough to know where the good stuff hides. But mere birthright alone doth not a Utahn create. What makes a true local? We posit that it is not the number of years you’ve lived within Zion’s borders, but rather the zeal with which you explore all our state has to offer. It’s ironic: The true Utahn lives like a tourist in his own state, seeking out experiences beyond his front door but within (or barely beyond) the state’s six corners. The born-and-bred native who spends his life within the confines of his backyard is no more a Utahn than the California-to-Park-City transplant. If you’re new or if you’re questioning your right to citizenship, we’re here to help with a refresher course leading you to the Beehive’s quintessential experiences. Greetings from a pretty, great state: Wish you were here.
1. Take a photo at “The Tree of Utah.”
2. Signs on I-80 between Salt Lake and Wendover warn you that stopping on the shoulder is reserved for emergencies only. We suggest that you have a photo emergency around mile marker 26 on I-80 to appreciate “Metaphor: The Tree of Utah.” Stand here for a moment, contemplate the work of Swedish (natch) artist Karl Momen and attain a true understanding of the emptiness surrounding you. Then hop back in the car and do 80 m.p.h. the rest of the way to Wendover.
3. Gamble in Wendover.
4. Once you get there, escape that pesky conscience of yours—Wendover’s just over the border. We prefer the camp and glitz of Montego Bay. Visit wendoverfun.com.
5. Watch a parade of newlywed couples at the Salt Lake LDS Temple.
6. It’s like everybody’s favorite occasions—weddings and parades—had a love child. On a busy Saturday, you’ll see a veritable procession of newly married couples emerging onto the steps of the temple every 20 minutes. Plop down at the Main Street Plaza (Main Street between North and South Temple) and enjoy the show.
7. Hike to the “Living Room,” a grouping of sandstone couches and chairs above Red Butte Gardens. Start at the Bonneville Shoreline Trail entrance behind the University Research Park near the Utah Museum of Natural History. Cross the wide trail and head east (uphill) up a small gravel-covered trail. It will lead you to the main path, which is pretty well worn. Hike uphill until you reach your destination, crack a beverage and watch the sun set.
8. Find shapes in the hoodoo rock formations at Goblin Valley. Visit utah.com/stateparks.
9. Visit Fish Springs Wildlife Refuge, an improbable oasis in the middle of the Great Basin desert that sustained pre-interstate cross-country travelers during their westward journeys. Much of the gravel road leading to the refuge follows the original Pony Express route. From exit 99 on I-80: Go south on UT-36 through Tooele, and head right on the marked Pony Express Route gravel road for approximately 75 miles.
10. Learn to hang glide, then sail off the Point of the Mountain. Visit hangglide-utah.com.
11. Explore the belly of Utah County’s Timpanogos Cave. Tours often sell out, so reserve at recreation.gov.
12. Clamber across a piece of mining history.
13. As Salt Lake’s outskirts creep toward the Oquirrh Mountains, they give way to tiny Copperton, a town built by Kennecott Copper in the 1920s for its employees. The town’s mining past is evident in its tiny bungalows with copper downspouts and in its jewel of a city park, where used tires from the nearby mine live a new life as playground equipment. 200 E. Park St., Copperton. You can also tour Kennecott’s Bingham Canyon Mine overlook. It’s one of the largest man-made excavations on Earth and somehow even bigger than you imagined. riotinto.com
14. Summit Mt. Olympus. For trail information, visit utahtrails.com.
15. Camp out for prime seats on the Days of ’47 parade route. Or watch Pioneer Day fireworks from a neighborhood park. On July 24, spread out a blanket, eat too much Dutch oven cobbler and watch the sky light up with families who have been celebrating Utah’s state holiday the same way for generations. It’s about community as much as fireworks. Visit daysof47.com.
16. See the remains of the Topaz internment camp, the central Utah site where 8,000 Japanese Americans were essentially imprisoned during World War II. Visit topazcamp.org.
17. Visit the birds at Tracy Aviary. Imagine a herd of zebras came running through your backyard. You’d grab the camera, right? Now switch the zebras for seagulls—not so enticing. For most of us, birds are the wildlife we interact with most frequently—we just forget that they’re wild. Gain an appreciation for the beasts in your backyard at the Tracy Aviary, one of only two public aviaries in the country. For more information, visit tracyaviary.org.
