Utah in summer

Go high: alpine lakes, wildflowers and cool mountain nights.

Photo: Miguel del Fuego · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Summer in Utah means heading up. While St. George and Moab bake at over 100 degrees, the Wasatch and the Uintas are green and cool, with wildflowers in Albion Basin, swimming holes in the canyons and hundreds of alpine lakes along the Mirror Lake Highway.

It is also the season of hometown celebrations: Lehi Round-Up in June, America's Freedom Festival in Provo and Steel Days in American Fork in July, and Pioneer Day across the state on July 24.

What to do

Drive the Mirror Lake HighwaySR-150 climbs from Kamas to over 10,000 feet in the High Uintas, past dozens of lakes and trailheads. It is open only in summer and early fall.
Hike to Albion Basin wildflowersAbove Alta, the meadows around Cecret Lake bloom from mid July into August.
Spend a day at Bear LakeTurquoise water, sandy beaches on the Rendezvous side and a raspberry shake in Garden City.
See a play in Cedar CityThe Utah Shakespeare Festival runs from June into October at the Southern Utah University campus.
Hike TimpanogosThe summit hike above American Fork Canyon is the Wasatch's classic big day, best from mid July once snow melts.

An evening crowd and festival tents at Library Square — File photograph. Photo: E. Sargent · Used with permission for destination coverage · Visit Salt Lake

City days and festival evenings

Make room for art and performances as well as mountain outings. Library Square during the Utah Arts Festival.

Festival information →

Two visitors holding drinks at a summer outdoor gathering in the Cottonwood mountains — File photograph. Photo: Austen Diamond Photography · Used with permission for destination coverage · Visit Salt Lake

Summer in the Cottonwoods

The Cottonwood mountain resorts also have a summer side. Check the resort’s own seasonal activity and dining information before making the trip.

Find a mountain resort →

Two helmeted cyclists beside a barrier at a Tour of Utah event — File photograph. Photo: S. Buckley · Used with permission for destination coverage · Visit Salt Lake

Cycling culture

Utah has a long cycling tradition, including the Tour of Utah.

Plan a cycling outing →

Good to know

Southern Utah regularly tops 100°F. Hike at dawn, carry far more water than you think, and skip exposed trails in the afternoon.
Monsoon storms from July into September bring flash floods. Never enter a slot canyon when rain is in the forecast anywhere upstream.
Afternoon lightning is common on high Wasatch and Uinta peaks. Be off summits by early afternoon.
Fire restrictions are common by midsummer. Check the county and forest before building a campfire.

Wildlife and plants in summer

Cedar Breaks' high meadows offer a mountain example of summer flowering; NPS places the peak broadly in midsummer. Its conifer woods and wet meadows are part of the same landscape. At Bear River, the refuge describes avocet and stilt young in June and July. Neither statement guarantees current flowers, wildlife presence or accessible trails. Read the summer guide.

Birds

American avocet

An upturned bill, blue-gray legs and a sweeping feeding motion make this wetland shorebird especially distinctive.

Recurvirostra americana

Birds

Black-necked stilt

Pink legs and a straight, needlelike bill distinguish this black-and-white wader from its avocet neighbors.

Himantopus mexicanus

Other seasons

September to November