This Is One of the Most Exciting Mountain Cities in the West-and It Was Named One of the Best Places to Visit in 2026

"Salt Lake City was recently named one of Travel + Leisure's Best Places to Go in 2026. With its close proximity to Park City, which held the 2002 Winter Olympics and is set to host the games once again in 2034, SLC has always been something of a vibrant outdoor playground. But now, it has a fast-growing, booming culinary scene, and a hip, trendy downtown, making it a one-stop shop for anyone in search of big-city energy and the West's iconic mountain terroir."

""Visitors are always surprised by how effortless it is to go from vibrant neighborhoods and award-winning dining to trailheads, ski slopes, and national-quality arts and culture, all within minutes," Kaitlin Eskelson, CEO of Visit Salt Lake, tells T+L. "You get the buzz of a growing city, but you're still in a place where people genuinely value connection, creativity, and time outside." Indeed, its growing popularity has attracted newcomers from near and far, who've all made their unique mark in the community."

Salt Lake City sits in the Great Basin between the Wasatch and Oquirrh Mountains and serves as Utah's capital. The city was named one of Travel + Leisure's Best Places to Go in 2026. Proximity to Park City, a past and future Olympic host, reinforces the area's reputation as an outdoor playground with abundant trailheads and ski slopes. A fast-growing culinary scene and a hip downtown provide big-city energy alongside mountain terroir. Neighborhoods, award-winning dining, national-quality arts, and outdoor access are reachable within minutes. New residents and entrepreneurs have strengthened a vibrant small-business community, including women-owned districts and destination dining.

Read at Travel + Leisure