GEOLOGICAL WONDERS

SCHEDULES

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

Temple Square is Salt Lake City’s main attraction, dedicated to the city’s founding religion, the Mormon church. See renowned architecture, or take a trolley tour to capture great photos of the four-hectare square and other city sites. Stroll the free botanical gardens and arboretum at Red Butte Garden. Experience Utah’s famous powdery snow at Wasatch National Forest, or venture to the high-speed bobsled ride at Utah Olympic Park, where you might see Olympic athletes training. A visit to Great Salt Lake in the summer is a must; the water is so salty, you can float right on top.

Accommodation: Salt Lake City, Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH TO GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING

Travel north to Grand Teton National Park. Located in northwest Wyoming, the park is home to the Teton Range, Grand Teton peak and the valley known as Jackson Hole. Locally known as the ‘mountains of the imagination’, the area offers clear blue lakes, a diverse array of wildlife and encompasses over 200 miles (322 km) of trails for hiking, biking or snowmobiling.

Accommodation: Jackson Hole or Teton Village, Wyoming

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING TO YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, MONTANA/WYOMING/IDAHO

The John D Rockefeller Memorial Highway links Grand Teton National Park to Yellowstone National Park. Stretching more than 3,500 square miles (9,605 square km) and three states, Yellowstone National Park, the USA’s first national park, sits atop a volcanic hot spot that creates impressive geothermal activity. Bring a lunch, grab a seat and eat while waiting for the next eruption of Old Faithful, a geyser that spews hot water approximately 17 times a day. While there, stop in the historic Old Faithful Inn, believed to be the world’s largest log structure, which was built in 1904 from local materials. While exploring the park, stay on the marked boardwalks and trails to see other natural wonders, such as hot springs, geysers and pools. You’re likely to encounter wildlife – including wolves, elk, bison, bear and moose – during hikes or mountain bike rides on one of the park’s many backcountry trails. This park is so vast and has so much to see that one night is not sufficient, so plan on a longer stay.

Accommodation: Yellowstone Area, Montana/Wyoming

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, MONTANA/WYOMING/IDAHO TO TWIN FALLS IDAHO

Travel into Idaho to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in the Snake River plain. The volcanic wonderland encompasses of enormous lava flows, a testament to violent eruptions more than 2,000 years agot. Just outside Twin Falls, Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument contains the most prehistoric horse fossils in the USA as well as many other animals, including mastodon, saber-toothed cats and bears. See some of them in the visitor center.

Accommodation: Twin Falls, Idaho

TWIN FALLS, IDAHO TO SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

Before returning to Salt Lake City, visit Gold Spike National Historic Site, dedicated to to the historic completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad. Plan a summer visit on a Saturday to relive the celebration during the reenactment of the ‘Driving of the Last Spike’.

Accommodation: Salt Lake City, Utah