What to See in Utah, United States

The best things to do in Utah combine remarkable landscapes with a history shaped by Indigenous peoples, Spanish exploration, Mormon settlement and rapid modern growth. From the Great Basin and desert parks to pine-covered mountain valleys, Utah is a state of striking contrasts. Neywo offers free audio guides for 6 cities in Utah, with 166 narrated places in total across 10 walking tours, and narration available in 11 languages.

What to see and do in Utah

Explore Utah’s five national parks

Natural scenery is central to Utah’s identity. The state has five national parks: Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion. Together, they reflect the variety of Utah’s landscapes, from arid desert and dramatic rock formations to high country shaped by mountains and changing climates.

Utah is not defined by one type of scenery. The western half lies largely in the Great Basin, while mountain ranges create forests, valleys and cooler environments elsewhere. The highest points in the Uinta Mountains rise above the timberline. This transition from desert to mountain valley and forest is one of the state’s defining experiences.

Learn about Indigenous history

People have lived in Utah for thousands of years. The Indigenous peoples connected with the region include the Ancestral Puebloans, the Fremont people, the Navajo and the Ute. Their histories form the earliest part of Utah’s story, long before European exploration or the arrival of Mormon settlers.

The state’s name comes through the Spanish name Yuta for the Ute, although the ultimate origin of the word remains uncertain. Spanish explorers entered southern Utah in 1540 while searching for the legendary Cíbola. Later expeditions looked for a route toward California, but Utah’s difficult geography and harsh climate kept the region on the edge of New Spain and, later, Mexico.

Understand the history of Mormon settlement

A major turning point came with the settlement of Latter Day Saints. After Joseph Smith’s death, Brigham Young became leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormon settlers travelled along the Mormon Trail while fleeing marginalization and persecution in the United States.

After the Mexican American War, the region became part of the United States. Utah Territory once included all of modern Utah and Nevada, as well as parts of Wyoming and Colorado. Disputes between Congress and the dominant Mormon community delayed statehood. After agreeing to outlaw polygamy, Utah became the forty-fifth state in 1896.

The history remains visible in Utah’s culture. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has its world headquarters in Salt Lake City, and slightly more than half of Utahns are Mormons. Utah is the only state where a majority of the population belongs to a single church.

Visit the state’s cities and towns

Utah’s population is concentrated in a few areas, especially along the Wasatch Front in the north-central part of the state. This region includes Salt Lake City and contains roughly two thirds of the state’s population. Washington County is another important centre in the southwest.

For a city-focused trip, Salt Lake City offers the largest selection of narrated places on Neywo, including the Cathedral of the Madeleine, First Methodist Episcopal Church, Trinity A.M.E. Church and St. Mark’s Cathedral. The city also helps explain the continuing presence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah.

In central Utah, Provo has 14 narrated places, among them the Recreation Center for the Utah State Hospital, the Brigham Young University Museum of Art, the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum and Brigham Young University.

Park City has 13 narrated places, including Glenwood Cemetery, Park City Museum, Artworks Park City and Bogan Boarding House. Film is an important part of the town’s identity: the Sundance Film Festival takes place each January in Park City. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, although its final Utah festival is in 2026.

Further south, Kanab has 9 narrated places, including Kanab Lodge, Indian Dance Hall, Littles Campground and RV Park, and Bunting Canyon. Heber City has 2 narrated places: CAF Heber Valley Museum and Heber Second Ward Meetinghouse. Moab currently has one narrated place, Moab LDS Church.

Look for wildlife in changing landscapes

Utah’s varied environments support more than 600 vertebrate species. Larger mammals include bison, elk, moose, mountain goats, mule deer, pronghorn and several kinds of bighorn sheep.

The contrast between dry country and high mountain terrain is important here. Deserts and dunes give way to pine forests in mountain valleys, while the state’s many ranges create a wide range of climates. Tourism to national parks and ski resorts is a major part of Utah’s economy, but the landscapes also support a rich natural environment.

See how Utah is changing

Utah has grown quickly since 2000 and has been among the fastest-growing states in the country. Just over three million people live in the state, while major sectors of its economy include transport, education, information technology, research, government services, mining and tourism.

Growth also brings challenges. Droughts have become more frequent and severe over time, influenced by climate change. Water security is therefore a central issue for a state whose population and economy continue to expand.

Utah’s culture is changing as well. The state remains strongly influenced by its inherited religious tradition, including strict laws on alcohol, tobacco and gambling and state control of alcoholic beverages. At the same time, it has become more religiously diverse and more secular since the 1990s. Film, outdoor tourism and a growing economy now add further layers to its identity.

Explore Utah with Neywo

Neywo’s free audio guides cover 6 cities in Utah, with 166 narrated places in total and 10 walking tours. Narration is available in 11 languages. There are no Utah tour routes listed with a fixed distance or duration in the available guide information, so the experience is focused on exploring the narrated places in the cities at your own pace.

Download Neywo and choose a city such as Salt Lake City, Provo, Park City, Kanab, Heber City or Moab. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule.