Utah

Utah is best known for two things: its large Mormon population and its amazing national parks. Both can be found throughout the state and help make Utah a unique travel destination, unlike any other place in the United States.

The two most popular and accessible national parks, Bryce Canyon and Zion, are in southern Utah. Other areas, like Arches, are just as spectacular, but unless you plan on being in Utah for a long time, stick to this pair. Zion National Park is the most beautiful in the state. It has cliffs, forests and waterfalls, and its heart, Zion Canyon, is a lush gorge filled with wildlife. Bryce Canyon National Park is one of the most distinctive looking places in the world. Its stone landscape is a mix of brightly colored rock washed down over centuries into spectacularly contorted shapes.

The earliest European settlers of the Utah area were Mormons, a religious group who came to this desolate area to flee persecution. They established Salt Lake City in 1847, and today it is impossible to speak of the city without mentioning the Mormons. In fact, the vast majority of the state's population is Mormon. Salt Lake City is still the headquarters of the Mormon Church, where the religious leaders and the highest temple are located. Nearly all of the tourist destinations in the city are connected with the Mormons and their history.