The 8 Best Views in Salt Lake City

Nestled between the great western face of the Wasatch Range and the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, Salt Lake City easily enjoys one of the grandest natural settings of any urban hub in the United States. Utah’s capital and biggest city, the "Crossroads of the West" and the anchor of the Wasatch Front metro area, has much to occupy a visitor, but the big-picture scenery is an ever-present distraction.

From the architectural sights of Temple Square and Ensign Place to expansive sightlines spanning mountaintop to lake islands, the Salt Lake City area has much to offer for those looking for impressive sights. Below, we’ve detailed the eight best views in Salt Lake City to add to your trip.

Wikimedia Commons / Beneathtimp / Public Domain

Ensign Peak, a small hill connected to the Wasatch Range, is a well-known landmark in Salt Lake City. The summit, where Brigham Young and his companions surveyed the future city in July 1847, can be reached by a short, easy mile-long trail near the state capitol. From the top, you'll get an amazing view of Salt Lake City and the surrounding area. A tip: the sunsets from Ensign Peak are especially hard to beat.

Courtesy of Visit Salt Lake

Reading gardens and a sweeping panoramic vista await you on the Rooftop Terrace of the Salt Lake Public Library System’s Main Library. Home to an amazing Salt Lake City view, this free and beautifully landscaped vantage is a fine place to settle down with a good book. The Main Library Rooftop Terrace is undergoing major renovations in 2023-2024, with added and improved features.

Courtesy of Visit Salt Lake

At 420 feet tall, the LDS Church Office Building, constructed in 1972, ranks among the tallest structures in Salt Lake City. Host to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lay ministry administrative staff, the soaring landmark includes an observation deck on its 26th floor that is, without question, one of Salt Lake City’s top places for views. (Note: Be sure to confirm that the observation deck is open to the public during your visit.) Sightlines extend from nearby Temple Square, the very heart of Salt Lake City (marked by other impressive structures such as the Joseph Smith Memorial Building), out to Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake and the crest of the Oquirrh Mountains, as well as the nearby Wasatch Front peaks.

Wikimedia Commons / Bobjgalindo / CC BY-SA 4.0

Another striking beacon of the Temple Square vicinity, the LDS Conference Center has its own beautiful vantage of downtown Salt Lake City and its mountain backdrop. The Conference Center rooftop is an award-winning green roof featuring garden plantings inspired by the alpine flora of the Wasatch Range as well as Great Basin/desert plant communities, with dozens of native species of trees, grasses and wildflowers on display.

Courtesy of Visit Salt Lake

Some of Salt Lake City’s finest architectural heritage awaits you in the Exchange Place Historic District, located near South Main Street, 400 South Street, Cactus Place and State Street. Some 10 eye-catching buildings here date from 1903 and 1917, including the Frank E. Moss United States Courthouse, the New York Hotel, the Judge Building. The area is also home to what are considered the very first "skyscrapers" in Utah: the twinned, 12-story-tall Boston and Newhouse Buildings. Demonstrating an intriguing blend of styles and designs, including influences from New York City and Chicago architects, these landmarks make for great photo ops.

Courtesy of Visit Salt Lake

Encompassing 100 acres in the Wasatch foothills on the east side of the University of Utah campus, a mere 4.5 miles from the heart of downtown, Red Butte Garden & Arboretum ranks among the largest installations of its kind in the Intermountain West. It also happens to deliver some of the best views in Salt Lake City. They include an abundance of close-range beauty, courtesy of more than 20 acres of themed gardens (including the Fragrance Garden, the Water Pavilion Garden, the Canyon Meadow and the Four Seasons Garden) as well as an extensive Natural Area explorable via some five miles of hiking trails. From the cultivated gardenscapes to such Natural Area routes as the Bennett Vista Trail, Zeke’s Mountain Trail and Canyon Overlook, you’ll be treated to far-reaching views from Wasatch mountainsides far out over the Salt Lake Valley.

Wikimedia Commons / Irwin-Scott / CC BY 2.0

Technically outside of Salt Lake City but only about 17 miles away to the west, the Great Salt Lake State Marina falls within Great Salt Lake State Park, a convenient gateway to the globally significant liquid treasure on SLC’s doorstep. There’s much on offer to do here including swimming, camping, boating, birdwatching and more. However, given that this location is outside of Salt Lake City, we’re stressing the marina as a top-shelf location for sunsets given the vast inland sea and mountains that provide an amazing backdrop. The marina also offers looks at nearby Black Rock, an iconic and history-drenched landmark of the Great Salt Lake shore.

Visit Salt Lake / Steve Greenwood

The 600 N. Bridge offers a great view of downtown Salt Lake City framed by the stunning Wasatch Front mountains. It's best enjoyed from a vehicle for safety, though you'll sometimes see photographers carefully setting up here too. This iconic view is often featured in SLC promotional materials and is worth checking out.

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