18. Ride the ‘White Roller Coaster’ at Lagoon. Lagoon offers traditional amusement-park fare, but why would you eat it when you can grab enormous sandwiches from Grove Market (1906 S. Main St., SLC), throw them in your cooler, and leave it all in the shade of the Maple Terrace while you and the brood spend the day hurtling down the Colossus? Lagoon is one of the few B.Y.O.-friendly parks left in the nation—savor it! Visit lagoonpark.com.
19. Slurp an Astro Bar. Pace’s Dairy Ann, in Woods Cross, produces icy treats that put franchised freezer cases to shame. Davis County residents have long understood the allure of the fruity Astro bar—their favorite flavor, hands-down, is peach—best eaten at a table adjoining the blacktop. Pace’s Dairy Ann, 1180 S. 500 West, Woods Cross.
20. Hit the Bicknell International Film Festival, which features a weekend of B-movies and the World’s Fastest Parade. For more information, visit thebicknelltheater.com.
21. Try to sink in the Great Salt Lake. It’s practically in your backyard, but how often do you actually visit the city’s namesake? If you’re like most Utahns, you’re scared away by rumors of odors and brine flies; the rumors are true, but only to a point. Once you leave the shore, the flies and odor disappear, and when you experience the lake’s natural surroundings—instead of stopping at the side of I-80 on your way to Wendover—the magic of the inland sea trumps any silly little flies. We suggest the beaches at Antelope Island’s Bridger Bay. Visit stateparks.utah.gov.
22. Drink a Fisher on Fisher Brewing’s patio. There’s a reason Fisher’s patio feels like home. It’s the descendant of Alfred Fisher Brewing. In 2017, the scions of the family revived the family name, and a Fisher-branded hat or shirt has since become part of the official uniform of every Salt Laker. Its taproom is one of the state’s best places to quaff a cool brew. Laid back, hip and with plenty of space and sunshine, Fisher brings to mind Benjamin Franklin’s aphorism: “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” fisherbrewing.com
23. The ‘Play’s the thing.’ The Utah Shakespeare Festival is an integral part of its community; it draws from Southern Utah University’s theater program and sustains its surrounding Cedar City, but this ain’t no community theater. Professional Equity actors anchor every production, and the backstage staff is peopled with professional costumers, makeup artists and lighting technicians. In short, the festival is a theatrical juggernaut, producing solid shows night after night for five months of the year. The 2026 Season: The curtain rises on the 65th anniversary season of the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City from June 18 through October 3, 2026, with a lineup that blends Shakespearean classics, Broadway favorites and contemporary comedy. This season’s productions include Troilus and Cressida (June 18–Sept. 3), Hamlet (June 19–Sept. 4), Twelfth Night (June 20–Sept. 5), Something Rotten! (June 22–Oct. 3), See How They Run (June 23–Sept. 4), She Loves Me (June 24–Oct. 3), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (July 13–Oct. 3) and The Book Club Play (July 14–Oct. 3). For more information, visit bard.org.
24. Take the train from Ballpark to Ballpark. RIP Smith’s Ballpark. Last season, the new America First Field opened and the Bees moved to South Jordan. And, sigh, the new park is really nice. It’s a cruel irony that you can board TRAX at the now-incorrectly named Ballpark Station and ride the blue line to South Jordan. Visit slbees.com.
25. Quench your thirst at the natural springs at 800 South and 500 East in Salt Lake City.
26. Eat a raspberry milkshake at Raspberry Days, August 8–26. Visit bearlake.org.
27. Eat a bison burger while viewing bison at Antelope Island’s Buffalo Point Bistro. While you’re there, watch the sunset over the Great Salt Lake from Antelope Island. The brine flies may be legendary, but so is the view. Visit stateparks.utah.gov.
28. Raft 12 of the best rapids in the country in the Westwater Canyon of the Colorado River. Visit Colorado River & Trail Expeditions at crateinc.com.
29. Enjoy all-you-can-eat watermelon at Green River’s Watermelon Days, Sept. 18–19. For more information, visit greenriverutah.com.
30. Bomb down the mountain bike trails at Sundance. Visit sundanceresort.com.
31. Stargaze at Natural Bridges, the world’s first Dark Sky Park. Visit nps.gov.
32. Visit Ogden’s Browning Arms Museum. Hermann Göring, the Third Reich’s second-in-command, once said, “If I’d had the .50-caliber machine gun, the battle of Britain would have turned out differently.” And who was the brains behind that weapon, in addition to 127 other firearms patents? Utah native John Browning. 2501 Wall Ave., Historic Union Station, Ogden, (801) 393-9890.
