Utah Recreation & Entertainment

A popular paradise for outdoor recreation throughout the year, Utah is best known for its world-class downhill skiing. And the state is widely acclaimed for outstanding arts organizations and events that call it home.

Salt Lake City is home to the Utah Jazz, a perennial contender in the National Basketball Association, while the University of Utah, Brigham Young University and Utah State University offer the excitement of NCAA Division I sports, fielding strong teams in football, volleyball, and men's and women's basketball.

Arguably one of the world's most beloved musical groups is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which presents a radio broadcast every Sunday morning from the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. The Utah Symphony, based in Salt Lake City, is also nationally recognized for musical excellence. And one of the premier motion picture events is the annual Sundance Film Festival in Park City.

Utah History comes alive each year with the reenactment of the Driving of the Golden Spike at Promontory on May 13 and Pioneer Day, on July 24, which commemorates the arrival of the first Mormons to the Great Salt Lake Valley.

Great downhill skiing is an easy drive away from Salt Lake City at Alta Ski Area, and Brighton, Solitude and Snowbird ski resorts. In 2002, Utah's reputation as a winter sports destination brought the Olympic Winter Games to Salt Lake City. Snowmobiling and cross-country skiing also abound in the Wasatch Mountains, which attract mountain bikers in the summer. Bicycling, hiking, camping, fishing and hunting, including elk and deer, lure enthusiasts outdoors in all parts of the state during much of the year.

River canyons are meccas for white-water rafting and float trips. Arches, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Zion national parks and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area are natural crown jewels of southern Utah.

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