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Photo courtesy of Salt Lake City Visitors & Convention Bureau
Photo by Eric Schramm
It has come to our attention that there are still some people, perhaps long overseas or new to the country, who has not yet heard of Snowbird Ski Resort or all of the awesome summer activities in and around Little Cottonwood Canyon. Snowbird and the neighboring Alta (which was once the settlement for Little Cottonwood Canyon mining activities,) have consistently been ranked #1 ski resort in the nation since the 2002 and nearby Salt Lake City, Utah hosted the Olympics.
What does that have to do with summer fun, you might ask? EVERYTHING! The same places that make the most excellent winter resort locations often make the very best of summer mountain vacation destinations as well. In this case, it's doubly so. A man of extraordinary vision, Dick Bass, made a special point of ensuring that Snowbird and the Little Cottonwood Canyon area would be a world-class resort all year long!
What's there to do? EVERYTHING! Utah has world-class golf all over the state, and you have your pick of 18 hole championship courses in the Salt Lake City area as well.
Nature lovers are certain to love Little Cottonwood Canyon. The Wasatch-Cache National Forest provides a myriad of outdoor recreation opportunities, while protecting and preserving the wilderness for generations to come.
Hiking, camping and rock climbing are extremely popular in the area. You can get back into the canyon on horseback as well. Visit for the afternoon and enjoy a picnic lunch, or camp out and stay a while. There's plenty of natural beauty to explore in this historic place.
You can take advantage of the lifts during the summer as well. Between the aerial tram (which takes visitors to the eleven-thousand foot Hidden Peak for a view from the top) and the Zip Rider (ride up, get strapped into a harness and fly down just over the treetops like a bird!,) as well as lift rides that will take your mountain bike up for you, so you can rocket back down on your own, there's a wealth of activities available right there on the mountain!
The Salt Lake City area is almost famous for extreme sports. While you visit, take in the excitement of paragliding, mountain biking, hiking, ATV tours, white water rafting on the nearby rivers, or push the envelope in any one of a dozen other ways. If you can imagine it, somebody is doing it and offering it for you to experience.
Not quite that adventurous? Not a problem. More traditional sports such as golf, volleyball, frisbee, basketball, horseshoes, softball, fishing (they have some wicked fly fishing there!) are all available. Or enjoy one of the many summer concerts and music festivals. Head on over to the Sundance Film Festival if you like... Golf? You must be kidding! Utah was made for course designers! Really, this has got to be one of the best places anywhere for a summer golf vacation. From culture (professional Broadway and Off-Broadway shows visit Salt Lake, and the symphony, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, etc. could keep you busy for days) to nightlife, from nature to punk rock concerts, if you can imagine it, it's there for you.
Most of us aren't after hard rock concerts when we go to a place like this though, we are wanting to get in touch with nature, and that's where Little Cottonwood Canyon (and the nearby Alta resorts really shine. Take pictures, leave footprints? Photography, astronomy, and all manner of restful back-to-nature activities are sure to make you wish you could stay a while longer. But don't worry. With as popular and well managed as this area is, it's sure to be there provide us with everything for an amazing vacation for years to come!
