What's New

While change has traditionally come slowly to Utah, it is inevitable and things have been moving at a much faster rate for the last decade or two. The major catalyst these days is growth. The St. George area is one of the fastest-growing communities in the country, and pretty much every major city in the state is growing at a marked clip, thanks in large part to the droves of Californians who cashed in their real estate and moved inland in recent years.

Another event that still has repercussions today is the 2002 Winter Olympics. The publicity generated by the games helped put many of Utah's resorts on the map, and thanks to a growing number of skier-days, major improvements have come to the ski areas every year since. The higher profile of the resorts has established Utah as a bigger winter recreation hub than ever, with Ogden as one of the ski-making industry's emerging meccas.

Salt Lake City

After 4 years of work to make it earthquake-proof, the Utah State Capitol, Capitol Hill at the north end of State St. (tel. 801/538-3000), is once again open for tours in 2008. However, visitors will find that much of downtown is a construction zone, as part of the City Creek Center retail-residential redevelopment of old malls owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When completed in 2011, it will have 900 residential units (an anomaly in downtown Salt Lake City) and shops and other businesses. The Museum of Utah Art and History, 125 S. Main St. (tel. 801/355-5554; www.muahnet.org), is undergoing renovations and should be open to the public in June 2008.

The Northern Wasatch Front: Utah's Old West

In Ogden, on the transportation front, the new UTA Frontrunner commuter train (tel. 801/743-3882; www.rideuta.com) started making runs between Ogden and Salt Lake City in 2008. Downtown, the new-for-2007 Salomon Center, 2261 Kiesel Ave. (tel. 801/399-4653; www.salomoncenter.com), is a one-of-a-kind facility and a magnet for extreme types, with skydiving and surfing simulators and a climbing wall, as well as a Gold's Gym, an arcade, bowling alley, restaurants, and more. Next door, the literary-oriented Treehouse Children's Museum, 347 22nd St. (tel. 801/394-9663; www.treehousemuseum.org), has re-opened in snazzy new quarters, centered on a two-story faux treehouse.

Ogden's restaurants keep getting better. In town, Rickenbacker's Bistro, 4282 S. 1650 West (tel. 801/627-4100; www.rickenbackersbistro.com), serves creative continental fare in an aviation-themed space at the Ogden airport. In Eden is another terrific new eatery, Harley and Bucks Grill, 5510 E. 2200 North (tel. 801/745-2060), serving tantalizing barbecue in the Historic Eden General Store.

The Southwestern Wasatch Front: World-Class Skiing & More

Adding to Park City's increasingly dynamic dining and nightlife, Jean Louis, 136 Heber Ave. (tel. 435/200-0260; www.jeanlouisrestaurant.com), has a diverse menu and great cocktails. The Utah Olympic Park, 3000 Bear Hollow Dr. (tel. 888/659-7275; www.utaholympicpark.com), keeps evolving, most recently opening zip lines on two ski jumps and a stainless-steel alpine slide. Just over the mountains in the Heber Valley, growth has been torrid. The latest development is Zermatt Resort & Spa, 784 W. Resort Dr., Midway (tel. 800/983-6253; http://zermatt.dolce.com), a Swiss-themed resort with terrific facilities.

Utah's Dixie & The Colorful Southwest Corner

Always quite good, Red Mountain Spa, 1275 E. Red Mountain Cir., Ivins (tel. 435/673-4905; www.redmountainspa.com), keeps getting better and better, redoing the spa and rooms after adding new condos. The Gun Barrel Steak & Game House, 1091 N. Bluff St. (tel. 435/652-0550), has emerged as one of St. George's top restaurants.

Bryce Canyon National Park

A 2006 rockslide cut off one section of the Navajo Trail at Bryce Canyon National Park (tel. 435/834-5322; www.nps.gov/brca), but park officials say this is not necessarily a bad thing and that this work of nature actually gives visitors a unique opportunity to see the geologic forces that have helped create this park. Fortunately, the rockslide did not affect the popular hike that combines portions of the Navajo and Queen's Garden trails.

Capital Reef National Park

Those looking for ancient rock art or the best spots for calendar-quality photos can now receive specialized help, with guided tours in these and other specialties from Wild Hare Expeditions, at Best Western Capitol Reef Resort in Torrey (tel. 888/304-4273; www.wildhareexpeditions.com), located just outside Capitol Reef National Park.

Lake Powell & Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Formerly small and little-used, Antelope Point Marina (tel. 800/255-5561; www.antelopepointrentals.com) is rife with new development and now features a houseboat-rental concession, dining facilities, and more. Coming soon to Lake Powell is Amangiri, a luxury spa and resort by Amanresorts (www.amanresorts.com), which owns seriously upscale properties all over the world. Its only other North American property is Amangani in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The resort is slated to open sometime in 2008; rooms will be in the $1,200-a-night vicinity.

From Moab to Arches & Canyonlands National Parks

The San Juan Hut Systems (tel. 970/626-3033; www.sanjuanhuts.com) just keeps getting better, and now boasts two trail networks heading out of Moab. The first one goes to Telluride, Colorado, and the new one connects Moab with Durango, also in Colorado. Each is about 215 miles long, with cabins at 35-mile intervals to provide tired hikers with a dry and warm spot to bed down for the night.

It took longer than expected, but the new visitor center and quarry upgrades have been completed at Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, near the community of Price (tel. 435/636-3600), making this an even better place to see what's left of the real Jurassic Park.