Although Kennecott Utah Copper’s (KUC) Bingham Canyon mine visitor center is closed until further notice, the public can still view the world’s deepest open-pit mine from a lesser known, unstaffed overlook atop the Oquirrh Mountains.
The Roosevelt Hot Springs area includes steaming and hissing geothermal vents, bubbling pools, and boiling mud pots. This landscape seen today is a recent and evolving phenomenon resulting from dropping groundwater levels caused by the operation of a geothermal power plant.
Gandy Warm Springs is a refreshing oasis of tiny waterfalls, pools, caves, and crystal clear streams with water temperatures up to 81˚F. Located on the western edge of Snake Valley, near the Nevada border, the springs are at the base of the southern tip of Spring Mountain (also called Gandy Mountain).
Hot pots are natural hot-water springs that form crater-like depressions usually 10 to 20 feet in diameter in mounds of tufa (calcium carbonate) that are typically 3 to 10 feet high. Several dozen active hot pots are near the town of Midway in northwestern Wasatch County.
No, over 100 hot springs adorn Utah. In fact, a wonderful hot spring, named Wasatch Warm Springs, is within walking distance of downtown Salt Lake City.
Although scuba diving and the second-driest state in the Union would seem a mismatch, there are numerous sites divers venture to around the state. Perhaps more surprisingly, given the chilly winters in northern Utah, scuba diving is possible year-round in this region of the state. One can ski in cold, fluffy powder snow and then scuba dive in warm, tropical water on the same day along the Wasatch Front.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE UTAH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) is a division of the Utah Department of Natural Resources. Several specialized programs comprise the UGS: Data Management, Energy & Minerals, Geologic Hazards, Geologic Information & Outreach, Geologic Mapping, Groundwater & Wetlands, and Paleontology.