When to Visit Me in Utah

Best time of year to visit Utah? The weather is not too hot and not too cold in April-May (Spring) or September-October (Fall). Here’s my Visitor’s Guide to Utah for all seasons! I’ve included some of our favorite activities (and ones tourists may like to try) in every season! All photos are from our own adventures.

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Spring

Prime time for outdoor activities, especially hiking, running, biking, and fishing. Everything is in bloom and green. Head to the parks and feed the ducks. March includes the Holi Festival of Colors (Spanish Fork), and is best enjoyed when you’re young and single haha. We also throw an annual St Patrick’s Day Party at our home with our favorite Irish foods. We loved our stay at a nearby Treehouse in May!

Summer

Summer is my personal favorite. It’s BBQ season and family time! We’ll probably be celebrating a birthday or some other event! Perfect for all your frozen treats, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, fishing, strolling, and any adventure from Spring. Most of the cities have Festivals or Rodeos. When we lived in Provo, we rode inner tubes all the way down the Provo River, ran to the Waterfalls prepping for the summer races, and biked throughout the city. There are many temples in Utah Valley, and we love visiting them all!

Possible cons are that it can get crowded with traffic wherever you go (school is out, lots of construction and visitors), it can get really hot, and you may encounter mosquitos—so be sure to plan ahead, stay hydrated and always apply sunscreen, and dress appropriately when outdoors including using insect repellent.

• June: Farmers Markets Begin! Food Truck Rallies, Lehi Round Up Rodeo
• July: Independence Day (Freedom Festival, Hot Air Balloons, Parades, Fireworks, Temple to Temple Run), Kayaking on the reservoirs, Fiesta Days Rodeo (Spanish Fork), Cherry Picking, Harry Potter Party (Springville Library), Pioneer Day (July 24) Events
• August: Peaches!

Fall

The leaves are changing, and the mountains are a scenic wonder. We usually take our family photos around this time of year. September brings apple picking and the Sunflower Festival (Spanish Fork). It’s still warm and green, so we love hiking and have even gone swimming at our favorite outdoor spot in September! In October, take the scenic loops and check out places like Cascade Springs. There are Pumpkin patches and Halloween Festivities like Costume parties, Trunk or Treat Decorating, Trick or Treating, Pumpkin carving, Haunted Houses, Harry Potter events, and more. If you visit me during Thanksgiving, let’s have a Thanksgiving meal together at home! Then help us choose a Christmas tree the day after.

Winter

If you like snow sports, Utah has some great powder and gorgeous mountains for whatever your heart desires. I’ve tried the less extreme stuff like snowshoeing, sledding, snow tubing, ice skating, and building a snowman haha. Still yet to ski here, but everyone raves about it! People scale frozen waterfalls, snowboard, do winter sports at the areas built for the Olympics, and even attend dog sled races.

• December
  • Peterson Christmas Trees (Elk Ridge)
  • Temple Square Christmas lights
  • Tree of Light (Draper)
  • Alpine Living Nativity
  • Hogle Zoo Lights
  • Salem City Pond Town Christmas
  • North Pole Express on the Heber Valley Historic Railroad
• January / February
  • Ice Castles (Midway): Award-winning frozen attraction built from hundreds of thousands of icicles hand-placed by professional ice artists. Castles feature LED-lit sculptures, frozen thrones, ice-carved tunnels, slides, fountains, and more. Weather-dependent (usually opens January), hour-ish drive from me.
  • Winter Tubing at Soldier Hollow (Midway)
  • Sundance Film Festival (Park City, Salt Lake): January 20-30, 2022
  • Homestead Crater
  • Skiing (Sundance, Park City, Brian Head, Zermatt, etc.)

Places I Like to Go with You!

This depends on your interests of course, but here are some of my local favorite spots.

• Provo:
  • Bridal Veil Falls (Provo)
  • Bombay House (Provo)
  • Taste – for Afternoon Tea (Provo)
  • Historic Downtown Provo
• South Utah Valley:
  • My Neighborhood!
  • Lotus Temple (Spanish Fork)
  • Treasures Antique Mall (Springville)
  • Springville Public Library (Springville)
  • The Red Barn (Santaquin)
  • Payson Temple (Payson)
  • Payson Canyon (Payson)
• Northern Utah Valley:
  • Loveland Living Planet Aquarium (Draper)
  • Alpine Loop
• Salt Lake:
  • Temple Square
  • City Creek Shopping
  • Hogle Zoo (Salt Lake)
  • Takashi Sushi (Salt Lake)