Salt Lake City Hotels

Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah and its biggest city, is a testimony to the industriousness and vision of early settlers, who also founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Today, Mormons constitute less than half the population, but have played a major role in building the city.

It's still a great place for Latter-Day Saints, as well as skiers, hikers, mountain bikers and anyone else who enjoys the robustness of outdoor pursuits. The spacious, pleasant, hassle-free city is uniquely sandwiched between an inland sea and a snowcapped range of 3300m (11000ft) mountains.

The best time to visit is either spring (March to May) or fall (September to November), even though Salt Lake City does not experience the extreme summer and winter temperature found in many parts of the Southwestern USA. The relatively mild climate is largely a result of the city's altitude of 4330ft (1320m), which keeps summer highs below 90°F (32°C) and winter temperatures usually above freezing. The ski season in the nearby Wasatch Range stretches from mid-November to early May, and in February 2002 incorporated the Winter Olympics. Most of the city's major festivals take place in June and July.