The US state of Utah is located in the Midwest and is part of the Mountains Region. Its nickname “beehive” is explained by the fact that the founding Mormons immediately made the industrious beehive a symbol of the territory.

The Ute Indians, who still live there today, gave the state of Utah its name. However, the Mormons wanted the state to be called Deseret. However, this religiously based name, which comes from the Book of Mormon, was not accepted by the American government because of the separation of church and state.

The US state of Utah

Utah’s capital, Salt Lake City

The neighboring states to the north are Idaho and Wyoming. Colorado is to the west, New Mexico to the southwest, and Arizona to the south. Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona all border at one point. This point was given the name Four Corners, which is used both for this border point and for the entire region.

Almost 2.8 million people live on an area of ​​219,887 km², about the size of the old Federal Republic, of which an estimated 60% can be counted among the Mormons. Most of it in the northern part of the state. The capital Salt Lake City alone has 186,000 residents, making it the largest city in the state.

A saying also characterizes the country of the Mormons, who are forbidden to drink alcohol: “Drink and be happy, tomorrow you may be in Utah”. Translated into German it goes something like this: “Drink and celebrate, you could be in Utah tomorrow”.

However, there is no total ban on alcohol, only a few restrictions must be observed. Where do you get your Pläsechen now?

In the restaurants you can order your beer or wine with your meal.
In the supermarket you can buy beer up to 3.2 vol%. Note: a typical German beer has over 5%. In Liquor Stores (the US liquor market) you can find all kinds of liquors. In so-called private clubs, something like a smoking bar for alcohol connoisseurs, you can have a drink with others.

Monument Valley

The fact that Utah has a lot to offer in terms of landscape is also proven by the fact that there are 43 state parks here. The largest are Bryce Canyon, Zion, Canyonlands, and Capital Reef National Parks, each well worth a visit.

Monument Valley is a plain on the Colorado Plateau border with Arizona. Located within the Navajo Nation Reservation near the town of Mexican Hat, it is not a federal reserve but is under Navajo administration. It is known for its mesas and has often served as a backdrop for filming.

Snowbasin

In the state of Utah, the Snowbasin ski resort is hidden in the beautiful nature of the Rocky Mountains. It lies about 80 km from the capital Salt Lake City and belongs to the oldest permanent winter resorts in the USA. The slopes were opened already in 1946 and their final shape was shaped by the Olympic champion Bernhard Russi. Today, the area offers countless downhill tracks that are regularly groomed and thus allow skiing from morning to evening. Unfortunately, visitors here lack a kind of background in the form of a ski village, and the services provided, which are common in alpine resorts, are also insufficient. Only a large parking lot, a few restaurants and a grandstand for visitors were built here. However, this is compensated by the great skiing terrains. Skiers are transported on the slopes by modern lifts and cable cars, which are served by numerous and smiling staff. There are enough lifts to transport all visitors, who travel to this remote resort. The area also includes a ski school led by experienced instructors. The local downhill tracks are newly built and most of them have a very demanding character. Some technically demanding sections with jumps have a gradient of up to 78%. These steep slopes were therefore chosen for downhill skiing and Super G competitions. Snowbasin hosted the 2002 Olympic combined downhill race.

The biggest cities

Here is a list of the largest cities in Utah with their population (rounded).

• Salt Lake City 186,000
• West Valley City 129,000
• Provo 112,000
• West Jordan 104,000
• Orem 88,000

Climate and Weather in Utah

Much of Utah is very dry, but mountainous areas get rain in the summer and snow a little more in the winter. The Utah territory lies almost entirely west of the Rocky Mountains.

In Utah there is an extreme steppe climate, ie there are relatively hot summers in which the thermometer rises to more than 30 degrees Celsius. Cold, snowy winters with temperatures often below 0 degrees Celsius provide a stark contrast. The region around Salt Lake City (1,350 m ) is a very popular winter sports area, and the 2002 Winter Olympics were also held here.