Outdoor & Nature
Two of the country's three snowboard-free ski resorts sit in this one market, a 19th-century bison herd still roams a Great Salt Lake island on public land, and a university botanical garden doubles as a summer concert venue.
Alta Ski Area
Alta Ski Area, in Little Cottonwood Canyon, is one of only three ski areas in the United States that still prohibit snowboarding -- the others are Deer Valley, roughly 25 miles away near Park City, and Mad River Glen in Vermont, putting two of the country's three snowboard-free resorts inside this same market. Utah's official ski marketing slogan, "The Greatest Snow on Earth," a phrase trademarked by the State of Utah, has appeared on Utah license plates since 1985 -- a reference to the dry, low-moisture powder the Wasatch Range's storm pattern and elevation regularly produce, and that resorts like Alta build their reputation on.
Antelope Island State Park
Antelope Island, the largest island in the Great Salt Lake, connects to the mainland by a 7-mile causeway and hosts a free-ranging bison herd first introduced in 1893 -- one of the oldest continuously managed bison herds on public land in the country. Utah State Parks holds an annual bison roundup each fall to manage the herd's size, a public event that draws its own visitors separate from the park's beaches, hiking, and Great Salt Lake shoreline access.
Red Butte Garden
Red Butte Garden, the University of Utah's official botanical garden and arboretum, spans roughly 100 acres in the foothills above the university's Salt Lake City campus. Its outdoor amphitheater has run an annual summer concert series featuring national touring acts since the 1980s, giving the garden a dual identity as both a plant collection and a concert venue; confirm the current season's specific lineup and garden hours directly with Red Butte Garden.