My visits to Utah have revealed the state’s remarkable diversity, from the urban energy of Salt Lake City, founded in 1847 by Mormon pioneers and sitting at 4,226 feet elevation with its iconic Salt Lake Temple taking 40 years to complete, to the pristine wilderness of the Uinta Mountain Range, the highest peaks in Utah with Kings Peak reaching 13,528 feet and unique for being the only major east-west trending range in the contiguous United States.
At Wahweap Bay on Lake Powell, part of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area created in 1972, I experienced the dramatic contrast of crystal-clear waters surrounded by ancient sandstone formations where Wahweap Creek feeds into this massive reservoir on the Colorado River, showcasing Utah’s incredible geological and recreational treasures.