Geography of Utah
Utah is divided into three distinct landform regions, including the Colorado Plateau of the south and southeast, the central Rocky Mountains, and the basin and ridge region of the northwest, which includes the Great Salt Lake and numerous salt beds.
As for the central Rocky Mountains, the snowy Uinta and Wasatch Mountains are the most significant ranges within the state. The highest point (Kings Peak) at MTS Uinta, stands at 13,528 feet.
The Colorado Plateau, a series of plains, colorful gorges, rugged mountains and valleys, extends the southern third of Utah. Bryce Canyon, Grand Escalante National Monument, Monument Valley and Zion Canyon, are some of the most interesting areas of the plateau.
- Allcitycodes: Provides map of area codes in Utah by county and city.
- Ask4beauty: Introduction to the state of Utah, addressing geography, history, politics, economy and population.
- Toppharmacyschools: Lists all educational institutes in Utah, including psychology, biological science, clinical psychology, computer science, economics, fine arts, etc.
The basin and ridge area is a series of flat depressions, salt beds, lakes and sinkholes – all scattered between isolated ribbons of mountains, stretching across the western and northwestern parts of the state.
The Great Salt Lake, the largest salt lake in the western hemisphere, is in fact what remains of Lake Bonneville, a large prehistoric body of water that is today about 75 miles long by 35 miles wide. Because of it’s high salt content (salinity), people can easily swim in the lake.
Lake Powell, Flaming Gorge Recreation Area on the Wyoming border and Utah Lake are other major bodies of water. Important rivers include the Colorado, Green and White. For a detailed look at Utah’s topography, check out this
Utah Famous Natives
People listed are almost always native to the state. We do (on occasion) include those who have either lived within the state for most of their adult lives or have made significant contributions to the state in their personal endeavors.
A
- Actress Maud Adams
- Corbin Allred actor
B
- Talks actor Baer
- Norman H. Bangerter politician
- Actress Roseanne Barr
- Robert F. Bennett politician
- Wallace F. Bennett politician
- Lowell author Bennion, educator
- Henry H. Blood politician
- Actor Danny Borzage
- Frank Borzage actor, director
- Reva Beck Bozon politician
- Wilford Brimley actor
- Firearms by inventor John Moses Browning
C
- Butch Cassidy criminal
- Tom Chambers basketball player
- Stephen R. Covey author, speaker
- Kean Curtis actor
D
- Cyrus Edward Dallin sculptor
- Tucker Dancy actor, director
- Matthew Davis actor
- Day actress Laraine
- Written by Bernard De Voto
- Actor Andrew Ducoto
F
- Award Tennyson Fairbanks sculptor
- Television inventor Philo T. Farnsworth
- Floyd Farr Radio, sports announcer
- Physicist Harvey Fletcher
- Edward J. Frogton sculptor
- Patrick Fujita actor
G-H
- Edwin Jacob (Jake) Garn astronaut, politician
- Actor Anthony Geary
- John Gilbert actor
- Illustrator by John Held Jr.
- Religious leader Gordon B. Hinckley
- Creator Dee Ward Hawk Visa Credit Card
K-M
- Joseph Kearns actor
- Jewel Kilkare singer, songwriter
- Astronaut Dona Leslie Linda
- Danny Lopez boxer
- Daniel David Marriott politician
- Founder Willard Marriott Marriott Hotels
- Religious leader David McKay
- Frank E. (Ted) Moss politician
O
- Merlin Olson football player
- Meroni Olsen actor
- Donny Osmond singer
- Singer Marie Osmond
P-S
- Reverend Ivy Baker former US Treasurer
- Lee G. Richards artist
- Brent Scowcroft former national security adviser
- Reed Smoot politician
- Mac Country Boy vaudeville actor
U-Y
- Indian Utah leader Wakara
- Arthur Vivian Watkins politician
- Actress Marie Windsor
- James Woods actor
- Loretta Young actress
- Sculptor Mahonri Yang
- Steve Young footballer
Provo, Utah
Provo, Utah is bordered to the west by Utah Lake with the rugged Wasatch Mountains looming in the northeast.
This western city is known for a conservative yet friendly atmosphere that reminds visitors of a simpler time. The city’s site was originally inhabited by Ute Indians for hundreds of years before explorers from Europe arrived. Provo was the first trading post in the early 1800s, founded by fur trapper and local character Etienne Provo, hence the name ‘Provo’.
The Mormons arrived in the mid-1800s, shortly after the settlement of the neighbor to the north, Salt Lake City. These rugged pioneers helped the city grow over the years, eventually becoming a great city in Utah.
Mormons founded Brigham Young Academy in 1892, later to become known as BYU, and built the unique, historic Provo Tent in 1912.
Today, Provo is a welcoming place for Utah visitors and residents alike. This thriving city is home to technology and skin care companies, has an environmentally conscious attitude and is surrounded by some of the most stunning natural beauty in the United States.
- Throwing a snowball within Provo, Utah will earn you a $50 fine!
- In winter, Wedding Veil Falls forms an icy stream known as the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ providing extreme vertical challenge for experienced ice climbers.
- Barney Clark became the first recipient of a permanent artificial heart on December 1, 1982, when Dr. William C. Devries and his team at the University of Utah removed Clark’s heart and replaced it with an aluminum and polyurethane device connected to a 400 pound air compressor that would accompany Clark for the rest of the his life.
Sitting on the shores of Provo Bay and with the Wasatch Range on the horizon, outdoor adventures around Provo are plentiful and challenging for the Utah explorer. Hiking, camping, fishing, and ATV western skiing at Sundown Resort are all part of the Provo outdoor experience.
Salt Lake City is only 45 minutes away, giving Provo travelers access to great museums, the Arts and the most famous Mormon institutions. A few hours west is the famous Bonneville Salt Flats, where racers come from all over the world to break the roster for jet cars, wind surfers and every vehicle known to man.
Brigham Young University (BYU)
Founded as Brigham Young Academy in 1892 by settlers from Salt Lake City, BYU is the largest church-affiliated university in the United States. 98% of its students are members of the Church of Latter Day Saints.Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah is proud of its NCAA All-Star athletes and team accomplishments. Sports enthusiasts visiting the Provo area enjoy great varsity basketball and football games with a college crowd that really knows how to celebrate!
Wedding Veil Falls
An essential thing to see that attraction is the cascading wonder of Wedding Veil Falls, located just four miles of rugged Provo Canyon. The Bridal Veil is a double torrent falls with churning waters crashing down from two levels to the Provo River. The falls can be viewed from above through scenic Utah overlook or from the bottom of Provo Canyon.An icy swimming hole beckons to the brave polar bear types, and a mud path leads up the canyon wall for panoramic views and photo ops. In spring and summer, Bridal Veil Falls experiences its highest volumes of flow and the area is covered with an artist’s palette of wildflowers.
Thanksgiving Point
This non-profit foundation is a unique enterprise, home to several educational, interactive and even world-changing programs.Thanksgiving Point’s most famous engagement is the Museum of Ancient Life, with collections of dinosaur and other fossils from Precambrian to modern times. With over 120 skeletons, 63 interactive exhibits and hundreds of other fossils on display, the Museum of Ancient Life is known as one of the planet’s largest exhibits on ancient life.The Thanksgiving Point Institute is home to many more exhibits, explorations, experiential learning classes and unique summer camps.
