Happens to people all the time in Utah.

People who see photographs of Utah's wild places often suggest the photos were retouched. Or they must have been taken somewhere else.

Soaring granite peaks. Slick-rock arches and alpine lakes. Undiscovered canyons. Ancient ruins and sandstone hoodoos. Glistening salt flats. Overpowering landscapes. Roaring trout streams. Multi-hued other-worldly sunrises. Even better sunsets. Easy access.

And The Best Snow On Earth!

That’s right. Utah. A land that beckons to be explored but deserves protection.

• Five national parks
• Seven national monuments
• Nine national forests
• 43 state parks

Millions flock to Utah to join those who live here in an unparalleled variety of world-class outdoor recreation. Skiing. Snow-boarding. Mountain biking. Hiking. Sight-seeing. Fishing. Hunting. Golf. Photography. Four-wheeling. ATV touring. Boating. Water-skiing. You can come here to enjoy any of them. Or all of them.

Within Utah’s borders lie the Rocky Mountains, the Great Basin, the Colorado Plateau, and the Mojave Desert. Such an array of climate, terrain and color. Not spread over a continent but concentrated in a single state. And what fantastic creations the elements – rain, snow, ice, rain and gravity – have sculpted out of Utah’s rock.

Utah is a place where deserts cover a third of the landscape – the Great Salt Lake Desert with concrete salt flats. The Sevier to the west and the Escalante to the southwest. One of the driest regions in the USA but with some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere.

Contrast that with the third of the state covered with forests and mountains. The Wasatch and Uinta Mountains rise up to provide some of the most dramatic scenery on earth.

One of the best winter playgrounds in the world. Home of the hugely successful 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Where spring-time wildflower displays and fall color panoramas have no equal.

Stretching over most of the southern and eastern sections of the state is the Colorado Plateau. Broad tablelands etched with deep valleys and canyons. The Henry and La Sal Mountains. And this is where you can experience Utah’s world-famous redrock country. Unlike anywhere else on earth.

As Wallace Stegner said, “No region in America, and so far as I know in the world, has a comparable power to evoke from human beings such responses of surprise, delight, and, above all, awe.”

This has been both a blessing and a curse. Blessed with vast natural resources that normally accompany such beauty, the curse of exploitation and development threaten the very existence of these lands. It's an often bitter fight between those wanting to preserve them and those seeking to profit from them.

Well, if you’ve been here or live here, it’s not a secret to you. Many Utahns would prefer no one else found out about the place they call home. Too late for that.

This online guide wasn’t created by a faceless corporation. It’s written by a long-time resident – more than 30 years - who came here from Canada with no intention of staying long-term. I’m still here.

This guide will tell you about the usual tourist attractions in Utah. But it’ll cover much more. The secrets of 30 years' experience living and traveling in Utah. I’ve hunted and fished these lands. Camped in them. Photographed them. My wife was born here. Lived here all her life.

You'll see photos. Lots of them. Photos often tell a story far better than words.

Yes, there are well-known attractions that draw millions every year. You'll discover those. But there are few places left in this country where you can get away from it all like you can here!

There are wondrous sights that are virtually undiscovered. The universal lack of knowledge about Utah’s wild areas is still somewhat comforting to people like me. Nonetheless, we know that change is inevitable. And Utah is evolving from a resource-based economy to one more dependent on visitors from other places.

We'll try to give you the information you'll need in making a decision to visit. And you'll know before arriving what you want to see and do when you get here.

Explore this site. Clink on all the links. The buttons to the left contain links to all major sections of www.Utah-Travel-Secrets.com. The titles are pretty much self-explanatory. You’ll also find these same links at the bottom of this page along with a short explanation of what you’ll find in each section. If you ever lose your way in this site, simply hit “Home” and you’ll end up back on this page.

Save A Lot Of Time. And See Much More. Hold On To More Of Your Money... by knowing what to see before you get here!

If you're thinking of visiting Utah or know you are, what are the best things to see and do when you get here?

Download my FREE eBook and you'll know The 101 Best Things To See And Do In Utah.

That's right. Absolutely free. It'll be a resource you'll rely on over and over again even if you already live here.