Utah is a western state of monumental landscapes, home to five of America's most dramatic national parks — Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef. Red rock canyons, ancient hoodoos, towering sandstone arches, and the vast Bonneville Salt Flats define a state unlike anywhere else on Earth. Salt Lake City, the capital, anchors the north with world-class skiing, a growing food scene, and a gateway to the Wasatch Range.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Utah.
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1
Ancestral Puebloan and Fremont cultures build agricultural communities across the Colorado Plateau and Great Basin
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2
Dominguez-Escalante Expedition: first European exploration of Utah, searching for a route from Santa Fe to California
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3
American mountain men (Jedediah Smith, Jim Bridger) trap beaver and explore Utah's rivers; Great Salt Lake identified by American explorers
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4
Brigham Young leads 148 LDS pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley, founding the first permanent American settlement in Utah
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5
Mexican-American War ends; Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo transfers Utah (and much of the Southwest) from Mexico to the United States
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6
Utah Territory established by US Congress
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7
Golden Spike ceremony at Promontory Summit completes the First Transcontinental Railroad, connecting the nation by rail
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8
Utah admitted to the Union as the 45th state; first governor: Heber Manning Wells
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9
Zion National Park established (as Mukuntuweap National Monument 1909, renamed and expanded 1919)
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10
Canyonlands National Park established; Arches became a national monument 1929, national park 1971
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11
Salt Lake City hosts the 2002 Winter Olympic Games; venues at Park City, Snowbird, and Soldier Hollow
Historical sites
Places where Utah's past comes alive.
Temple Square
Where: Downtown Salt Lake City
Admission: Adult: Free | Child: Free
Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument
Where: Indian Creek Canyon, San Juan County
Admission: Adult: Free | Child: Free
Natural History Museum of Utah
Where: Salt Lake City
Admission: Adult: $17 (USD) | Child: $12 ages 3–12
Hovenweep National Monument
Where: San Juan County
Admission: Adult: $20/vehicle (USD) | Child: Free under 15
Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum
Where: Blanding, San Juan County
Admission: Adult: $5 (USD) | Child: $3
Promontory Summit (Golden Spike National Historical Park)
Where: Box Elder County
Admission: Adult: $20/vehicle (USD) | Child: Free under 15
Pioneer Memorial Museum
Where: Salt Lake City
Admission: Adult: Free (donations welcome) | Child: Free
Fremont Indian State Park and Museum
Where: Sevier County (near Richfield)
Admission: Adult: $6/vehicle (USD) | Child: Free under 6
Museums
Curated collections that tell Utah's story.