We invite you to utilize this website to become familiar with Utah, which is one of the most geologically diverse places in the world. Perfect snow, rugged red rocks, 12,000 years of human history, coral pink sand dunes, mountain rivers & lakes and The Rocky Mountains. If Utah doesn't have it, you don’t need it. For a state located in the high desert, Utah has a surprisingly large number of fantastic lakes. Many of these are reservoirs formed by the damming of mountain rivers. The state of Utah is one giant playground to visit or to live in. The lakes tend to be set against mountain backdrops. Each lake has its own look and feel. Some are shallow and warm, others are deep and clear, and one is so salty that you float on its surface. One of Utah's defining characteristics is the variety of its terrain. Running down the middle of the state's northern third is the Wasatch Range, which rises to heights of almost 12,000 feet above sea level. Utah is home to world-renowned ski resorts made popular by light, fluffy snow and winter storms that regularly dump feet of it overnight. In the state's northeastern section, running east to west, are the Uinta Mountains. It is a high-elevation area covered mostly by plateaus and basins, where a large number of lakes and rivers are, which remain mostly inaccessible. These mountains rise to heights of over 13,000 feet. The highest point in the state, Kings Peak, is at 13,528 feet. At the western base of the Wasatch Mountain Range is the Wasatch Front, a series of valleys and basins that are home to the most populous parts of the state. It stretches north from Brigham City, Ogden, Salt Lake City, Orem, Provo to Nephi at the south end. Approximately 75% of the state's population lives in this corridor, and the population is growing. Western Utah is mostly arid desert. The Bonneville Salt Flats are an exception, being comparatively flat as a result of once forming the bed of ancient Lake Bonneville. Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake, Sevier Lake, and Rush Lake are all remnants of this ancient freshwater lake. Much of the southern and southeastern landscape is sandstone. Wind and water have carved their way through the sandstone forming huge canyons and arches. The Colorado River and its tributaries wind their way through the sandstone, creating some of the world's most striking and colorful wild terrain. Utah's temperatures are extreme, with cold temperatures in winter due to its elevation, and very hot summers statewide.
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