33. Build your Halloween costume from items discovered on the shelves at Deseret Industries, 131 E. 700 South, SLC, and multiple other locations.
34. Snag tickets to the Holy War, the BYU–Utah football game. Visit utahtickets.com.
35. Drive Wellsville Canyon (between Brigham City and Logan) for unbeatable fall foliage.
37. The bundled masses can’t be wrong: You must see the lights at Temple Square. For more information, visit lds.org.
38. Watch the sunrise at Delicate Arch. Yes, it’s crowded. Yes, you have to hike in the dark. Yes, it’s worth it. nps.gov.
39. Order a pastrami burger. Whether your allegiance is to Crown Burger, Apollo Burger or another local institution, a true Utahn should have pastrami on a burger at least once.
40. Spend an afternoon at the Spiral Jetty. Drive forever, question your life choices, then discover one of the world’s great works of land art (diaart.org). While you’re out there, you can also visit the Golden Spike National Historical Park, stand where the nation’s first transcontinental railroad was completed and listen for the whistle. nps.gov.
41. Ski on the Greatest Snow on Earth. Even if you’re a snowboarder, telemark skier or complete beginner, make at least one powder day part of your Utah résumé. skiutah.com
42. Discover the ‘Atlantis’ of Glen Canyon from the dwindling Lake Powell. It’s a bittersweet side effect of the water loss in Lake Powell. Glen Canyon, which was flooded behind the Glen Canyon Dam to create Powell, is slowly remerging. The dam was bitterly opposed by activists who lamented the destruction of Glen Canyon, as famously noted in Edward Abbey’s fictional account of the fight, “The Monkey Wrench Gang.” Companies like All Ways Adventure (allwaysadventure.com) operate guided off-road and technical canyoneering trips that drop into surfacing side canyons and offer stunning overviews like Alstrom Point. Fun Fact: Ken Sanders Rare Books recently reprinted the book with the original artwork by counter-culture cartoonist R. Crumb. kensandersbooks.com
43. Stand on the Bonneville Salt Flats after a rainstorm. When the surface floods, Utah briefly becomes the world’s largest mirror. blm.gov
44. Order a scone with honey butter. Outside Utah, people think a scone comes with clotted cream. They’re wrong.
45. Watch the sunset from Ensign Peak. A short hike with one of the best free views of the Salt Lake Valley. slc.gov/parks
46. Drive Scenic Byway 12. It’s less a highway than a moving postcard. scenichighway12.com.
47. Buy a dozen fresh donuts from Banbury Cross. Take them to work and become everyone’s favorite coworker. banburycrossdonut.com.
48. Attend the Utah State Fair and eat something on a stick. Nutrition can resume tomorrow. utahstatefair.com.
49. Float the Provo River on an inner tube. Few summer afternoons are better spent. highcountryadventure.com
50. Visit the Hill Aerospace Museum. Even people who aren’t aviation buffs leave impressed by the collection. aerospaceutah.org.
51. Pick cherries in Santaquin or apples in Capitol Reef’s Fruita orchards. Nothing tastes more like Utah than fruit eaten within minutes of being picked. cherryhillfarms.com, nps.gov.
52. Order a burger, fries and a root beer at Hires Big H. Every Salt Laker has an opinion about burgers, but this burger remains local royalty. Wash it down with a frosty root beer and argue about whether Hires or Crown does it better. The debate is part of the experience. hiresbigh.com
53. Stroll through the 9th and 9th neighborhood to worship the Whale. Pay your respects to the giant, colorful sculpture that became an overnight local monument. Buy a scoop of gelato at Dolcetti Gelato (dolcettigelato.com) and debate whether the idol successfully brought the historic winter snowpacks the year it was installed.
54. Complain about the Swig line but get in it anyway. swig.com.
55. Adopt the ‘Patron Saint of Utah’ as your own. What was intended as a memorial to Julia Reagan has become a viral sensation and a beloved quirk of our city.
56. Carry your ID at all times. Even you, Tom Haraldsen.
57. Listen to the “soundtrack of Salt Lake.” Since 1971, KRCL has been the voice of Radio Free Utah. The proudly independent and locally passionate DJs, staff and volunteers bring us eclectic and diverse music with a healthy dose of community activism. krcl.org
Originally Published in Salt Lake Metropolitan, A City Journals Publication.